Cuban-American celebrities
Celebrities with Cuban ancestry.
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Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y de Acha III was born in Santiago, Cuba on March 2, 1917. His father was the mayor of Santiago. The 1933 revolution led by Fulgencio Batista had landed his father in jail and stripped the family of its wealth, property and power. His father was released because of the intercession of U.S. officials who believed him to be neutral during the revolt. The family fled to Miami, Florida. One of Desi's first jobs in America consisted of cleaning canary cages. However, after forming his own small band of musicians, he was hired by Xavier Cugat, the "king" of Latin music.
Desi soon left Cugat, formed his own Latin band, and literally launched the conga craze in America. He was cast in the Broadway play "Too Many Girls" and then brought to Hollywood to make the film version of the play. It was on the set of Too Many Girls (1940) that he and Lucille Ball met. They soon married and approximately 10 years later formed Desilu Productions and began the I Love Lucy (1951) shows. Desi and Lucille had two children, Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr.. At the end of the I Love Lucy (1951) run, which included The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour (1957), the two divorced. Desi later wrote an autobiography entitled "A Book." In 1986 he was diagnosed with lung cancer. He died on December 2, 1986 at age 69.- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Desi Arnaz Jr. has lived in Boulder City, Nevada, since 1986, where he owns the Historic Boulder Theatre and helps direct non-profit Boulder City Ballet Company (BCBC) with his wife, Amy Arnaz. Boulder Theatre was built in 1932 during the construction of Hoover Dam and operated as a movie theatre until it could no longer compete with the new, modern movie theaters in Las Vegas. When it closed, Desi purchased the theatre and converted it into a live theatre where BCBC performs and where Desi has produced many shows including: "Ricci, Desi & Billy" (a new version of Dino, Desi & Billy), "An Evening with Linda Purl", Torme' Sings Torme', "The Legacy of Laughter", "An Evening with Lucille Ball" (starring Suzanne LaRusch as Lucille Ball), Michael Johnson, "A Tribute to Dean Martin" (by Ricci Martin), "Dam Short Film Festival", "Chautauqua", "The Nutcracker", "Sleeping Beauty", "Swan Lake", annual children's dance recitals from Dance Etc. and many more shows. Haley Arnaz is his wife's child from her first marriage and Desi adopted her when they married in 1987. Desi also has an older daughter, Julia, who lives on the east coast. Recently, Desi has performed "Babalu" (a show dedicated to the music of his father) with his sister Lucie Arnaz in NYC, Miami and in Washington D.C. at the Library of Congress. Most recently, Desi & Lucie appeared at the Paley Center in Beverly Hills, discussing the music of I Love Lucy (1951) and performed two of their father's songs - "Old Straw Hat" & "Cuban Pete" - with the accompaniment of Ron Abel on the piano.- Actress
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Lucie Arnaz was born on 17 July 1951 in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for The Jazz Singer (1980), Here's Lucy (1968) and Smoking Nonsmoking (2011). She has been married to Laurence Luckinbill since 22 June 1980. They have three children. She was previously married to Phil Vandervort.- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Pedro Alonso was born on 21 June 1971 in Vigo, Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain. He is an actor and director, known for Money Heist (2017), The Ministry of Time (2015) and Amigos invisíbeis (2007).- Adrian Alonso was born on 6 April 1994 in Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico. He is an actor, known for The Legend of Zorro (2005), Under the Same Moon (2007) and Sr. Ávila (2013).
- Actor
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- Director
Nelson Ascencio is from New York where he studied at The Academy of Dramatic Arts and HB Studios. Alumni of The Groundlings Theatre in Los Angeles. He is an Actor/Writer best known for his time on MADtv, as well playing Flavius in The Hunger Games franchise. He continuous to appear in various television episodes and on film. Nelson continues to write and produce his own material.- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Steven Bauer (born Esteban Ernesto Echevarría Samson) is a Cuban-born American actor. Bauer began his career on PBS, portraying Joe Peña, the son of Cuban immigrants on Qué Pasa, USA (1977-1980) and is perhaps most famous for his role as the Cuban drug lord Manny Rivera in the 1983 crime drama Scarface, in which he starred alongside Al Pacino and Michelle Pfeiffer. He also played the drug cartel leader Eladio Vuente in Breaking Bad and in Better Call Saul and as the retired Mossad agent Avi Rudin in Ray Donovan (2013-2020).- Actress
- Soundtrack
Maria Pilar Canals is an American actress who is known for playing Theresa Russo from Wizards of Waverly Place. She also played Connie Torres in the Camp Rock film series, Hawkgirl from Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, She-Hulk from Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds and Sunset Boulevardez from The Proud Family.- Actress
- Director
- Producer
Born and trained in New York City, Julie Carmen began her acting career off-off-Broadway, dancing on Broadway in 'Zoot Suit,' but her film career was launched playing the Puerto Rican mother in John Cassavetes' 'Gloria' opposite Gena Rowlands. Julie studied extensively with Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse, with Uta Hagen at HB Studio and more recently with Patsy Rodenburg and Sara Mornell. Julie joined the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences in the class of 2016. She was inducted into the New Mexico Film and Television Hall of Fame in 2018 for her iconic Southwestern roles in 'Milagro Beanfield War' and Gore Vidal's 'Billy the Kid.' Julie sat on the Board of Directors of IFP/West Film Independent for six years during which time Julie suggested the creation of the John Cassavetes Award, since she just finished acting in Cassavetes' film 'Gloria' and wanted to encourage filmmakers who embraced Cassavetes' experiential style of story telling. Carmen Zapata invited Julie to sit on the Board of Directors of Women in Film for four years as a way to ensure there would always be at least one Latina on the Board.
Julie is extremely grateful to have co-starred in films for John Cassavetes, Michael Mann (I), Robert Redford (I), John Carpenter (I), Nicolas Roeg, William A. Graham, Seth Zvi Rosenfeld, Franc Reyes, Tommy Lee Wallace, Carl Schultz, Dan Petrie, Jr., Michael Olmos, Tom Dolby, Tom Williams and on television for Karen Arthur (I), Betty Thomas (I), David Milch, Paris Barclay, Debbie Allen, Deborah Kampmeier and Quentin Tarantino.
Julie is known for her ageless chameleon qualities, effortlessly shape shifting into extremely diverse roles. She played Angelina Jolie's elegant plantation owner mother, fighting to free their enslaved workers; she's often remembered as sexually-insatiable environmental revolutionary Nina in the HBO series Dream On; John Leguizamo's lesbian freedom-fighting mother; the existential book editor opposite Sam Neill in John Carpenter's In the Mouth of Madness; but her favorite incarnation was Regine Dandridge in the horror cult classic Fright Night Part Two.
Julie holds a Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology and worked for 20 years part-time as a licensed marriage and family therapist and certified yoga therapist. Her great-grandfather, Jose Manuel (Lico) Jiménez, (1851-1917) was a child protege Afro Cuban classical pianist from Trinidad, Cuba who emigrated to Europe to perform in the Jiménez Trio in 200 concerts along with his father and brother. Lico Jiménez is credited for bringing German Lied music back to his home country, Cuba. Julie is executive producing a documentary film called Lico Jiménez the Ebony Liszt.
Julie grew up with her great aunt who played Titania in Max Reinhard's Midsummer Night's Dream in Berlin and her twin sister, Julie's grandmother, an obstetric nurse. Julie's mom is a retired high school Spanish and German teacher and her dad was a prolific poet who worked as a paper salesman. Julie's only brother is a public health physician, epidemiologist and occupational medicine doctor in Manhattan. Her godmother, blacklisted character actress Lily Valenty, introduced Julie to her first agent, Walter Kohner who immediately booked her as female lead in two European films for Filmverlaug in Berlin. Julie stayed in Europe to star in Basque director, Alfonso Ungria's film Africa.
As a teenager, Julie worked as the resident choreographer at INTAR Theater in Manhattan when it was under the artistic direction of Cuban-American Max Ferra, choreographing the plays, 'Yoruba', 'Espetaculo Valle Inclan' and 'The Shoemaker's Prodigious Wife' by Lorca. At age 15 she danced with a friend's transvestite theater company in Sheyla Baykal's Palm Casino Review at the Bouwerie Lane Theater in New York and Gossamer Wings at Theater for a New City on Jane Street in Greenwich Village.
Her most recent films--'Windows on the World' (2017) opposite Edward James Olmos and Ryan Guzman; 'You Can't Say No' (2018), opposite Peter Fonda (I), and 'Dawn Patrol' (2014/III) opposite Scott Eastwood (I)--mark her return to the big screen after taking some family time.
"Because the world is too troubled for any of us to rest, " Julie recently acquired the film rights to produce four films based on books and she directed her third short film, "The Unnecessary Salvation of Mary McDaniel", written by Herman Johansen with music composed by Maria Newman and Scott Hosfeld.- Eddie Cibrian was born on 16 June 1973 in Burbank, California, USA. He is an actor, known for The Cave (2005), The Best Man Holiday (2013) and Sunset Beach (1997). He has been married to LeAnn Rimes since 22 April 2011. He was previously married to Brandi Glanville.
- Producer
- Composer
- Music Department
Eduardo Cruz was born in Spain in 1985. His interest in music started at a very young age and he began composing at the age of 14. Early in his career, he had a successful entry into Latin music scene, but it didn't take long for him to make a transition into his true love electronic music and film score composition. In 2011, he worked on his first film score project for Hans Zimmer on "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" directed by Rob Marshall. Since then he has composed and produced music for several films, commercials, video games and established solo artists. Whatever the medium or the style, Eduardo always looks for the emotional core of the project to inform the aesthetic and bring the story to life.
Career History
Film scores: Rob Marshall -'Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides' (tango 'Angelica') - 2011 Sergio Castellitto - 'Twice Born' (Venuto al mondo) - 2012 Eva Moreno, Juan Carlos Vellido - Síndrome - 2014 Paolo Jaré - Le Idi di Marzo - 2015 Julio Medem - 'Ma ma' (additional music) - 2015 Adolfo Martínez Pérez - 'Rescue Under Fire' (additional music) Theme song producer - 2017 Siavash Farahani - 'Thirst' ( In development) - 2017 Brian Harrison - 'Hell Follows' - 2017 Jose Zambrano Cassella - 'The Moment' - 2017
Documentaries and commercial scores: DIRECTV - The Sign (Composer/producer) - Upcoming 2017 Penélope Cruz - Yo soy uno entre cien mil (Composer/Producer) - 2017 Rob Marshall - Trésor de Lancôme commercial (Composer/Producer) - 2013 Damas jewelry Dubai commercial (Composer/Producer) - 2016 L'Oréal Telescopic Explosion Mascara commercial (Composer/Producer) - 2007 Nintendo Professeur Layton (Composer/Producer) - 2012 L'Agent by Agent Provocateur Winter 2013 Campaign (Composer/Producer) - 2013 L'Agent Provocateur (Composer/Producer) - 2014 Karmi beer (Composer/Producer) - 2015 Karmi beer campaign (Composer/Producer) - 2017 L'oreal Casting Creme Gloss (Composer/Producer) - 2011 Trésor - Eau de Parfum de Lancôme (Composer/Producer) - 2012 Spot Carpisa (Composer/Producer) - 2016 EPSON Printer (Composer/Producer) - 2014 Liverpool v1 (Composer/Producer) - 2011 Liverpool v2 (Composer/Producer) - 2011
Other projects and collaborations: Enrique Bunbury - Co-composer of 3 songs on upcoming album 'Expectativas' - 2017 Miguel Bose - composed the song "Decirnos Adios" on the album Papitwo - 2012 Optimist - composed and released numerous tracks under the name Optimist with over 1.5 million plays on Spotify for the track "Sexy Toy"- Producer
- Writer
- Actor
Ted Cruz was born on 22 December 1970 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He is a producer and writer, known for Lady Ballers (2023), Verdict with Ted Cruz (2020) and Undecided: The Movie (2016). He has been married to Heidi Cruz since 27 May 2001. They have two children.- Actor
- Producer
- Executive
Anthony De La Torre is an actor and musician from Bowling Green, Ohio. He made his television debut as Anthony Del Rey in the Nickelodeon sitcom 100 Things to Do Before High School (2014) and his film debut as Young Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017). He will portray Hellhammer in the upcoming thriller biopic Lords of Chaos (2018), and will star in the title role in the upcoming teen horror film Johnny Gruesome (2018).- Actress
- Soundtrack
Emily Marie Estefan is known for Father of the Bride (2022), Red Table Talk: The Estefans (2020) and Stonewall Inn Safe Spaces Concert (2021).- Music Artist
- Music Department
- Actress
Gloria Estefan was born on 1 September 1957 in Havana, Cuba. She is a music artist and actress, known for Music of the Heart (1999), Poseidon (2006) and The Specialist (1994). She has been married to Emilio Estefan Jr. since 2 September 1978. They have two children.- Actress
- Producer
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Marlene Forte is a Cuban-American actress born in Santiago De Las Vegas, Cuba. She was proudly raised in Hudson County, New Jersey -- a Bridge and Tunnel girl! A founding member of Labyrinth Theater Company in New York City, she credits her 30 year career to her Labyrinth Familia and now resides in Los Angeles where she steadily works on television, in movies, and on stage. Over her career she has played a wide variety of roles as well as producing films and directing for both the stage and screen. But her best production to date remains her daughter, Giselle Rodriguez, who she credits for saving her life!- Actress
- Director
- Soundtrack
Melissa Fumero is an American actress. From the age of ten, she aspired to become an actress and attended New York University, from which she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Drama. She made her professional debut in 2004, recurring as Adriana Cramer in the soap opera One Life to Live. Following several minor roles, Fumero had her first main role in the Fox (later NBC) comedy series Brooklyn Nine-Nine as Amy Santiago, a role she played from 2013 to 2021. Since this breakthrough, Fumero has voiced Melissa Tarleton in the critically acclaimed animated series M.O.D.O.K. (2021) and is set to star in Netflix's upcoming series Blockbuster. She is married to actor and former model David Fumero, with whom she has two sons.- Actress
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Silvana Gallardo was born on 13 January 1953 in New York City, New York, USA. She was an actress and producer, known for Centennial (1978), Death Wish II (1982) and A Walk in the Clouds (1995). She was married to Billy Drago. She died on 2 January 2012 in Paris, Kentucky, USA.- Actor
- Producer
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One of Hollywood's most private and guarded leading men, Andy Garcia has created iconic characters while at the same time staying true to his acting roots and personal projects.
Garcia was born Andrés Arturo García Menéndez on April 12, 1956, in Havana, Cuba, to Amelie Menéndez, a teacher of English, and René García Núñez, an attorney and avocado farmer. Garcia's family was relatively affluent. However, when he was two years old, Fidel Castro came to power, and the family fled to Miami Beach. Forced to work menial jobs for a while, the family started a fragrance company that was eventually worth more than a million dollars. He attended Natilus Junior High School and later at Miami Beach Senior High School. Andy was a popular student in school, a good basketball player and good-looking. He dreamed of playing professional baseball. In his senior year, though, he contracted mononucleosis and hepatitis, and unable to play sports, he turned his attention to acting.
He studied acting with Jay W. Jensen. Jensen was a South Florida legend, counting among his numerous students, Brett Ratner, Roy Firestone, Mickey Rourke, and Luther Campbell. Following his positive high school experiences in acting, he continued his drama studies at Florida International University.
Soon, he was headed out to Hollywood. His first break came as a gang member on the very first episode of the popular TV series Hill Street Blues (1981). His role as a cocaine kingpin in 8 Million Ways to Die (1986) put him on the radar of Brian De Palma, who was casting for his gangster classic The Untouchables (1987). At first, he envisioned Garcia as Al Capone's sadistic henchman Frank Nitti, but fearing typecasting as a gangster, Garcia campaigned for the role of "George Stone", the Italian cop who gets accepted into Eliot Ness' famous band of lawmen. Garcia's next notable role came in Black Rain (1989) by acclaimed director Ridley Scott, as the partner of police detective Michael Douglas. He then co-starred with Richard Gere in Internal Affairs (1990), directed by Mike Figgis. In 1989, Francis Ford Coppola was casting for the highly anticipated third installment of his "Godfather" films. The Godfather Part III (1990) included one of the most sought-after roles in decades, the hot-headed son of "Sonny Corleone" and mob protégé of "Michael Corloene", "Vincent Mancini". A plum role for any young rising star, the role was campaigned for by a host of actors. Val Kilmer, Alec Baldwin, Vincent Spano, Charlie Sheen, and even Robert De Niro (who wanted the role changed to accommodate his age) were all beaten out by the up-and-coming Garcia. His performance was Oscar-nominated as Best Supporting Actor, and secured him international stardom and a place in cinematic history. Now a leading man, he starred in such films as Jennifer 8 (1992) and Hero (1992). He won raves for his role as the husband of Meg Ryan in When a Man Loves a Woman (1994) and gave another charismatic gangster turn in Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead (1995). He then returned in Night Falls on Manhattan (1996), directed by Sidney Lumet, as well as portraying legendary mobster Lucky Luciano in Hoodlum (1997). In perhaps his most mainstream role, he portrayed a cop in the action film Desperate Measures (1998). Garcia then starred in a few lower-profile projects that didn't do much for his career, but things turned around in 2001, with the first of many projects being his role as a cold casino owner in Ocean's Eleven (2001), directed by Steven Soderbergh. Seeing his removal from Cuba as involuntary, Garcia is proud of his heritage which influences his life and work. One such case is his portrayal of renowned Cuban trumpet player Arturo Sandoval in For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story (2000). He is an extremely private man, and strong believer in old-fashioned chivalry. Married to his wife, Maria Victoria, since 1982, the couple has three daughters. One of the most talented leading men around, Garcia has had a unique career of staying true to his own ideals and thoughts on acting. While some would have used some of the momentum he has acquired at different points in his career to get rich off lightweight projects, Garcia has stayed true to stories and films that aspire to something more. But with a presence and style that never seem old, a respect from directors and film buffs, alike, Andy Garcia will be remembered for a long time in film history.- Actress
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Danay Garcia is an actress, writer and producer. She is currently a series regular in the AMC hit television show "Fear the Walking Dead" and recently costarred in two feature films. Garcia has been working steadily in film and television since arriving in the United States from Cuba in 2003.
Television audiences first got to know Garcia as a co-star of the popular Fox series "Prison Break," which ran for four seasons beginning in 2006. Garcia played the lead role of Sofia Lugo during the final two seasons and achieved instant fame, appearing in hundreds of magazines around the world. Garcia has also appeared in episodes of "Hawaii Five-0," "Supernatural," "CSI: Miami" and "CSI: New York."
In AMC's "Fear the Walking Dead," currently one of the highest rated series on cable, Garcia stars as "Luciana," the fearless yet compassionate leader who shows unwavering courage in the dangerous post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies and humans who will do anything to survive.
Garcia recently wrote, directed and produced "La Cura," a short film about a small town in Mexico feeling the effects of an unknown disease that forces the local pastor to make an ethical decision that will impact the lives of everyone in his village.
Other film credits include "Avenge the Crows" (2017), an independent thriller which Garcia also produced costarring Lou Diamond Phillips, Steven Bauer, Emilio Rivera and Danny Trejo; "Sniper: Ultimate Kill" (2017), an action film produced by Sony and Mandalay Pictures; "Liz in September" (2014), by acclaimed director Fina Torres; "Eternal Ashes" (2011), which opened to critical acclaim at the Montreal Film Festival; "Rehab" (2011); "Peep World" (2010); "From Mexico With Love" (2009); and "Danika" (2006), a psychological thriller co-starring Marisa Tomei.
A highly sought-after model, Garcia has been featured in print ads for brands including Mercedes-Benz and Macy's, and has appeared in countless U.S. and international fashion magazines. Garcia is also classically trained in ballet.- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Camille Guaty, raised in Northern California and New Jersey, studied at Boston University and continued her education at R.A.D.A, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. There she learned the great works of William Shakespeare.
After a ten day trip to meet her new Los Angeles reps, they immediately signed her and sent her out on her first pilot season. Camille was offered a holding deal with WB and booked her first role, on Bob Saget's "Raising Dad," as a feisty best friend to Kat Dennings and Brie Larson. She next landed the lead role in Disney Channel's "Gotta Kick It Up" and hasn't stopped working since.- Actor
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- Writer
William Levy was born on 29 August 1980 in Havana, Cuba. He is an actor and producer, known for Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2016), Addicted (2014) and Montecristo (2023).- Actress
- Producer
Natalie Martinez began modeling at the age of 15, years before she considered giving acting a try. The Miami-born beauty's career blossomed with a simple suggestion from her mother. During her senior year at St. Brendan High School in 2002, her mother saw an ad for J.Lo's new clothing line. After beating over 5,000 other girls for the gig, Natalie packed up and moved to Los Angeles.- Actress
- Producer
Yara Martinez was born on 31 August 1979 in Puerto Rico. She is an actress and producer, known for The Tick (2016), The Hitcher (2007) and True Detective (2014). She has been married to Joe Lewis since 2018.- Actress
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Natalie Morales was born in Miami, Florida, and is of Cuban descent. She studied Theatre at Miami Dade College and Florida International University. In 2006, Natalie landed a guest star role on an episode of the CBS drama, CSI: Miami (2002): Darkroom (2006). In 2008, Natalie starred on the ABC Family series, The Middleman (2008). While the series, itself, lasted only one season, it has developed a cult following.
Natalie has since gone on to act, write and direct various projects. She was a series regular on the first season of White Collar (2009) and was then cast in films, such as Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010) and Going the Distance (2010) in 2010. She has recurred on Parks and Recreation (2009), Girls (2012), & Santa Clarita Diet (2017). She has directed and acted in separate episodes of Room 104 (2017), and stars on the NBC sitcom, Abby's (2019).- Lovely, buxom, and vivacious blonde bombshell Louisa Moritz was born as Luisa Cira Castro Netto on September 25, 1936 in Havana, Cuba. Many members of Louisa's family which include her father Luis, sister Aurora, and her older brother Rafael all worked in the law profession. Moritz left Cuba and moved to New York City during the upheaval of the 1950s. Louisa was inspired to change her last name from Castro to Moritz after seeing the St. Moritz Hotel in New York City. She arrived in NYC in July 1960, aged 23.
She began her acting career in TV commercials in the late 1960s. She made her debut in a TV commercial for Ultra-Ban spray deodorant and won both a Clio Award and an Andy Award for her work as a student driver in a TV commercial for American Motors. Louisa made her film debut in the lead role of young prostitute Carmela in The Man from O.R.G.Y. (1970). Perhaps best known to general audiences as the hooker Rose in the Oscar-winning classic One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), her most memorable roles included Sylvester Stallone's airhead navigator Myra in the cult science fiction black comedy Death Race 2000 (1975), cheery prostitute Flora in the delightful Sixpack Annie (1975), Officer Gloria Whitey in Up in Smoke (1978), hilarious as the aggressively lascivious Carmela in the uproariously raunchy teen comedy hoot The Last American Virgin (1982), and ditsy kleptomaniac Bubbles in the terrifically trashy babes-behind-bars treat Chained Heat (1983). Among the television programs Moritz appeared on are The Leslie Uggams Show (1969), The Joe Namath Show (1969), Love, American Style (1969), Ironside (1967), Happy Days (1974), M*A*S*H (1972), Chico and the Man (1974), The Rockford Files (1974), The Incredible Hulk (1978) and The Associates (1979).
Outside of acting, Moritz sold real estate, sung a song she specifically wrote about host Jay Leno on "The Tonight Show," and bought a hotel in Beverly Hills which she renamed the Beverly Hills St. Moritz. Although often cast as the generic dumb blonde in many films and TV shows (a part which she always played with great spirit and infectiously sweet good humor), Moritz in real life was the total radical opposite of this particular persona: She not only made the Deans List while studying for her law degree at the University of West Los Angeles, but won the American Jurisprudence Bancroft Whitney Prize for Contracts as well. She went on to become a lawyer in southern California, but was eventually disbarred for failing to provide certain quarterly reports. Louisa Moritz died at age 82 from cardiovascular disease on January 4, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. - Actor
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David Noroña (later David Norona) was born in Hialeah, Florida (a suburb of Miami) to Cuban parents Jorge Noroña and Edith Iglesias. He began his acting career in high school with roles in "The Sound of Music" and "The Fantasticks". After receiving his BFA with honors from Carnegie-Mellon University, he set off for New York City where he made his Broadway debut in Love! Valour! Compassion!
An Ovation Award nomination followed soon after for his portrayal of Irving Berlin in "Tin Pan Alley Rag", at the Pasadena Playhouse. Most recently, he received critical acclaim for originating yet another biographical role: Frankie Valli in LaJolla's smash production of "Jersey Boys." Most recognized for his two-season portrayal as the compassionate guidance counselor on "Six Feet Under," other TV appearances include "In Treatment," "CSI: Miami," "Monk," "Boston Legal" and "Frasier," to name a few. Outside of acting, Noroña's work as co-creator and co-lyricist of the groundbreaking musical "Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings" recently garnered 10 Ovation Award nominations, including Best New Musical.
He resides in Los Angeles with his wife and his three sons.- Actress
- Director
As she inherited her love for the arts by her father, well-known playwright, actor, director and novelist Mario Peña, it is not hard to understand that actress Elizabeth Pena already had designs to become an actress by the time she was eight years old.
Born in Elizabeth, New Jersey on September 23, 1959, the petite (5' 2") actress was raised in New York City. Elizabeth's (and sister Tania's) parents, Cuban immigrants Mario and Estella Margarita Peña, would achieve a strong Latino reputation as the founders of the off-Broadway Latin-American Theatre Ensemble. They also encouraged Elizabeth's talent. In 1975, the young teenager became a founding member of the Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors, and two years later graduated from New York's High School of Performing Arts, now the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music and Art and Performing Arts.
Elizabeth found occasional work in repertory theater and in television commercials. Making her film debut in the independent Spanish-speaking feature El Super (1979), about Cuban refugees, she continued with playing a long line of independent and rebellious characters, which showed plenty of attitude and independence. Playing offbeat roles -- from a knife-threatening waitress to a disco queen -- she appeared in such early films as They All Laughed (1981) and Crossover Dreams (1985). Elizabeth's big break came in the form a support role in the hugely popular and entertaining comedy Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986), co-starring Bette Midler, Richard Dreyfuss and Nick Nolte, in which she stole several scenes as the sultry, smoky-voiced, politically-minded maid Carmen.
Two consecutive short-lived television series came about around this time. Her first, the ensemble comedy Tough Cookies (1986), had her playing a police officer, and the second was the title housekeeper role in the sitcom I Married Dora (1987). High in demand now, Elizabeth continued to spice up both the big and small screen in such roles as Ritchie Valens' stepsister-in-law in the well-received biopic La Bamba (1987); a drug enforcement agent in the miniseries Drug Wars: The Camarena Story (1990); PTSD-suffering Tim Robbins' live-in girlfriend in the complex drama Jacob's Ladder (1990); and a dedicated legal secretary on the corporate drama series Shannon's Deal (1990) starring Jamey Sheridan.
Honors also came Elizabeth's way when she received the Independent Spirit and Bravo awards for the film Lone Star (1996), and four ALMA Awards for her performances in the television movie Contagious (1997), the films Tortilla Soup (2001) and Rush Hour (1998), and her regular role on the Latino drama series Resurrection Blvd. (2000).
Into the millennium, Elizabeth found steady employment on television with guest roles on Boston Public (2000), CSI: Miami (2002), Without a Trace (2002), Numb3rs (2005), Ghost Whisperer (2005), Charlie's Angels (2011), Prime Suspect (2011), Common Law (2012), and Modern Family (2009). One of her last roles was on the television series Matador (2014). She also found herself further down the credits in films such as On the Borderline (2001), Transamerica (2005), The Lost City (2005), Mother and Child (2009), The Perfect Family (2011), Plush (2013), and Grandma (2015). Three other films -- Girl on the Edge (2015), Ana Maria in Novela Land (2015), and The Song of Sway Lake (2018) -- were released posthumously. She also provided a voice in the popular Disney/Pixar animated film The Incredibles (2004).
A chronic alcohol problem severely hampered Elizabeth's life and she died suddenly from cirrhosis of the liver in Los Angeles, California on October 14, 2014, at age 55. She was survived by her second husband (from 1994), Hans Rolla, and their two children, son Kælan and daughter Fiona.- Music Artist
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Armando Christian Pérez, known by the stage name Pitbull or Mr. Worldwide, is an American rapper. His first recorded mainstream performance was on a solo track from Lil Jon's 2002 album Kings of Crunk. In 2004, Pitbull released his debut album M.I.A.M.I. under TVT Records. It included production producers Lil Jon and Jim Jonsin. Pitbull later released his second album El Mariel, in 2006 and his third, The Boatlift, in 2007. His fourth album, Rebelution (2009), included his breakthrough hit single "I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)", which peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Pitbull's 2011 album Planet Pit, featured the single "Give Me Everything", which was his first US number-one single. His 2013 track "Timber" from his Meltdown EP topped the charts in twenty nations, including the US and UK. He performed the song "We Are One (Ole Ola)" along with Jennifer Lopez and Claudia Leitte, which served as the official theme of the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Armando Christian Perez was born to Cuban expatriates in Miami, Florida. When he was 3, he could recite the works of Cuba's national hero and poet, José Martí, in Spanish. Growing up, he was influenced by the Miami bass genre of pop music and has cited Celia Cruz and Willy Chirino as sources of inspiration for his music. Pérez's parents separated when he was young, and he was raised by his mother; he later spent time with a foster family in Roswell, Georgia. He attended South Miami Senior High School before graduating from Miami Coral Park High School, where he focused his career on rapping.
He said he chose his stage name of Pitbull because the dogs "bite to lock. The dog is too stupid to lose. And they're outlawed in Dade County. They're basically everything that I am. It's been a constant fight". After meeting Lil Jon in Miami, Pitbull was featured on Lil Jon and the East Side Boyz' album Kings of Crunk in 2002. Pitbull's song "Oye" was featured on the soundtrack to the film 2 Fast 2 Furious the following year. In addition, Pitbull released several mixtapes, composed of freestyles and remixes of popular rap music. Campbell featured Pitbull in his single, "Lollipop".
n 2001, Pitbull was signed to Luther Campbell's Luke Records by Jullian Boothe, then the label's vice-president of A&R. In 2001, Pitbull was introduced to Robert Fernandez of Famous Artist Music & Management, an independent label and management company specializing in developing artists, by the Diaz Brothers, a producer duo signed to the company. Fernandez "saw the eagerness and hunger he had" and, with the Luke Records deal ending, began working to develop Pitbull. Together they focused on creating a more radio-friendly sound. Fernandez later told HitQuarters: "At that time his music had a lot of verses and took a long time to get into the hook, and so we took time in getting the songs catchier and less on the rap side." Fernandez introduced Pitbull to Lil Jon, hoping to secure the rapper a small guest intro spot on Lil Jon's upcoming album Kings of Crunk. According to Fernandez, Jon took a liking to Pérez and offered him a track on the album; it is called "Pitbull's Cuban Ride Out." This track helped raise the young rapper's profile.
In 2004, Pitbull released his debut album M.I.A.M.I., with the lead single being "Culo" produced by Lil Jon and the Diaz Brothers. It peaked at No. 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 11 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart. Other singles included "Dammit Man", "Back Up", "Toma", and "That's Nasty" (both featuring Lil Jon). He joined the Anger Management Tour, the 2000 hip-hop concert tour headlined by Eminem and 50 Cent. Pitbull also appeared on the Ying Yang Twins' single "Shake", which peaked at No.41 on the Hot 100 and No.12 on the rap chart, Adassa's chart topping single "Kamasutra" & Twista's "Hit the Floor" (#94 Hot 100, No. 20 Rap). Remix album Money Is Still a Major Issue was released in November 2005; it included new track "Everybody Get Up", a duet with hip-hop/R&B group Pretty Ricky.
TVT Records, Pitbull's label at the time, and Slip-n-Slide Records disputed over the release of Welcome to the 305, an unreleased album by Slip-n-Slide that Pitbull had recorded in 2001. A Miami judge ruled that Slip-n-Slide had a legal right to release the album as it was recorded when Pitbull was a Slip-N-Slide artist, and prior to him signing with TVT Records. A U.S. District Court judge affirmed the decision further. TVT was then ordered in March 2007 to pay Slip-n-Slide $9.1 million for attempting to block the album's release to record stores and digital download entities. In 2005 Pitbull and rapper Sean 'Diddy' Combs co-founded Bad Boy Latino, a subsidiary of Combs' Bad Boy Records label. It primarily focuses on Latin hip hop, Latin soul, Latin pop and other tropical music and has offices in New York and Miami, Florida.
In April 2011 Jennifer Lopez released Love?, which featured Pitbull on two singles. "Fresh Out the Oven" did not meet with critical or popular success but the second cut, "On the Floor" was a certified hit. The single went on to make its Billboard Hot 100 debut at number nine, becoming the highest debuting Hot 100 single of Lopez's career. Pitbull released Planet Pit, on June 21, 2011. Pitbull collaborated with T-Pain on its first single, which became a moderate hit; "Hey Baby (Drop It to the Floor)", which peaked at #7 on the Hot 100.
On March 22, 2011, Pitbull released his second single, "Give Me Everything"; three months later, the song became Pitbull's first single to top the Billboard Hot 100. It was ranked no. 5 on the 2011 Billboard Year-End Chart. The song features American R&B singer Ne-Yo, American singer Nayer and Dutch DJ Afrojack, who also produced the song and co-wrote it with Matt Howard, Pitbull and Ne-Yo. In August 2011, Lindsay Lohan sued Pitbull, Ne-Yo and Afrojack in response to the song's lyrics referencing her name, "I've got it locked up like Lindsay Lohan." Lohan objected to the negative connotation of the line and claimed that she should have been compensated for the use of her name in the song. The case was dismissed by a federal judge, who ruled the tune's lyrics are protected by the First Amendment, which covers freedom of speech and creative expression.
On November 10, 2017, Pitbull announced his 5th compilation album, titled 'Pitbull Greatest Hits'. The thirteen track album features eleven of Pitbull's most successful leading artist songs, accompanied by "Jungle (with Stereotypes ft. Abraham Mateo and E-40)" and "Locas (ft. Lil' Jon)", two brand new Pitbull songs. The deluxe edition of the album released exclusively in Japan featured a 14th Pitbull track, "Celebrate". The compilation album was released worldwide on December 1, 2017.- Actor
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Danny Pino was born on 15 April 1974 in Miami, Florida, USA. He is an actor and director, known for Cold Case (2003), Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999) and Dear Evan Hansen (2021). He has been married to Lilly Pino Bernal since 15 February 2002. They have two children.- Genesis Rodriguez was born in Miami, Florida. She is the daughter of José Luis Rodríguez 'El Puma', the famous Venezuelan singer and actor, and Carolina Perez, a Cuban model. She has two half-sisters. She was educated at the Carrolton School of the Sacred Heart in Miami. From childhood, Rodriguez knew she wanted to act and attended summer classes at the renowned Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute, as well as embarking on other acting training.
Success followed and she won roles in Spanish language series such as Prisionera (2004), Dame Chocolate (2007) and Doña Bárbara (2008). She also appeared as Sarah in the hit show "Entourage" (2004). Film projects include Man on a Ledge (2012) and What to Expect When You're Expecting (2012). - Producer
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Producer of documentary films and series. Non-scripted programming executive at Endeavor's Film 45. Projects focus on sports, high fashion, music, and social justice. Launched Condé Nast's digital channels, working across the development and production teams for Vanity Fair, Glamour, SELF, Allure, and Golf Digest. Received a master's degree in Creative Non-Fiction Writing from The University of Southern California.- Actor
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Mel Rodriguez was born in Miami, Florida, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Little Miss Sunshine (2006), The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2005) and Panic Room (2002).- Marco Rubio was born on 28 May 1971 in Miami, Florida, USA. He has been married to Jeanette Rubio since 17 October 1998. They have four children.
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Vanessa was born on December 6th in New Jersey. She is Colombian-American. She is an actor, writer and director known for The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (2020) Dolly Parton's Heartstrings (2019) Cobra Kai (2017) How To Be Single (2016), The Hudson Tribes (2016). Vanessa is also a painter and enjoys painting in many mediums.- Actor
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Angel Salazar (born March 2, 1956) is a Cuban-American comedian and actor.
This manic,human laugh factory is rather difficult to describe. His Cuban heritage and penchant for sporting mini-skirts notwithstanding, Salazar's performance is a mixture of street-smart ethnic wisecracks, risqué humor, physical comedy, and audience involvement.
He disappeared from films in 1993 for a decade!? Only appearing in a documentary called "Comedian"(2002) in between. He reappeared in 2003 in the films, "Harlem Blues"and "Vote for Me". He once again disappeared for 2 yrs from film!?. In 2005, he came back for a film called "Rose Woes and Joe's " But then he once again vanished for 2 more years!? In between he did another documentary in 2006 "The Latin Legends of Comedy" with J.J. Ramirez and Joey Vega.He reappeared in 2007 with "Made in Brooklyn " then again gone for 2 more years!?
He again appeared in 2009 and made one short film,'Trust Me'. Then the very next year 2010 he did another short film, 'Crumble' with his co-star from Scarface (1983), Steven Bauer.
He came back to films in 2011 with "The Last Gamble "as a character named 'Angel' no-less. He has 2 complete films coming out in 2012.- Actress
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Saundra Santiago is a versatile actress who has worked in television, movies and on the Broadway stage. She holds a BFA from the University of Miami, and an MFA from Southern Methodist University. She is also a member of the Actor's Studio in New York City. She was born and raised in the Bronx.
You can catch Saundra on the many episodics she's starred in such as "Gotham," "True Detective," & the upcoming, "Blue Bloods." She portrayed the recurring role of "Marciela" in the Fox series, "Gang Related." She played Sonia Braga's sister for Hallmark's Movie, "Meddling Mom." Living in Manhattan, she has guest starred on most NYC's based television shows, such as "Person of Interest," "Law and Order," and the short lived, "The Unusuals," & "Cashmere Mafia." She recurred as Karen Gonzales in the first season of the Glenn Close FX hit, "Damages." Her favorite recurring role or roles, for that matter, were playing twin sisters, Jeannie and Joan Cusamano on HBO's monster hit, "The Sopranos." She is most known for her series regular role as Gina Calabrese in the cult show, "Miami Vice" for which she played in for its full 5 seasons. She's performed opposite the great Sidney Poiter, Bill Cosby and Elizabeth Montgomery in several MOWs. She's danced with Al Pacino in "Carlito's Way," mothered Rosario Dawson in "25th Hour," and done many Indies, and shorts. Her latest indie, "The House that Jack Built," was just released in movie theaters, and VOD. Saundra made her Broadway debut in the 1st Tony Award nominated Arthur Miller play, "A View from the Bridge" as Catherine starring opposite Tony LoBianco. She was last seen on Broadway in the Tony Award winning "Nine," starring Antonio Banderas. She continued to perform on Broadway and Off in musicals and plays, including "The Glass Menagerie" as Amanda Wingfield, "The House of Bernarda Alba," the Tony Award nominated musical, "Chronicle of a Death Foretold," "Hello Again," "Spike Heels," (with Kevin Bacon), and even toured the states and Canada with "Evita" as Eva Peron. You can hear Saundra singing on two musical recordings of "The House of Bernarda Alba," and "Nine." She also sang on two of the six Johnny Carson shows she guested on. On daytime, Saundra created the role of "Carmen Santos" on CBS's longest running soap opera, Guiding Light. For her role, Santiago was the 2002 recipient of an Alma Award for Ouststanding Actress in a Daytime Drama and nominated several times. She stepped in the portray Carlotta Vega on ABC's "One Life to Live" in its final years.
You can occasionally catch Saundra singing at the several cabaret clubs in NYC.- Tessie Santiago was born on 10 August 1975 in Miami, Florida, USA. She is an actress, known for Queen of Swords (2000), Devil's Whisper (2019) and Scandal (2012). She has been married to Carlos Bernard since 30 December 2013.
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Gina was born in New York City and is youngest of three children in a close-knit Cuban American family. Attended New York City's High School of Music and Art She is a gifted mezzo soprano and was trained in opera and jazz and also sang in a gospel choir.- Louis Aguirre was born on 12 November 1966. He is an actor, known for The Longest Journey (1999), JAG (1995) and Single in South Beach (2015).
- Pedro Zamora was born on 29 February 1972 in Havana, Cuba. He died on 11 November 1994 in Miami, Florida, USA.
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Cuban-born television hostess Lili Estefan got her big break as one of the main hostesses of the long-running Spanish-language variety show Sábado gigante (1986). After 12 years of hosting that show, she left to co-host a celebrity-gossip show, El gordo y la flaca (1998) for the same network, Univisión, in 1998. She is a major presenter for special events such as beauty pageants and the annual Calle Ocho music festival held in Miami, Florida.- Feisty Cuban Arlene Tur was born and raised in Miami, Florida to Cuban parents. Tur spent her entire childhood in Miami, attending the Florida International University on dual academic and athletic scholarships, and graduated with Marketing and Public Relations degrees.
During college Tur played professional beach volleyball, where she started getting approached by modeling agents and began a career as a model.
Arlene began studying acting and trained with Uta Hagen in New York City, and Howard Fine in Los Angeles.
Arlene began her acting career in the Hispanic comedy hit series, "Los Teens," subsequently, Tur worked on the hit television series, "Grey's Anatomy" and "Lie to Me."
In 2008 Tur join the cast of STARZ original series based on the Oscar winning film, as part of a talented ensemble cast (playing Bebe Arcel) and in 2010 appeared in the hit film Eat, Pray, Love as Armenia alongside Julia Roberts.
More recently Tur starred on BBC's "Torchwood: Miracle Day" as surgeon 'Dr. Vera Juarez.' recurring in 5 episodes.
Tur spends her free time working on writing slapstick comedy scripts (she already has an entire film script in the can), painting and exploring photography. - Jeanine Mason is a Cuban-American actor and dancer born and raised in Miami, Florida. After winning Season 5 of Fox's So You Think You Can Dance and earning the title of America's Favorite Dancer, her acting career began. Mason stars as Liz Ortecho in the CW's drama series Roswell, New Mexico, currently shooting its fourth season.
She previously recurred as Dr. Sam Bello on ABC's Grey's Anatomy as well as its Emmy nominated web series Grey's Anatomy: B-Team. Other TV credits include Of Kings & Prophets, Grace & Frankie, Bunheads, You're The Worst, Criminal Minds, and NCIS: LA. She is also the voice of Minuet Sonata on Hulu's Trolls: Trollstopia.
Her film work includes Debbie Allen's Emmy winning Netflix movie musical Christmas on the Square opposite Dolly Parton and Christine Baranski, Valerie Weiss' The Archer and next up in Blair Underwood's Viral opposite Sarah Silverman. She was last seen on stage in Center Theatre Group's revival of Zoot Suit directed by playwright Luis Valdez opposite Demián Bichir. Jeanine is a proud graduate of UCLA and resides in New York City. - Actress
- Producer
Julia Garcia is an American actress who was born on October 30, 2006. Julia's mother is a first generation American who's parents immigrated from Cuba. Her father immigrated from the Philippines at the age of eight. Julia embraces both her Hispanic and Filipino culture. Julia has one older brother named Jaxon. She enjoys mixed martial arts and boxing with her brother. Julia was born and raised in Southern California.
Pursuing acting professionally since the age of 5, she enjoys the performing arts. At a very early age, Julia showed an interest in music and dance. She began her ballet training at the age of two and half. Julia's confidence in performing grew and she quickly started to pursue acting. Julia took off almost immediately and booked her first national commercial at the age of 6. She has booked over ten national commercials. She has been featured on various network television shows including Nickelodeon, Amazon, NBC, CBS, ABC and Disney Channel.- Actor
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Raúl Eduardo Esparza is an American stage, screen, and voice actor. Considered one of Broadway's leading men since the 2000s, he is best known for his Tony Award-nominated performance as Bobby in the 2006 Broadway revival of Company and for his television role as New York Assistant District Attorney (ADA) Rafael Barba in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, where he had a recurring role in Season 14 and was promoted to a series regular in Seasons 15 to 19.- Actor
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A trained actor, Mario Lavandeira graduated from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts with honors and a degree in drama. He has appeared in many TV shows - most notably Glee; starred in various films - his favorite: the horror classic Most Likely To Die, and headlined two off-Broadway musicals, NEWSical and Full House The Musical.- Carmela Zumbado is a first-generation American actress of Cuban and Colombian descent. She is the sister of actresses Marisela Zumbado and Gigi Zumbado, and the daughter of acclaimed photojournalist, Tony Zumbado and Lilliam Zumbado. She is most widely known for her breakout role as Delilah Alves in the Netflix thriller "You", where she starred opposite Penn Badgley and Victoria Pedretti.
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- Casting Department
Cynthia Rodriguez was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She discovered her passion for the arts at a young age and worked hard to hone her craft. After winning two awards for best actress for the indie film "Love Triangle", she decided to move to Los Angeles. She is known for The New Edition Story (2017), Animal Kingdom (2018), and Chicago P.D. (2019).- Actor
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Tom Rodriguez was born on 1 October 1987. He is an actor, known for My Husband's Lover (2013), Mulawin vs Ravena (2017) and Here Comes the Bride (2010).- Actor
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David's acting career began at age 5, where he landed a national Nickelodeon Sponge Bob commercial. At age 7, David landed a role in a Todd Solondz's film due to his talented break-dancing moves.
His first leading role came a year later in the film remake of "The Little Fugitive."
A critically acclaimed short "Tracks of Color" followed, where he played the role of a young graffiti artist struggling to pursue his passion yet fearing the disappointment of his family. The film was so riveting that investors took notice
At 9, he co-starred opposite John Leguizamo in the movie "Where God Left His Shoes" which landed him a best supporting actor nomination at the Imagen Awards.
Teaming up again with John Leguizamo in the film"Ministers, directed by Franc Reyes and co-starring Harvey Keitel, left David with the daunting task of playing the younger version of John Leguizamo's twin characters Dante and Perfecto.
Several pilots followed; including LL Cool J in "The Man" created by CSI's Anthony Zukier and Nickelodeon's "Summer Camp" where David played Hailee Steinfeld's boy crush and another CBS pilot, "Red Zone." in the role of Reza, a teenager from Algeria...
David's recently released film "Forged" won Best Domestic Feature at the New York International Latino Film Festival in 2010 as well as the Providence Latin Film Festival.
David, had a second Imagen Best Supporting Actor nomination, with the role of Manny in the recently release film "Tio Papi" which also won several festival awards, followed by a theatrical release.
David had a recurring role playing Staten Island Guido, Frankie DeCosmo in Ice Cube's TBS's hit show "Are we There Yet? "
When David isn't acting, he is enjoying Golf and studying Jiu Jitsu. He is a self- taught pianist, his love for music has now lead him to debut as a singer.
David plays a Rock and Roll singer in the soon to be released movie "Ruta Madre" and recently made his first original song release with "Save Me", written by his singer/songwriting sister Raquel Castro, and produced by Donnie Klang, of making the Band
One of his favorite roles is playing head Vampire in Freeform's "Shadowhunters" in the role of Raphael Santiago.
David can be seen in Season 2 as Marco Boselli heir to the Capellano crime family in Starz Powerbook "Raising Kanan" premiering August 14,2022- Actress
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Perla Rodriguez, whose stage name is Pearl Roads, is an American actress and musical artist born and raised in South Texas. She has always shown a great interest in entertaining from a very young age. She has been involved in several fields of performance such as choir, cheerleading, Mariachi, and color guard. Furthermore, Perla received several acting awards for her performances in high school plays during her junior and senior years.
Perla's mind has always been set on filmmaking, both in front of and behind the camera. In fact, she has written, acted, directed, and filmed her own short movies while still participating in several regional short films. In 2007, Perla received the grand prize award for her film "Embrace," earning her recognition amongst other regional filmmakers. Two years later, Perla created a spoof of Shakira and entered it into a contest on an international show called "El Gordo y La Flaca," where the viewers voted. Perla won and was flown to Miami in order to meet the singer. The same spoof was later aired in the United Kingdom on ITV2's "Katy Brand vs. Shakira" In addition, Perla played the lead actress in the feature "Speechless" for a regional 24 hour film race in 2011. Her moving performance won her the top award of Best Actress. That same summer, Perla landed the role of Laurel in the cinematic feature "The Cloth," in which she was given the opportunity to act alongside Eric Roberts.
Perla's production company, PearlRoads Studios, was initially created in February 2009. She has an A.A.S. in Digital Media Design and a B.A. in Theater - TV/Film Production.- Actor
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BIOGRAPHY:
Gabriel Conte has made a name for himself through hard work and determination, as well as doing what he has always loved - making people laugh. What began as a career in theater and creating digital content, Gabriel is now leveraging his incredible talent and loyal fanbase to breakout in the traditional acting realm.
Growing up in South Florida, Gabriel began following his love for the arts in middle school and went on to attend Florida State University to major in acting. Ultimately, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in the entertainment industry.
Acknowledged for his natural acting abilities, Gabriel was cast in FOX's live production "The Passion" alongside entertainment veterans such as Tyler Perry, Seal, and Daughtry. "The Passion" tells a story of the last hours of the earthly life of Jesus Chris through passages from the Bible and a variety of contemporary popular music that aired on March 20th. It is now available on both Hulu and Netflix.
Always in demand and gearing up for a career-defining year, Gabriel recently booked a series lead role filmed in Spring 2016 slated to air in September 2016. To attribute to his quickly growing list of credits, Gabriel booked a lead role in an upcoming New Form Digital pilot written and directed by Matt Stawski set to film in Summer of 2016.
Determined to create meaningful content that makes others happy, Gabriel gets inspiration for his craft through everyday experiences and always trying to view life in a different and entertaining way. He attributes his success to consistently challenging himself as an actor.
Even with his hard work, Gabriel would be nothing without his family, his friends and his faith. He accredits his greatest influences to his parents not only for all that they have done for him throughout his life, but for also instilling his passion for Jesus and teaching him how Christianity applies to his life and his ability to help others. Despite not speaking Spanish like the rest of his family, Gabriel credits his Latino heritage as a huge part of his background and who he is today.
Committed to developing his skills on a larger scale, Gabriel hopes to generate his own stories that he can act in and direct. Gabriel is currently in writing a book and developing two scripted projects. He has already worked with major brands including T-Mobile, Spotify and Sony and has been invited to attend coveted industry events such as the 2015 American Music Awards, 2016 Billboard Music awards and presented the "Vision Award" at the 2016 Thirst Project Gala.
Ultimately, Gabriel sees himself as just a normal guy striving to challenge his personal limits and use his influence to leave a positive impact in the fast-paced modern wold. Gabriel has recently been appointed as nation-wide renowned charity No Kid Hungry's ambassador of 2016 where he will travel the country and speak with middle school's administration boards about their current food programs.
Gabriel currently resides in Los Angeles.- Tyler Alvarez was born on 25 October 1997 in The Bronx, New York City, New York, USA. He is an actor, known for American Vandal (2017), Orange Is the New Black (2013) and Blockbuster (2022).
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Jorge Noa was born in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is known for The American President (1995), Daredevil (2003) and Bad Boys (1983).- Frankie A. Rodriguez was born in Sanger, California, USA. Frankie A. is an actor, known for High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (2019), Bunk'd (2015) and Will & Grace (1998).
- Veronica Rodriguez was born on 11 August 1985 in Miami, Florida, USA.
- Actor
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Paul Rodriguez was born on 31 December 1984 in Tarzana, California, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for The Curse of La Llorona (2019), Street Dreams (2009) and Grind (2003).- Born and raised in South Florida, Alex started singing at the age of 2 and modeling at the age of 4. At 16, Alex was signed by LA Reid to Island Def Jam. She appeared on Season 3 of The X Factor USA, making it into the top 10 in the groups category with her group, Girls United. She was also a finalist on Oxygen's The Glee Project, and has guest starred on shows such as HBO's The Newsroom and Nickelodeon's Hollywood Heights, as well as appearing in national commercials for Macy's, Target, Sears, and Paragard. Alex is currently a series lead on Hulu's East Los High.
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Dailyn Rodriguez was born in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City to Cuban parents. She attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts where she graduated with a BFA in Dramatic Writing. In 2001 she earned a spot in the ABC/Disney Studios Writing Fellowship and has been working as a TV writer ever since.- Actor
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Roland Rodriguez was born on 14 April 1959 in Cuero, Texas, USA. He is an actor, known for Pee-wee's Playhouse (1986), Texas (1994) and Walker, Texas Ranger (1993).- Christina Hernandez was born on 13 April 1989 in New York City, New York, USA. She is an actress, known for Went to Coney Island on a Mission from God... Be Back by Five (1998).
- Mercedes López Renard was Born in Miami , Florida . Her father, Roberto López was a well known Film, Stage and radio actor when he fled Cuba in the late 50's with his wife and Mercedes' two older brothers and sister. At 16 Mercedes was scouted by Elite, one of the top modeling agencies in the world. She was sent to Europe where she quickly assimilated to the European life style. Fluent in French and Italian. Mercedes was living in Milan when she caught the eye of Academy Award winning director Giuseppe Tornatore (Cinema Paradiso) and was flown to Rome to screen- test.. Renard's love for acting flourished and she had found her calling. Her leap of faith paid off immediately landing her a first feature role alongside Will Smith and Eva Mendez in "Hitch," as well as numerous national commercials. Renard's body of work includes the Amazon feature "Tom Clancey; War Within the Cartel", a starring role in the Hallmark pilot, "Meddling Mom" with Sonia Braga and Tony Plana ," and other projects like, "Love" ,"Law and Order", "The Night Shift" and " NCIS". Renard recently created the role of Simone Forche for "Shout" which debuted at the Fremont Center Theater. Outside of acting , Mercedes is a strong supporter of Women for Women International, a charity that helps woman survivors of war rebuild their lives.
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Christian Lopez was born on 9 May 1991 in Miami, Florida, USA. He is an executive.- Darlene originated the popular contract character of 'Anita Santos' on the ABC Daytime Drama, All My Children, and some of her numerous guest stars on television have included hit shows, Power, Criminal Minds, Bones and How I Met Your Mother. Darlene's feature film appearances have been in studio films such as J.J. Abrams' Star Trek; Starsky & Hutch; and I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry. Darlene just completed shooting the new Milli Vanilli Biopic "Girl You Know It's True."
Darlene recently graced the stage in John Patrick Shanley's world premiere play, Candlelight, originating the role of 'Colette' with a raw and haunting performance." - Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
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Carlos Piñero is known for American Horror Stories (2021), The Expanding Universe of Ashley Garcia (2020) and Guess Who Died (2018).- Actor
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Oscar Nuñez was born on 18 November 1958 in Cuba. He is an actor and writer, known for The Proposal (2009), The Office (2005) and Baywatch (2017). He has been married to Ursula Whittaker since 21 May 2011. They have one child. He was previously married to Carla.- Art Department
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Ronald Rubio is known for King of the Hill (1997), The Cleveland Show (2009) and Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! (2015).- Alexia Nepola was born on 3 May 1967 in Cuba. She has been married to Todd Nepola since 16 December 2021. She was previously married to Herman Echevarria and Pedro Rosello.
- Ana Quincoces, voted Miami's "Hottest Chef," has enjoyed a rich and colorful career as a chef, TV personality, and entrepreneur. Ana was a cast member on Bravo's Real Housewives of Miami Seasons 2 and 3. Dubbed "The Thinking Man's Housewife," she parlayed her celebrity into a thriving enterprise which includes television shows and appearances, several cookbooks, and her own growing line of Skinny Latina® food products. She has also worked with some of the world's biggest brands as an influencer, including Target, Unilever, Olay, Smithfield, Nestle and others. A finalist on Food Network Star, Ana received high praise for her culinary talent. She is a regular guest co-host on the national syndicated news and entertainment show The Daily Flash, and has co-hosted ABC's The View, The Chew, and Fox's Utilisima Puro Chef. A lawyer by profession, she embarked on her second career in food and entertainment after more than 20 years in the legal industry.
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As an actor Tony Plana has performed in more than 70 feature films. Recent films include Pain & Gain with Dwayne Johnson and Mark Wahlberg directed by Michael Bay, Roman J. Israel, Esquire starring Denzel Washington directed by Dan Gilroy, and the soon to be released, Bombshell, directed by Jay Roach starring Charlize Theron, John Lithgow, Nicole Kidman and Margot Robbie and Wasp Network, directed by Olivier Assayas with Penelope Cruz and Edgar Ramirez.
His latest television projects include principal roles in Academy Award winner Paolo Sorrentino's The Young Pope with Jude Law and Diane Keaton for HBO, Jugar Con Fuego for Telemundo and the recently released Mayans MC on the FX Channel. Current recurring roles include the comedies One Day at a Time with Rita Moreno and Super Store with America Ferrera, as well as the dramas, The Affair with Anna Paquin. Start Up with Martin Freeman and Ron Perlman, The Punisher with Jon Bernthal, Madam Secretary, Lethal Weapon, Colony, Alpha House, Elementary, The Fosters, and The Blacklist.
Tony Plana also starred as Ignacio Suarez, the widowed father to America Ferrera's Ugly Betty, in ABC's landmark, groundbreaking hit series for which he received the 2006 Golden Satellite Award from the International Press Academy, an Imagen Award, and an Alma Award. Ugly Betty received the highest ratings and the most critical acclaim of any Latino-based show in the history of television, most notably 11 Emmy nominations and a Golden Glove Award for best comedy.
Previously, he also starred in Showtime's original series, Resurrection Boulevard, and was nominated for two Alma Awards for best actor. Resurrection Boulevard was the first series to be produced, written, directed and starring Latinos and awarded an Alma Award for the best television series of 2002.
Other feature film credits include JFK, Nixon, Salvador, An Officer and a Gentleman, Lone Star, Three Amigos, Born in East L.A., El Norte, 187, Primal Fear, Romero, One Good Cop, Havana, The Rookie, Silver Strand and Picking Up the Pieces with Woody Allen. He has also appeared in the action thriller Half Past Dead with Steven Segal; The Lost City, with Andy Garcia, Bill Murray, and Dustin Hoffman; and Disney's highly acclaimed GOAL, The Dream Begins.
He has produced and directed two feature film comedies, A Million to Juan with Paul Rodriguez and The Princess and the Barrio Boy, the first Latino family film to be produced by Showtime, starring academy award nominee Edward James Olmos and Maria Conchita Alonso. The film received two 2001 Alma Award nominations for Best Made for Television Movie and Best Ensemble Acting and won the 2001 Imagen Award for Best Made for Television Movie. Plana's television episodic debut was 2001's Resurrection Blvd.'s Saliendo, which garnered critical acclaim, receiving a GLAAD Award for best dramatic episode of the year and a SHINE Award nomination for sensitive portrayal of sexuality. He has directed several episodes of Nickelodeon's hit series, The Brothers Garcia, receiving a Humanitas Award nomination and winning the Imagen Award for its third season finale, Don't Judge a Book by its Cover. He also directed the season finale of Greetings from Tucson for the Warner Brothers Network and the Halloween episode of Desperate Housewives in its final season on ABC.
Plana was the Co-founder and served as Producing Artistic Director of the East LA Classic Theatre (ECT), a group comprised of multicultural, classically trained theatre professionals, for over 20 years. The EastLA Classic Theatre was dedicated to serving economically challenged communities through educational outreach programs for primary and secondary schools. As ECT's Producing Artistic Director, Plana defined its mission as 'educational' with a priority on creating access to classic dramatic literature for young minority audiences, emphasizing interpretations filtered through a multicultural, non-traditional perspective and presented with a contemporary, populist aesthetic. His provocative adaptations of classic Shakespearean plays were specifically conceived for students with little or no theatre going experience. He produced, directed and adapted these plays set against curriculum relevant historical backgrounds that served as catalysts for the investigation of personal and interpersonal psychology, race and cultural relations, socio-political issues and world history. Such as A zoot suit styled, musical Romeo & Juliet, was set during World War II with 1940's swing music and dance, featuring an East L.A. Latina Juliet and a West L.A. Anglo sailor Romeo struggling to define their love and identities in a wartime city sharply divided by racism, xenophobia, and economics and a Mariachi Musical production of Much Ado About Nothing set in early California.
Plana has continued to challenge the boundaries of teaching and learning language through an innovative approach called Language in Play (LIP). Working directly with language arts teachers, LIP utilizes the performing arts to impact literacy skills in academically at risk and bi-lingual students. Evolved collaboratively with educators over the last fifteen years, ECT's unique process of 'personalizing' language, through student play writing and play acting based on autobiographical experience, has proven more effective in achieving academic advancement and personal growth than established, traditional methods. It has consistently improved students' reading, writing and speaking skills resulting in higher attendance and lower drop-out rates, increased class participation and homework completion, as well as achieved better test scores, strengthened self-confidence and provided an engaging and meaningful school experience.
In 2005 he was honored as Educator of the Year by Loyola Marymount University's Department of Education. In 2008 he was awarded Loyola High School's Cahalan Award as a distinguished alumnus and a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Imagen Foundation. In 2009 the HOLA organization honored him with the Raul Julia HOLA Founders Award for excellence. In 2010, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa selected him as worthy of one of the highest honors bestowed by the City of Los Angeles, The Dream of Los Angeles Award for his contributions to the media arts and education. He is the proud recipient of the 2013 ALMA Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Council of La Raza, the National Association of Latino Independent Producers' Lifetime Achievement Award for 2016, and the 2018 Nosotros Lifetime Impact Golden Eagle Award. He is currently an affiliate faculty member of the Center for Equity for English Learners at Loyola Marymount University School of Education.- Originally from Artemisa, Cuba, Rene Lavan debuted on Broadway in 2005 with the critically acclaimed play "Latinologues", a comedy about life in America. Early this year he worked with Benicio Del Toro on the feature film "Guerrilla" directed by Steven Soderbergh. Rene plays the young lead in Revolution Studio's "Christmas With The Kranks" starring opposite Tim Allen, Jaime Lee Curtis, Dan Aykroyd and Cheech Marin. This film is directed by Joe Roth. Lavan plays the role of the Revolutionary, Carlos Suarez, on LGF/Miramax's "Havana Nights, Dirty Dancing". He has been a guest-star on CBS's "CSI Miami" and on NBC's "Las Vegas". He co-stars in "El Nominado", an independent film shot in Chile in October 2003, now playing at many international film festivals. Rene was chosen as one of The Top Ten To Watch In 2004 by the San Diego Latino Film Festival.
American audiences first knew Lavan when he played the role of Javier on "One Life to Live" for the ABC network. It was while working as a cast member on this series that he was offered the role of a lifetime as the lead in the critically acclaimed feature film "Bitter Sugar", directed by Leon Ichaso (Pinero). The film was inspired by true events of the oppressive Cuban regime governed by Fidel Castro. It chronicles the character of Gustavo (Lavan), an honor student and Castro supporter who could no longer tolerate the decay and repression in his beloved Cuba. Lavan received rave reviews and the film was very well received, both domestically and internationally.
Rene first gained recognition as an actor co-starring in one of the most popular Spanish telenovelas ever "Morelia". He has since starred in the very popular telenovelas (TV series) "Maria Belen" and "Enamorada". He has become an internationally re-known actor and is a household name in Spanish speaking homes around the world. His soaps and films have been seen in over one hundred countries. Fluent in both English and Spanish Rene has been working steadily in both the General and Spanish markets since receiving his education at the prestigious New World school of the arts, Performance and Visual Arts Center and with Uta Hagen.
Lavan co-starred in the half-hour sitcom pilot "Macio" for UPN and starred in the independent film "The Emerald Cut."
Rene has appeared in hundreds of television and radio commercials and has hosted the following TV shows: The Billboard Music Awards, Fox Sports and Suenos de Fama (Star Search) to name a few.
Lavan has graced the pages of American publications such as "Vanity Fair", "Harper's Bazaar", "Details", "W" and hundreds of Spanish publications such as "Vanidades", "Cosmopolitan", "Cristina" and recently was named "one of the 25 most Beautiful" of " People en Espanol Magazine".
Rene Lavan is a true crossover actor in every sense of the word, from film to television, from drama to comedy. He is one of the few actors that have successfully made a name in both the General and Spanish Markets. His latest challenge is starring and producing Latino theme television shows and films for his newly formed production company - Jordi Vilasuso was born on 15 June 1981 in Miami, Florida, USA. He is an actor, known for The Invitation (2015), Circle (2015) and This Modern Man Is Beat (2015). He has been married to Kaitlin Riley since 25 August 2012. They have two children.
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Gordon Michaels was born in Detroit, Michigan. His father is of Italian, Irish, and Jewish decent and his Mother is of Cuban ancestry. Michaels spent most of his youth in Michigan and graduated from John Glenn High School where he played basketball for the Junior Varsity and Varsity teams and still holds the school record for most rebounds in a game (27). As a teenager, Michaels spent a lot of after school time practicing and performing as lead singer for his Detroit garage band Flash Experience. The group performed at some high school events as well as various venues around metro Detroit. Michaels love for both writing and performing music is something very close to his heart. In fact, he's written a number of songs over the years and looks forward to taking them into the studio to record.
After attending a performance of a community theater production of Man of La Mancha, Michael's was stung by the acting bug. In 1986 Michaels became a graduate of the prestigious Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theater in New York City where he studied under world renowned acting teacher Sanford Meisner. Michaels spent a number of years under the tutelage of Uta Hagen and Herbert Bergoff at the renowned HB Studio in New York City.
In addition to writing, producing, and staring in the film Unbeatable Harold, which featured Henry Winkler, Phyllis Diller, Charles Durning and Dylan McDermott, Michaels can also be seen in the Miramax released, This Must Be The Place with Sean Penn, Fox Searchlight's Conviction with Hilary Swank and Sam Rockwell, Love and Honor with Liam Hemsworth, Warner Bros Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Some of Michaels other film credits include; Out of the Furnace with Christian Bale and Woody Harrelson, Hostel Part 3, Street Kings Motor City, The Cooler, Joe Dirt, Seduced by a Thief, Leaving Las Vegas, and Gifted Hands, with Cuba Gooding, Jr.
Michaels is also recognized for his work on ABC's award winning legal drama The Practice, and can be seen in the up-coming feature Escape Plan 2: Hades with Sylvester Stallone and Dave Batista. Michaels is founder and President of the motion picture company Brandon Street Films, an independent production company dedicated to creating an artistic home for filmmakers.- Actress
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Otmara Marrero was born on 1 March 1989 in Miami, Florida, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Clementine (2019) and Yoshua (2017).- Actress
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Krizia is a first generation Cuban American from Miami, Florida.
Her works spans across many mediums including television with a recurring role on Barry, FBI: International, and 911: Lonestar, voicing video games like Sims 4, League of Legends, and Fortnite, plus animated series such as Boss Baby, The Loud House, and Harley Quinn.
She is also a voice director for games such as Wylde Flowers, Fortnite, and Call of Duty and she founded Voiceover Camp - an online school for developing Voiceover skills.- Gigi Zumbado is a Cuban American Actress. Born in Miami, FL currently resides in Los Angeles, CA. She is the sister of TV and Film actresses Carmela Zumbado and Marisela Zumbado . Zumbado is known for her television roles as Tammy Ocampo in Epix's Bridge and Tunnel (2021) and Officer Diane Stafford in FOX's 9-1-1 (2018) . She is represented by Industry Entertainment.
- Dominik García-Lorido was born in Miami, Florida, the daughter of Maria Victoria "Marivi" Lorido and actor Andy García. She is the eldest of four children, with sisters Daniella, Alessandra, and brother Andrés. Her parents are both of Cuban descent, and her father was born in Havana. She grew up in Los Angeles and began dancing at the age of three.
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Chrissie Fit is best known for her role as Flo Fuentes in "Pitch Perfect 2 & 3" and as CheeChee in Disney Channel's Original Movie franchise "Teen Beach Movie." Along with various film and TV appearances, Fit also voices the character of Amanda Lopez on Disney XD's animated show "Milo Murphy's Law" and plays Princess Valentina in Disney Channel's hit series, "Elena Of Avalor." Chrissie is a first-generation Cuban-American and is fluent in Spanish.- Marisela Zumbado was born on 11 December 1992 in Miami, Florida, USA. She is an actress, known for Generation (2021), Deputy (2020) and Sterling (2019).
- Edward Finlay (also known as Eddie or Eduardo Finlay) was born and raised, first generation, in Miami, FL, from native Cuban parents, who fled Cuba as political refugees in the late 1950s. He is one of four siblings; two brothers and a sister. His ancestry consist of Spanish and Scottish origin. Eddie grew up watching a lot of movies with his family. Movies that inspired his imagination and fantasy of becoming an actor/ artist included collections from the Star Wars series, the Indiana Jones series, and the Superman series, with Christopher Reeve. He loved the stories and imagination that these types of movies brought out in him. Eddie attended Cristopher Columbus High School in South Florida where he loved playing sports, but never got involved in theatre until he received an opportunity to audition for the lead role in the play Splender in the Grass, to play Bud Stamper, for the sister school, theater program, at Our Lady of Lourdes Academy. He won the role, and fell in love with the journey, and the process, of performing and storytelling. From that point on, he made the decision to get involved in the acting business. He was already a successful fashion model, doing campaigns such as Abercrombie & Fitch, Versace, Panama Jack, editorials for Vogue, and more. He began to figure out how to transition from the modeling business into show business with a little help from the film and television department at his modeling agency, as well as help from world known photographer Bruce Weber. Eddie booked his first series regular on a show called Miami Sands; a TV soap opera that showed mostly in Europe.. The show was a great beginning and training ground for him. During the duration of filming Miami Sands, Eddie landed a Guest Star on a show called S-Club 7 as well. He also later got involved with a local theatre company and performed in musicals and plays at the Gusman Theatre in Downtown Miami, and The Jackie Gleason Theatr. He performed plays and musicals such as Grease(as Danny Zucko), Copelius( as Dr. Copelius), Hercules(as Hercules). He later moved to Los Angeles, where he auditioned for pilot season. He trained at John Kirby Studios, Lesley Kahn Studios, and later at Ivanna Chubbuck Studios. He was then cast as a lead/ series regular on another TV series "Ocean Ave.", working along actress Megan Fox(Tranformers), and Rebecca Ferguson(M:I-Rogue Nation). During the duration of filming Ocean Ave., Eddie was cast to work with Michael Bay on Bad Boys 2, and landed a supporting role on 2 Fast 2 Furious, playing Agent Jason Dunn, working with director John Singleton, Paul Walker, Tyrese Gibson, and Eva Mendes. As Eddie's journey continued, he was cast in Guest Stars, Co-Stars, Leads, and Supporting roles in other film and television productions such as Modern Family, Medium, CSI:NY, CSI: Cyber, NCIS:LA, Honeymoon with Mom, Watercolors, Fortress, and After the Rain(Reach). He also was cast as a series regular to play FBI agent, Harrison Pearce, with a mysterious past and inner conflict, on the show South Beach on Hulu; also just finishing filming a supporting role, playing Henry Navas, on the film Vandal(2017). Eddie currently resides in Los Angeles with his lovely wife, where his journey continues and grows as an artist.
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Geovanni Gopradi is a Cuban-American actor best known at this moment for his recurring roles as Broderick in "The Haves and Have Nots" and Roberto Flores on The CW's "Dynasty". As a child growing up in South America, he achieved a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and it wasn't until he graduated from NOVA South Eastern University in his birth state of Florida that he got bit by the acting bug. After graduating from The Acting School of South Florida's conservatory program and working in over 30 productions including soaps for Telemundo, he moved to New York in 2009. There, he discovered a passion for theater. After two years of working consistently in New York's industry, he moved to Los Angeles to take the next step in his career. In addition to commercials for Toyota, Nissan, Anna's Linens and Kmart to name a few, Geovanni has also appeared in films such as "Mall Cop 2" with Kevin James doing his own stunts with cables, high fall and even catching fire! He has since also taken on directing and most recently worked on the series "Full Disclosure" (Season 2) filmed in Melbourne, Australia.- Stunts
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Cuban/American actress Yessenia Cossio was born and raised in Miami, FL. She is the second child to Elsa J. Cossio a self employed mother, father Jose A. Cossio, a company driver & personal trainer, and younger sister to Jose Cossio Jr., an auto technician. At the early age of 5, Cossio expressed an interest for the performing arts and was immediately enrolled in dance classes. By the age of 9, she began singing at her school chorus, Joe Hall Elementary and in local Church. Although, she loved her craft, something was still missing. Yessenia is a high school graduate from G. Holmes Braddock Sr. High where she performed her first unforgettable scene, at the age of 18, with a fellow student from her English class about "Women's Rights". After her incredible performance, she was highly encouraged by her teacher and classmates to join a drama class. After all the great feedback and passion she felt while performing, Cossio decided that she wanted to make acting her career.
Working in the corporate industry for 6 years specializing in Human Resource, Computer Technician, Medical Billing, Retail and even going door to door selling small kitchen appliances. She found it difficult to balance a normal 9-5pm job and going to castings, so she quit the corporate life to pursue to her dreams.
In January 2014 after her risky but determined decision to quit the corporate world, her acting career started to sky rocket becoming one of the most sought out actresses in the Independent Film Industry in Florida. Completing 8 short films 1 feature and 5 principal roles. As a recognized hard working actress and business woman, Cossio is now producing two Independent films "Betrayal" directed by Jorge Saumell & "Hunted" directed by Antonio Oliva. Also, well known for her acting in music video "Como Yo" by known reggaeton artists Nolo y Phade and music video "Home Alone" by Guelo Star feat. Redman. In addition, she works part-time for special events company "Events by Eli" performing Disney characters such as "The Queen of Hearts" as a humantable and special occasion dancer for events held by professional basketball executive Patt Riley.
She has also made a name for herself in the modeling, fitness & pageant industry. Shooting for magazine and calendars with known celebrity photographers such as, AlexG & Carolina Gonzalez "Status Fitness Magazine", Mike Vetty "Madness Modeling", Steve Rosenberg "The Classmate USA Spring Break Calendar" Runway modeling for known designer Nora Marvilli held by "Bella Fashions" and won her first pageant title as "Miss Florida U.S Nation Ambassador" and was even a guest judge for "Miss Miami VIP" pageant hosted by Events by Eli.- Kristian de la Osa was born on 20 July 1986 in Miami, Florida, USA. He is an actor, known for Madeline (1998), Flight of Fancy (2000) and Aguamarina (1997).
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Emilio Estefan Jr. was born on 4 March 1953 in Havana, Cuba. He is a producer and composer, known for The Mask of Zorro (1998), Top Gun (1986) and Cobra (1986). He has been married to Gloria Estefan since 2 September 1978. They have two children.- Actor
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Nayib Estefan was born on 2 September 1980 in Miami, Florida, USA. He is an actor, known for Punks (2000), Yearbook (2014) and The Sun Like a Big Dark Animal (2015). He has been married to Lara Coppola since 10 June 2010. They have one child.- Actress
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Jenny Lorenzo is a Cuban-American actor, writer, and content creator, born and raised in Miami, FL, who is known for her work on We Are Mitú and is one of the original co-founders of BuzzFeed's Pero Like.
Jenny became a viral sensation with her beloved Abuela character that has garnered millions of views online along with her relatable, Latino-based content seen through the comedic and nostalgic lens of a 1st generation Cuban-American - in other words, living in the hyphen. She was nominated for a Tecla Award in 2017 for "Best Content Creator for a Digital network" and won "Best Character" for Abuela at the Tecla Awards 2018.
Last year, Lorenzo was a participant in the Women in Comedy program at YouTube Space LA in partnership with Elizabeth Banks and WhoHaHa. She was selected out of 12 women for the program and then chosen to be personally mentored by Elizabeth, herself. Recently, she wrapped on a consistently sold out spank show at Upright Citizen's Brigade called, "Wow! Que Show!" and plans to continue live performance in the coming years.
Since going solo to focus on her content in November of 2017, Jenny has developed six new characters that are being very well received on her platforms and is a recurring character on Cartoon Network's Victor & Valentino as Lupe.- Actress
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Nayer was born on 2 August 1985 in Miami, Florida, USA. She is an actress and composer, known for New Year's Eve (2011), Person of Interest (2011) and Pitbull: Give Me Everything (2011).- Krystal Alvarez was born on 13 February 1991 in Miami Beach, Florida, USA. She is an actress, known for Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers (2022), The Mentalist (2008) and Devil May Call (2013).
- Euriamis Losada was born in Santa Fe, Cuba to Rev. Luis and Maria Losada. At the age of 6, his family moved to Miami and before long, E.L. began pursuing his interests in both singing and acting. He hit the South Florida theater scene, playing a great variety of roles in stage plays and musical theater, receiving critical acclaim and 'Best Actor' awards for Jekyll & Hyde, Romeo & Juliet and Bat Boy. E.L. moved to Los Angeles to expand into TV and film, gathering credits that include Cold Case, Trophy Wife and Steven Soderbergh's award winning biopic Che: Part One.
E.L. is known for his versatility as an actor on stage and screen, and as a powerfully rich tenor singer. In September 2014, he took over the lead role as the iconic Cuban band leader 'Ricky Ricardo' in the 2014-15 national tour of "I Love Lucy Live on Stage". - Actress
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Margaux Susi was born in Miami, Florida, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Dear White People (2017), guts (2024) and The Sperm Bank (2023).- Actress
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Melissa Padrón was born in Miami, Florida, USA. She is an actress, known for Ted 2 (2015) and Rock of Ages (2012).- Gabriel Morales is an American singer, actor, songwriter, and dancer. He was born in Hialeah, a small Cuban dominant town in Miami, Florida. Gabriel has a long history of acting and performing all over the world. Amassing a sizable following through acting and his former American boyband 'IM5', put together by Simon Fuller, Perez Hilton, & Jamie King, he has the experience of touring the world. Gabriel got his start in acting after mailing in an audition tape to Sabado Gigante of Univision. Following his first acting debut, he became a student of the very popular academy 'MDA', owned and operated by the famous Chilean producer and choreographer Maiten Montenegro. At 7 years of age Gabriel was already perfecting himself in the art of Dance, Acting, Modeling, Song, and Musical Theater. In 2005, he had the opportunity to participate in the show Codigo Fama Internacional from the television chain Televisa in Mexico City. He represented the United States. He finalized the show with two television Musicals that were transmitted live in Mexico and various countries in Latin America. In Codigo Fama Internacional he received 3rd place in popularity, voted by the Mexican public. During four consecutive years Gabriel formed part of the Miami Heat Junior Jam Dance Team. In the years following, Gabriel participated in latin soap operas like El amor no tiene precio, Olvidarte jamas, Al filo de la ley, Decisiones, Loteria, El cuerpo del deseo, and La viuda de blanco. Soon after, he had the great opportunity to work on the feature film, The Perfect Game. There he shared roles with great artists like Paty Manterola, Cheech Marin, Clifton Colin Jr., and Louis Gosset Jr. Gabriel moved to Los Angeles in 2009, working on Nickelodeon's Dance on Sunset and became part of the major Sear's campaign 'Back to School' with Selena Gomez. He participated in the 2009 MTV VMA's and in the years following guest-starred on many television series including Make it or Brake it on ABC, Scandal on ABC, Shake it Up on Disney, and Medium on CBS, to name a few. He also had the opportunity to work on the films Wake, Crossed the Line, and Armed Response, where he worked alongside incredible actors such as Ethan Embry, Ian Somerholder, Ice-T, Cary Elwes, Adam Arkin, Ving Rhames, Michael Gladis and Clea Duvall. At the age of 15, Gabriel began his best known venture to date, the boyband 'IM5'. During their 5 year run, they had many televised appearances and a TV-mini series coined #BANDCAMP. Gabriel has had the incredible experience of performing for sold-out venues all across the UK, Mexico, and North America, performing for the Kids Choice Awards, and was nominated for a Radio Disney Music Award. Embracing his Cuban & Venezuelan roots, he is last known to be working on a Latin crossover project and is heavily involved in film projects set to be announced in 2018.
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Oscar Alexander Diaz was born in Miami, Florida on January 28, 1972. His parents arrived in Miami from Cuba in the early 1960s fleeing Castro's revolution. Oscar attended Christopher Columbus High School in Miami. Upon graduation he traveled the world doing various jobs including laying fiber optics in Azerbaijan.
Upon returning to Miami Oscar gravitated to his first love entertainment. In 2001, Oscar became an editor at the Univision Network for the #1 rated Spanish language morning show Despierta America. While working on Despierta America, Oscar was trained in improv comedy by comedian Fernando Arau. This has led to recurring roles on the show, in which he has co-stared with world renowned actors such as, Rossario, John Leguizamo, Will Smith and many others.
Along with his work at Univision, he honed his acting craft by staring and producing independent films, such as Do Do Rings and Mysteries of the Opposite Sex. Diaz has been the recipient of several awards including Best Actor at the Miami Film Race 2007 and Best Actor at the Miami Underground Film Festival in 2008.
His hobbies include fishing, Surfing and cooking.- Actress
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Born and raised in Miami, Lauren Marie Peña is an Award Winning Filmmaker, Vinyasa & Hot Power Yoga Instructor, World Traveler, as well as SAG/AFTRA Actress & Dancer. At age 19, Lauren moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career as a filmmaker, where she created award-winning films. The change of lifestyle that she experienced in LA led Lauren to incorporate health, well-being, and self-care into her daily life. In 2010, she left Los Angeles to travel the world and train with the top teachers in the yoga industry. Lauren's short films have screened and won awards at festivals around the world. Lauren's directorial debut "Easy Money" took home the award for "Best Short Film" at the Cinema City International Film Festival. Her film "Christmas Confessional" garnered her the title of "Breakout Filmmaker" by Project Breakout, which took her talents abroad to London. "No Dark, No Light" premiered at Miami Art Basel and won the "Best of Fest" & "Audience Award" at Multiversal Film Festival. She has traveled to countries such as China, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Greece, and Cyprus working and producing projects in front of as well as behind the camera.- Todd Licea was born on 8 September 1965 in Miami, Florida, USA. He is an actor, known for Jimmy Ritz (2000), Wild Fire (2023) and Aliens vs. Predator 2 (2001).
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Cuban-American Reyniel (Rey) Goyos became a Mortgage Broker after graduating high school in Miami before moving to Los Angeles to chase a dream. Rey moved to LA in 2007 and hasn't looked back.
Rey was most recently cast in Shrinking (Apple TV+), Minx (HBO Max), and CBS pilot Welcome to Georgia. Goyos also starred in the feature film Smile As You Kill (2023). Rey played psychopath villain Landon Jones in the action thriller Female Fight Squad opposite Amy Johnston and Dolph Lundgdrem.
Rey continues to appear in national commercials in both the general and Hispanic markets (Geico, Lexus, T-Mobile) and reprising his role as the neighbor in Zelle's Latin campaign.
Rey has performed at Second City Hollywood with house sketch group Winnebago.- Writer
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Nick Zayas was born on 19 July 1985 in Miami, Florida, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Star Trek: Picard (2020), Revolutionary Road (2008) and It's Complicated (2009).