John Leguizamo to Star in Paramount+’s Series “American Tragedies: Waco – The Trials”

John Leguizamo is going back on trials

The 61-year-old Colombian actor will star in American Tragedies: Waco – The Trials, Paramount+’s follow up to the 2018 miniseries.

John LeguizamoLeguizamo will reprise his role in the new series.

David Costabile and J. Smith Cameron are among the stars joining the series. Giovanni RibisiJohn HoogenakkerKeean Johnson and Abbey Lee also star.

Paramount Network’s Waco, fronted by Taylor Kitsch, explored the events in February 1993 in Mount Carmel, a small religious community when a raid by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) on David Koresh and his followers, known as the Branch Davidians, led to a massive standoff and the death of dozens.

American Tragedies: Waco – The Trials will explore the wide-ranging fallout following these events and the uneven scales of justice the surviving Branch Davidians faced.

It will also delve into how the horrific events fueled the emerging ‘Patriot’ movement, which ultimately led to the most destructive act of domestic terrorism in U.S. history – the Oklahoma City bombing.

Leguizamo will reprise his role as Jacob Vasquez, an ATF agent who worked undercover during the lead up to Waco.

Michael Shannon, an exec producer on the series, will also reprise his role as Gary Noesner, an FBI hostage negotiator who has PTSD from the failed negotiations with the Branch Davidians in Waco.

The series comes from creators, exec producers and showrunners Drew and John Erick Dowdle. It is designed to air in 2023 to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the tragic events in Texas.

Produced by MTV Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios exec producers also include Andrew Gettens and Lauren Mackenzie, who will also write, David C. Glasser, David Hutkin, Bob Yari and Ron Burkle.

Benicio del Toro Earns First-Ever Emmy Awards Nomination

Benicio del Toro is celebrating a special first…

Nominations for the 71st annual Primetime Emmy Awards have been revealed, with the 52-year-old Puerto Rican Oscar-winning actor earning his first-ever nod.

Benicio del Toro

del Toro is nominated in the Outstanding Lead Actor In A Limited Series or Movie category for his role as convicted murderer in Showtime’s seven-episode series Escape At Dannemora.

The show is based on a real-life 2015 prison break and explores the dynamics between convicts Richard Matt (del Toro) and David Sweat (Paul Dano) and prison worker Joyce “Tilly” Mitchell (Patricia Arquette), who ultimately helped them escape. 

John Leguizamo, an Emmy winner in 1998 for his semi-autobiographical HBO one-man show Freak, has earned his second consecutive Emmy nod in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie category.

The 54-year-old Colombian actor and stand0-up comedian, a nominee last year for his role in the limited television series Waco, is nominated for his role in the Netflixminiseries When They See Us.

Anthony Mendez has picked up his third nomination in the Outstanding Narrator category.

The bilingual Latino voice actor, who earned two Emmy nods his narrating the CW’s Jane the Virgin, is nominated in the Outstanding Narrator category for narrating USA’s documentary series Wonders of Mexico.

Emmy-winner Tessandra Chavez has earned a nod in the Outstanding Choreography For Variety or Reality Programming category for her work with the contemporary dance company she founded Unity LA, and their routines on NBC’s World of Dance. She’s up against fellow Latino choreographers and World of Dancechoreographers Melvin “Timtim” Rogador and Karen ForcanoRicardo Vega.

Other Latino nominees include Hanna cinematographer Dana Gonzales in the Outstanding Cinematography For A Single-Camera Series (One Hour) category and RGB editor Carla Gutierrez in theOutstanding Picture Editing For A Nonfiction Program category.

The 2019 Emmy Awards will air on September 22 on Fox.

Here’s the list of some of the high-profile Latino nominees and their competition:

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Limited Series Or Movie 
Jared Harris as Valery Legasov, Chernobyl 
Benicio del Toro as Richard Matt, Escape At Dannemora 
Sam Rockwell as Bob Fosse, Fosse/Verdon 
Mahershala Ali as Wayne Hays, True Detective 
Hugh Grant as Jeremy Thorpe, A Very English Scandal 
Jharrel Jerome as Korey Wise, When They See Us 

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Limited Series Or Movie 
Stellan Skarsgård as Boris Shcherbina, Chernobyl 
Paul Dano as David Sweat, Escape At Dannemora 
Ben Whishaw as Norman, A Very English Scandal 
Asante Blackk as Kevin Richardson, When They See Us 
John Leguizamo as Raymond Santana, Sr., When They See Us 
Michael K. Williams as Bobby McCray, When They See Us 

Outstanding Narrator
Angela Bassett, Narrator, The Flood 
Liev Schreiber, Narrator, The Many Lives of Nick Buoniconti 
Sir David Attenborough, Narrator, Our Planet
Juliet Stevenson, Narrator, Queens Of Mystery 
Charles Dance, Narrator, Savage Kingdom 
Anthony Mendez, Narrator, Wonders Of Mexico 

Outstanding Choreography For Variety Or Reality Programming
Travis Wall, Choreographer,  So You Think You Can Dance
Luther Brown, Choreographer, So You Think You Can Dance 
Melvin “Timtim” Rogador, Choreographer, World Of Dance 
Suresh Mukund, Choreographer, World Of Dance 
Karen Forcano, Choreographer & Ricardo Vega, Choreographer, World Of Dance 
Tessandra Chavez, Choreographer, World Of Dance 

Outstanding Cinematography For A Single-Camera Series (One Hour)
Jonathan Freeman, ASC, Director of Photography, Game Of Thrones 
Zoë White, Director of Photography, The Handmaid’s Tale 
Colin Watkinson, Director of Photography, The Handmaid’s Tale 
Dana Gonzales, ASC, Director of Photography
Gonzalo Amat, Director of Photography, The Man In The High Castle 
M. David Mullen, ASC, Director of Photography, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel 
Robert McLachlan, ASC, Director of Photography, Ray Donovan 

Outstanding Picture Editing For A Nonfiction Program 
Tom Patterson, Editor, Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown 
Bob Eisenhardt, ACE, Editor, Free Solo 
Jules Cornell, Editor, Leaving Neverland 
Carla Gutierrez, ACE, Editor, RBG 
Michael Harte, Editor, Three Identical Strangers 

Penelope Cruz Earns First Primetime Emmy Awards Nomination

Penelope Cruz will be making a big appearance at this year’s Primetime Emmy Awards

The Spanish actress, the winner of anOscar for her performance in Woody Allen’s Vicky Cristina Barcelona, has earned her first Emmy nomination.

Penelope Cruz

Cruz earned the nod in the Supporting Actress, Limited Series or a Movie category for her performance as Italian fashion designer Donatella Versace in FX’s The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story.

Penelope Cruz as Donatella Versace

Meanwhile, Cruz’s onscreen brother Edgar Ramirez picked up his second career Emmy nomination.

The 41-year-old Venezuelan actor, a previous nominee in 2011 for his performance in the French-German biopic series Carlos, is up for Supporting Actor, Limited Series or Movie for portraying Italian fashion designer Gianni Versace in the The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story.

Ramirez will face-off against Ricky Martin, his on-screen partner in the FX anthology series.

The 46-year-old Puerto Rican actor/singer has earned his first Emmy nomination for portraying Italian fashion model and designer Antonio D’Amico.

Antonio Banderas has earned his second career Emmy nomination…

The 57-year-old Spanish actor, nominated in 2004 for his starring role in And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself, is up for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for his performance as Pablo Picasso in National Geographic’s anthology series Genius.

Alexis Bledel, who won her first Emmy earlier this year in the Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series category, is nominated in the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series category for the same role.

The 36-year-old Latina actress earned the nod for portraying Emily / Ofglen / Ofsteveninthe Hulu drama series The Handmaid’s Tale. After guest starring in the first season of the show, Bledel was made a supporting cast member for season two.

John Leguizamo is back in the running for an Emmy nearly 20 years after winning his first Emmy in 1999 for Outstanding Performance in a Variety or Music Programfor his one-man stand-up special John Leguizamo: Freak.

The 53-year-old Colombian actor and stand-up comedian is nominated in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie category for his performance in Paramount Network’s Waco.

Lin-Manuel Miranda, an Emmy winner for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics, has earned his second career acting nomination.

The 38-year-old Puerto Rican multi-hyphenate is nominated for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for the second year in a row, this time for his appearance on Curb Your Enthusiasm.

The 70th Primetime Emmy Awards will honor television’s best shows and performances of the past year.

The awards will be presented in a ceremony on September 17.

Here’s the full list of nominees:

Best Comedy
Atlanta” (FX)
Barry” (HBO)
black-ish” (ABC)
Curb Your Enthusiasm” (HBO)
GLOW” (Netflix)
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (Amazon)
Silicon Valley” (HBO)
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” (Netflix)

Best Drama
The Americans” (FX)
The Crown” (Netflix)
Game of Thrones” (HBO)
The Handmaid’s Tale” (Hulu)
Stranger Things” (Netflix)
This Is Us” (NBC)
Westworld” (HBO)

Best Limited Series
The Alienist” (TNT)
The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” (FX)
Genius: Picasso” (National Geographic)
Godless” (Netflix)
Patrick Melrose” (Showtime)

Best Actress, Comedy
Pamela Adlon, “Better Things”
Rachel Brosnahan, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”
Allison Janney, “Mom”
Issa Rae, “Insecure”
Tracee Ellis Ross, “black-ish”
Lily Tomlin, “Grace and Frankie”

Best Actor, Comedy
Anthony Anderson, “black-ish”
Ted Danson, “The Good Place”
Larry David, “Curb Your Enthusiasm”
Donald Glover, “Atlanta”
Bill Hader, “Barry”
William H. Macy, “Shameless”

Best Actress, Drama
Claire Foy, “The Crown”
Tatiana Maslany, “Orphan Black”
Elisabeth Moss, “The Handmaid’s Tale”
Sandra Oh, “Killing Eve”
Keri Russell, “The Americans”
Evan Rachel Wood, “Westworld”

Best Actor, Drama
Jason Bateman, “Ozark
Sterling K. Brown, “This Is Us”
Ed Harris, “Westworld”
Matthew Rhys, “The Americans”
Milo Ventimiglia, “This Is Us”
Jeffrey Wright, “Westworld”

Supporting Actress, Drama
Alexis Bledel, “The Handmaid’s Tale”
Millie Bobby Brown, “Stranger Things”
Ann Dowd, “The Handmaid’s Tale”
Lena Headey, “Game of Thrones”
Vanessa Kirby, “The Crown”
Thandie Newton, “Westworld”
Yvonne Strahovski, “The Handmaid’s Tale”

Supporting Actor, Drama
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, “Game of Thrones”
Peter Dinklage, “Game of Thrones”
Joseph Fiennes, “The Handmaid’s Tale”
David Harbour, “Stranger Things”
Mandy Patinkin, “Homeland”
Matt Smith, “The Crown”

Supporting Actress, Comedy
Zazie Beetz, “Atlanta”
Aidy Bryant, “Saturday Night Live”
Alex Borstein, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”
Betty Gilpin, “GLOW”
Leslie Jones, “Saturday Night Live”
Kate McKinnon, “Saturday Night Live”
Laurie Metcalf, “Roseanne”
Megan Mullally, “Will & Grace”

Supporting Actor, Comedy
Louie Anderson, “Baskets”
Alec Baldwin, “Saturday Night Live”
Tituss Burgess, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”
Brian Tyree Henry, “Atlanta”
Tony Shalhoub, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”
Kenan Thompson, “Saturday Night Live”
Henry Winkler, “Barry”

Best Actress, Limited Series or TV Movie
Jessica Biel, “The Sinner”
Laura Dern, “The Tale”
Michelle Dockery, “Godless”
Edie Falco, “Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders”
Regina King, “Seven Seconds
Sarah Paulson, “American Horror Story: Cult”

Best Actor, Limited Series or TV Movie
Antonio Banderas, “Genius: Picasso”
Darren Criss, “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story”
Benedict Cumberbatch, “Patrick Melrose”
Jeff Daniels, “The Looming Tower”
John Legend, “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert”
Jesse Plemons, “Black Mirror: USS Callister”

Supporting Actress, Limited Series or a Movie
Sara Bareilles, “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert
Penélope Cruz, “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story”
Judith Light, “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story”
Adina Porter, “American Horror Story: Cult”
Merritt Wever, “Godless”
Letitia Wright, “Black Mirror: Black Museum”

Supporting Actor, Limited Series or Movie
Jeff Daniels, “Godless”
Brandon Victor Dixon, “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert”
John Leguizamo, “Waco”
Ricky Martin, “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story”
Edgar Ramirez, “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story”
Michael Stuhlbarg, “The Looming Tower”
Finn Wittrock, “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story”

Television Movie
Black Mirror: USS Callister” (Netflix)
Fahrenheit 451” (HBO)
“Flint” (Lifetime)
Paterno” (HBO)
The Tale” (HBO)

Variety Sketch Series
At Home With Amy Sedaris” (truTV)
Drunk History” (Comedy Central)
I Love You America with Sarah Silverman” (Hulu)
“Portlandia” (IFC)
“Saturday Night Live” (NBC)
“Tracey Ullman’s Show” (HBO)

Variety Talk Series
“The Daily Show With Trevor Noah” (Comedy Central)
“Full Frontal With Samantha Bee” (TBS)
“Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC)
“Last Week Tonight With John Oliver”(HBO)
“The Late Late Show With James Corden” (CBS)
“The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” (CBS)

Reality Competition Program
“The Amazing Race” (CBS)
“American Ninja Warrior” (NBC)
“Project Runway” (Lifetime)
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” (VH1)
“Top Chef” (Bravo)
“The Voice” (NBC)

Reality Host
W. Kamau Bell, “United Shades Of America With W. Kamau Bell”
Ellen DeGeneres, “Ellen’s Game Of Games”
Heidi Klum & Tim Gunn, “Project Runway”
Jane Lynch, “Hollywood Game Night”
RuPaul, “RuPaul’s Drag Race”

Structured Reality Program
“Antiques Roadshow” (PBS)
“Fixer Upper” (HGTV)
“Lip Sync Battle” (Paramount Network)
“Queer Eye” (Netflix)
“Shark Tank” (ABC)
“Who Do You Think You Are?” (TLC)

Unstructured Reality Program
Born This Way (A&E)
Deadliest Catch (Discovery Channel)
Intervention (A&E)
Naked And Afraid (Discovery Channel)
RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked (VH1)
United Shades Of America With W. Kamau Bell (CNN)

Guest Actress, Drama
Diana Rigg, “Game of Thrones”
Viola Davis, “Scandal”
Kelly Jenrette, “The Handmaid’s Tale”
Cherry Jones, “The Handmaid’s Tale”
Cicely Tyson, “How To Get Away With Murder”
Samira Wiley, “The Handmaid’s Tale”

Guest Actor, Drama
F. Murray Abraham, “Homeland”
Cameron Britton, Mindhunter”
Ron Cephas Jones, “This Is Us”
Matthew Goode, “The Crown”
Gerald McRaney, “This Is Us”
Jimmi Simpson, “Westworld”

Guest Actress, Comedy
Tina Fey, “Saturday Night Live”
Tiffany Haddish, “Saturday Night Live”
Jane Lynch, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”
Maya Rudolph, “The Good Place”
Molly Shannon, “Will & Grace”
Wanda Sykes, “black-ish”

Guest Actor, Comedy
Sterling K. Brown, “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”
Bryan Cranston, “Curb Your Enthusiasm”
Donald Glover, “Saturday Night Live”
Bill Hader, “Saturday Night Live”
Lin-Manuel Miranda, “Curb Your Enthusiasm”
Katt Williams, “Atlanta”

Documentary or Nonfiction Series
“American Masters” (PBS)
“Blue Planet II” (BBC America)
“The Defiant Ones” (HBO)
“The Fourth Estate” (Showtime)
“Wild Wild Country” (Netflix)

Animated Program
“Baymax Returns: Big Hero 6: The Series” (Disney XD)
“Bob’s Burgers” (FOX)
“Rick And Morty” (Adult Swim)
“South Park” (Comedy Central)
“The Simpsons” (FOX)

Writing for a Comedy Series
Alec Berg, “Silicon Valley” (“Fifty-One Percent”)
Alec Berg and Bill Hader, “Barry” (“Chapter One: Make Your Mark”)
Donald Glover, “Atlanta” (“Alligator Man”)
Stefani Robinson, “Atlanta” (“Barbershop”)
Liz Sarnoff, “Barry” (“Chapter Seven: Loud, Fast And Keep Going”)
Amy Sherman-Palladino, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (“Pilot”)

Writing for a Drama Series
David Benioff & D.B. Weiss, “Game Of Thrones” (“The Dragon And The Wolf”)
The Duffer Brothers, “Stranger Things” (“Chapter Nine: The Gate”)
Joel Fields & Joe Weisberg, “The Americans” (“Start”)
Peter Morgan, “The Crown” (“Mystery Man”)
Bruce Miller, “The Handmaid’s Tale” (“June”)
Phoebe Waller-Bridge, “Killing Eve” (“Nice Face”)

Writing for a Limited Series, Movie or Drama
William Bridges & Charlie Brooker, “Black Mirror: USS Callister”
Scott Frank, “Godless”
David Lynch & Mark Frost, “Twin Peaks”
Kevin McManus & Matthew McManus, “American Vandal” (“Clean Up”)
David Nicholls, “Patrick Melrose”
Tom Rob Smith, “The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” (“House By The Lake”)

Directing for a Comedy Series
Donald Glover, “Atlanta” (“FUBU”)
Bill Hader, “Barry” (“Chapter One: Make Your Mark”)
Hiro Murai, “Atlanta” (“Teddy Perkins”)
Mike Judge, “Silicon Valley” (“Initial Coin Offering”)
Jesse Peretz, “GLOW” (“Pilot”)
Amy Sherman-Palladino, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (“Pilot”)

Directing for a Drama Series
Jason Bateman, “Ozark” (“The Toll”)
Stephen Daldry, “The Crown” (“Paterfamilias”)
The Duffer Brothers, “Stranger Things” (“Chapter Nine: The Gate”)
Jeremy Podeswa, “Game Of Thrones” (“The Dragon And The Wolf”)
Daniel Sackheim, “Ozark” (“Tonight We Improvise”)
Kari Skogland, “The Handmaid’s Tale” (“After”)
Alan Taylor, “Game Of Thrones” (“Beyond The Wall”)

Directing for a Limited Series
Edward Berger, “Patrick Melrose”
Scott Frank, “Godless”
David Leveaux & Alex Rudzinski, “Jesus Christ Superstar Live In Concert”
Barry Levinson, “Paterno”
David Lynch, “Twin Peaks”
Ryan Murphy, “The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” (“The Man Who Would Be Vogue”)
Craig Zisk, “The Looming Tower” (“9/11”)

Directing for a Variety Series
Andre Allen, “Full Frontal With Samantha Bee” (“Episode 2061”)
Carrie Brownstein, “Portlandia” (“Riot Spray”)
Jim Hoskinson, “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” (“Episode 438”)
Don Roy King, “Saturday Night Live” (“Host: Donald Glover”)
Tim Mancinelli, “The Late Late Show With James Corden” (“Episode 0416”)
Paul Pennolino, “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver” (“Episode 421”)

Leguizamo to Star in the Six-Part Branch Davidians-Themed Event Series “Waco”

John Leguizamo is ready to crash and learn…

The 52-year-old actor/comedian will star opposite Michael Shannon and Taylor Kitsch in Waco, a six-part event series produced by Weinstein Television.

John Leguizamo

Written by John Erick Dowdle and Drew Dowdle and directed by John Erick Dowdle, Waco tells the story of the 51-day 1993 standoff between the FBI, ATF and David Koresh’s spiritual sect, The Branch Davidians, in Waco, Texas, that resulted in a deadly fire. It explores the true life details leading up to and chronicling the standoff told from several perspectives of those most intimately involved in both sides of the conflict.

Leguizamo will play ATF agent Robert Rodriguez. Rodriguez was sent into Koresh’s Mount Carmel to gather evidence and build a federal case against the Branch Davidians but forged a bond with the people inside.

Set to air on Paramount Network in 2018, production will begin on Waco next month in Santa Fe, NM.

Leguizamo was most recently cast in a co-starring role opposite Allison Miller in ABC’s drama pilot Salamander. He also recently co-starred on the Netflix drama series Bloodline and reprised his roles in the latest installments of the John Wick and Ice Age movie franchises.

“We are thrilled to have John in this part. He brings phenomenal range and authenticity to everything he does,” says Ted Gold, Senior Vice President, Scripted Original Series for Paramount. “The role of Robert Rodriguez is little known, but utterly fascinating as he was the only undercover agent to infiltrate David Koresh’s compound.”