This is the official blog of the Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors (HOLA). www.hellohola.org
HOLA has been funded, in part, through the New York State Council on the Arts, The City of New York Department of Cultural Affairs, Friends of HOLA and the dues-paying members of HOLA.
Bochinche refers to "gossip." In this sense, we use it to mention HOLA members who are getting acting and performance gigs. The names of HOLA members are in boldface.
Mike Smith Rivera and Tony Chiroldes, shown at right from left to right, booked the roles of William Harris and Dr. Makepeace, respectively in the film The Wailingthrough an HOLA casting notice. The film is produced by Latin Horror and La Sayona Productions and boasts Edwin Pagán as producer and director of photography, Ydaiber Orozco as associate producer and casting director and Leonardo Rodríguez as producer and director. Filming will begin in mid-January 2012 in and around New York City. Caridad De La Luz(also known by her nom de poésie et musiqueLa Bruja) will be performing Bobby Sanábria and Quarteto Aché in Salsa Poe. A fundraiser for the Bronx County Historical Society, it is an evening of celebrating the work of Edgar Allan Poe, set to poetry and a Latin jazz beat. (Note: Poe was a Bronx resident and his cottage is a museum in the Bronx.) The event will take place on Friday, December 9, 2011 at the National Arts Club overlooking Gramercy Park in Manhattan. For more information, click here. Mario Barreiro is doing a stint where he will be singing tangos and milongas (along with guest artists) at Café y Restaurante La Nueva in the Jackson Heights section of Queens in December.
Yanelba Ferreira e-mailed us to let us know that she booked the lead role in the short film The Day That Was (written and directed by Edgar De La Vega).
Artistas Españolas Nueva York-El Puente (Spanish Artists in New York) is presenting Wearing Lorca's Bowtie. Presented with the support of the Consulate General of Spain in New York and the Embassy of Spain in Washington, D.C., it is a multidisciplinary piece inspired by Spanish poet/playwright Federico García Lorca’s Poet in New York. With a story by Josh Hecht and Mar Gómez Glez and text by Gómez Glez and Judith Goudsmit, it is directed by Josh Hecht and Ignacio García Bustelo. It is scheduled for a December run at The Duke on 42nd Street in the theater district in midtown Manhattan and features Benita Benéitez, Adela María Bolet, Freia Canals, María Cuartero, Beatriz de la Cruz, Sebastián Gálvez, Carlos Lobo, Puela Lunaris, Javier Moreno, Pep Muñoz, Soraya Padrao, Amara C. Pérez, Nuria Rabanillo, Rodrigo Recabarren, Carlos Renedo, David Riley and Yago Vázquez in the cast. For more information, or to buy tickets, click here or here.
A.B. Lugo was a featured model in Luis Carle's photographic exhibition Santos in a Bag, which was featured in an eight-page spread of Issue 4 of the bilingual (English and Spanish) magazine Ars Atelier City (headquartered in Paris, France and Guttenberg, New Jersey, USA, respectively). For more information on Luis Carle, click here. To see a preview of the magazine, click here.
If you are an HOLA member and want to submit a bochinche item, send us an e-mail at holagram@hellohola.org. If you are not an HOLA member, why not join?
Some of the most notable names from the dawn of film and television are of Latino descent. Here are some of them.
In this edition, British Latinos. Bianca Jagger (1945- ), born Blanca Pérez Morena de Macíasal estilo latino, is a Nicaraguan social and human rights advocate and a former actress and model. Born in Managua, Santiago de Managua, Nicaragua to a successful import-export merchant and a housewife, she received a scholarship to study political science in France at the Paris Institute of Political Studies. She met Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger at a party after a concert in September 1970 in France. On May 12, 1971, while she was four months pregnant, the couple married in a Roman Catholic ceremony in Saint-Tropez-France, and she became his first wife. The couple's only child, a daughter named Jade Sheena Jezebel Jagger Pérez-Mora, was born on October 21, 1971 in Paris, France. In May 1978, she filed for divorce on the grounds of his adultery with model Jerry Hall. In addition to her extensive charitable works, Jagger had a public reputation as a jet-setter and partygoer in the 1970s and early 1980s, being closely associated in the public mind with New York City's nightclub Studio 54. She also became known particularly as a friend of pop artist Andy Warhol. In 1981, she was part of a U.S. congressional delegation stationed at a U.N. refugee camp in Honduras. At one point during her official visit, the entire staff saw about 40 captured refugees marched away at gunpoint towards El Salvador by a death squad. Armed with nothing but cameras to document the raid, she and the delegation trailed the squad along a river towards the El Salvadoran border. When both groups were within auditory range of each other, she and the staff shouted at the M-16 equipped raiders, "You will have to kill us all!" The squad released its captives and a transformation had thus begun for her, something she described as a turning point at her life. She founded the Bianca Jagger Human Rights Foundation, which she chairs. In early 1979, Jagger visited Nicaragua with an International Red Cross delegation and was shocked by the brutality and oppression that the Somoza regime carried out there. This persuaded her to commit herself to the issues of justice and human rights. In the 1980s, she worked to oppose U.S. government intervention in Nicaragua after the Sandinista revolution. She has also opposed the death penalty and defended the rights of women and of indigenous peoples of the Americas. She spoke up for victims of the conflicts in Bosnia and Serbia. Her writings were published in several newspapers (including The New York Times). From the late 1970s she collaborated with many humanitarian organizations including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. In March 2002, Jagger travelled to Afghanistan with a delegation of fourteen women, organised by Global Exchange to support Afghan women’s projects. In March 2007 she became involved with Sarah Teather and the campaign to close Guantánamo Bay. Over the past thirty years she has written articles and opinion pieces, delivered keynote speeches at conferences and events throughout the world and participated in numerous television and radio debates. She has dual nationality, as a naturalised British citizen and citizen of Nicaragua. She has two granddaughters from her daughter Jade, Assisi Lola Jackson Jagger (born in 1992) and Amba Isis Jackson Jagger (born in 1996). As an actress she appeared in numerous movies and television series. For her international work on behalf of humanitarian causes, she has earned numerous awards, including an honorary doctorates (from Stonehill College and Simmons College) and honors from Hispanic Federation of New York City, the United Nations, Amnesty International, Office of the Americas and the American Civil Liberties Union, among others. Henry Ian Cusick (1967- ), born Henry Ian Cusick Chávez al estilo latinoto a Peruvian mother and a Scottish father, is an actor of stage, television and film. He is well-known for his role as Desmond Hume on the United States television series "Lost," for which he received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination. Born in Trujillo, Trujillo, Perú, his family moved to Madrid, Spain, then Glasgow, Scotland, before moving to Trinidad and Tobago where they lived for ten years. There he attended Presentation College in San Fernando. He returned to Scotland with his family at the age of fourteen, where he attended the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. He got his first acting role at the Citizens' Theatre as an understudy in the Christmas Panto playing a polar bear. He appeared in various productions for the Strathclyde Theatre Group in Glasgow. He is fluent in both English and Spanish, and was raised Roman Catholic. His first leading roles on stage included Dorian Gray, Hamlet and Creon. He then began taking television and film roles. After appearing in recurring roles in series such as "Casualty" and "The Book Group," he starred as Jesus Christ in the 2003 film The Visual Bible: The Gospel of John. His largest role to date came in 2005 when he was cast as Desmond Hume in the ABC series "Lost." Originally a recurring guest star in the second season (for which he received an Emmy nomination), he became a member of the main cast from seasons three through six. He also appeared as Theo Stoller in two episodes of the fifth season of "24," in two episodes of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," and the 2007 film Hitman. He and his wife Annie are parents to three sons, Elias (born 1994), Lucas (born 1998) and Esau (born 2000). The couple were married in a civil ceremony following fourteen years of cohabitation on July 15, 2006. They live in Kailua, Hawai'i, U.S.A. Olivia Trinidad Arias, also known as Olivia Harrison (1948- ), is the widow of George Harrison, former member of The Beatles. They were married on September 2, 1978 and had one son together, Dhani Harrison (see below). She was born in Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico, the daughter of a dry cleaner and a seamstress. She attended Hawthorne High School in Southern California and graduated in 1965. She later worked as a secretary at A&M Records, where George Harrison happened to hold a recording contract. Even after they were married, Harrison always referred to her by her maiden name, Arias, on all his original albums and even named her "my wife Arias" in a Musician Magazine article, circa 1991. She, together with Beatles' wives Linda McCartney. Yoko Ono and Barabra Bach, has been involved with the Romanian Angel Appeal since the early 1990s, which has raised millions of dollars to provide aid for children living in devastation. She produced the Concert for George in her husband's memory in 2002. The concert at London's Royal Albert Hall was sold out and featured many musicians such as Eric Clapton, Jeff Lynne, Paul McCartney, Tom Petty, Billy Preston, Ravi Shankar, Ringo Starr, and many more, including the first worldwide exposure of her son Dhani. Profits from the event went to the Material World Charitable Foundation, an organization set up by George Harrison. She also received a Grammy Award in 2005 as a producer for the music video of the concert in the Best Long Form Music Video category. She was co-producer of Martin Scorsese'sGeorge Harrison: Living in the Material World, sitting for interviews and contributing material to the project and appearing with Scorsese at Cannes in 2010 and in New York City in the summer of 2011, to promote the documentary.
Dhani Harrison (1985- ), born Dhani Harrison Ariasal estilo latino is a musician and the son of George Harrison of the Beatles and Olivia Trinidad Arias (see above). He debuted as a professional musician when completing his father's final album Brainwashed after George Harrison's death in November 2001. He formed his own band, thenewno2, in 2006. His name is pronounced similarly to the name Danny but with an aspirated D. He is named after 6th and 7th notes of the Indian music scale, dha and ni. He grew up with his parents in Henley-on-Thames, England, in Friar Park, the estate on which his father had lived since 1970. One of his earliest memories, from the age of six, is receiving a drumming lesson from his father's friend and bandmate, "Uncle" Ringo Starr. He recalled that before the lesson, he had been an avid drummer. However, when Starr began to play, the loud noise frightened him so terribly that he ran out of the room screaming and never used his drum kit again. He is an alumnus of Brown University, where he studied physics and industrial design. After graduating from Brown, he pursued a career as an aerodynamicist; however, he decided to follow in his father's footsteps as a professional musician. After George Harrison's death on 29 November 2001, he, in collaboration with Jeff Lynne, completed George's final album, Brainwashed, which was released in 2002. He participated in the Concert for George on the first anniversary of his father's death, where he played backup acoustic guitar for most of the concert. His band, the newno2, had begun recording. The band released a music video, "Choose What You're Watching", on its website. The band features Harrison on lead guitar, synthesiser and vocals and Oli Hecks on drums and synths. Their debut album, You Are Here, was released online on 11 August 2008 and in stores on 31 March 2009. On 14 April 2009, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce posthumously awarded George Harrison a star on the Walk of Fame. After Olivia Harrison gave a short speech about her late husband, hen uttered the "Hare Krishna" mantra. In August 2010, he, Ben Harper and Joseph Arthur joined together to form supergroup Fistful of Mercy, which released the album As I Call You Down in 2010.
thenewno2 - "Choose What You're Watching"
Natalia Kills (1986- ), born Natalia Noemí Keely-Fisher Cappuccinial estilo latino, is a singer-songwriter, actress, and short-film director. She released her first single "Don't Play Nice" under the name Verbalicious in February 2005. She released her debut album, Perfectionist, under the name Natalia Kills in April 2011. Born in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England to an Afro-Jamaican father and Uruguayan mother, she attended Bradford Girls' Grammar School. In addition, she studied classical drama at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. She made her acting debut (as Natalia Keely-Fisher) at age 9 in 1995 in "New Voices." She had a regular role as Sima on the TV sitcom All About Me and also played Amy Franks in the BBC's long-running radio drama "The Archers." During her time on television and radio she began writing songs, some of which were featured in films and television shows, including Bring It On 4, Sleepover, Just My Luck and "Entourage." After finishing with "The Archers" in 2003, she attributes her musical breakthrough to winning a Radio 1 MC Battle in Leeds under the name "Candy Rapper" in 2003. She signed to the UK record company Adventures in Music and released her first single "Don't Play Nice" under the name Verbalicious in February 2005. The song rose to 11 on the Billboard R&B charts in the UK. (She later filed to be released from all recording/management agreements after the record label filed for bankruptcy.) In January 2008, will.i.am signed her to Interscope Records via his will.i.am Music Group imprint. She was noticed for her demo EP Wommanequin, which she produced and wrote herself. Once signed to Interscope, she was placed with Cherrytree Records. Cherrytree encouraged her to find a name that was more direct and descriptive, and she then came up with the name Natalia Kills. She released her debut album Perfectionist in April 2011. She has also produced and co-directed a filmed mini-series titled Love, Kills xx and an additional film under the working title The Exhibition,which was made concurrently with the album, the soundtrack to the film. The album's first single, "Mirrors," was released in the United States in August 2010 and in the UK in April 2011. Her second single, "Wonderland," was released on in April 2011. The song was featured in the 2011 film Beastly. She opened for Kelis' European All Hearts Tour, as well as supported Robyn on her Body Talk Tour in November 2010 and early 2011. She supported Ke$ha on the UK leg of her Get Sleazy Tour alongside LMFAO. Throughout August and September 2011, she opened for Katy Perry on her California Dreams Tour for eight dates in Europe and São Paulo, Brazil. She was also featured in LMFAO's "Champagne Showers." Natalia Kills - "Mirrors"
Other British Latinos include musicians Geri Halliwell (Ginger Spice of the Spice Girls) and Roland Orzabal(of Tears for Fears), television star Jo Frost (of "Supernanny" fame) and actors Sonya Walger and Helena Bonham Carter.
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The 13th season of the hit ABC reality competition series "Dancing With The Stars" culminated with actor-inspirational speaker-Iraq War veteran J.R. Martínez taking the mirrorball trophy. He is the fifth person of Latino descent (out of 140 total contestants as of this writing) to participate on the show (after Giselle Fernández in season 2, Mario López in season 3, Hélio Castroneves in season 5 and Cristián de la Fuente in season 6) and the second Latino (after Castroneves) to win the ballroom competition.
Check out this article by Mandalit Del Barco in National Public Radio (NPR) as Rita Moreno and John Leguizamo, shown above, at left and at right, talk about being Latino in Hollywood (or "Hollywouldn't") by clicking here. One can also listen to the interviews, part of the "2 Languages, Many Voices: Latinos in the U.S." series, by clicking on the "Listen to the Story" button on the webpage.
Actor Michael Peña teaches people the proper pronunciation of the letter ñ in this video from mun2. [NOTE: There is some strong language. Some discretion is advised.]
Bochinche refers to "gossip." In this sense, we use it to mention HOLA members who are getting acting and performance gigs. The names of HOLA members are in boldface.
Concrete Labour, an experimental short film directed by Ashton Pina, screened at the Mix Factory, located in the NoHo section of Manhattan in November. Ziad Tayeh booked a Doritos commercial. Mel Nieveswas just cast as Don Miguel in the Royal Family Productions playDon Pedro de la Cebolla. Written by Matthew Harrington and directed by Rachel Harrington, the piece will premiere in January 2012 at Women's Interart Center in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan as part of its Emerging Director's Program.
Gloria Zelaya and Don Bill are directing the short plays that make up the program Concrete Meets Silicon. The three one-act plays are written by Carlos Jerome, Derek Lively and Jeffrey Harmon Smith and are produced by Around the Block/Al Doblar Las Esquina for a November run at the Abingdon Theater located in the theater district of midtown Manhattan. For more information, click here.
If you are an HOLA member and want to submit a bochinche item, send us an e-mail at holagram@hellohola.org. If you are not an HOLA member, why not join?
Héctor Elizondo was born on December 22, 1936 in New York, New York, U.S.A., the son of Carmen Medina Reyes, from Puerto Rico, and Martín Echevarría Elizondo, who is from the Basque region of Spain.
At a young age, he demonstrated a talent in sports and music. He sang for the Frank Murray Boys' Choir when he was 10 years old. He later enrolled in the High School of the Performing Arts. In 1954, he enrolled in City College of New York, with the intention of becoming a history teacher. During his freshman year he became a father and dropped out of college, going to work full-time in order to support his family. Later, he was divorced and gained full custody of his son, Rodd.
From 1962 to 1963, he studied dance at the Ballet Arts Company at Carnegie Hall and in 1963 he landed parts in two off-Broadway shows: Kill the One-Eyed Man and The Great White Hope. His first major success came when he played "God" in guise of a Puerto Rican steam room attendant in the Bruce Jay Friedman play Steambath, for which he won an Obie Award for his performance. Many of his roles involve playing a friend or sympathizer to the lead character.
In 1974, he played against type as ex-mafioso-turned-subway hijacker "Mr. Grey" in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three. The next year, he starred as a Puerto Rican widower on the CBS television series, "Popi," which aired during the 1975-1976 television season. The short-lived series, which ran for eleven episodes, was one of the first American network television series to feature a Latino theme and cast.
In the 1980s, he befriended actor-writer-director-producer Garry Marshall; Marshall was impressed with his talent and it was to become a lifelong friendship, which would bring benefits for both. Their first movie together was Young Doctors in Love. In some of the movies in which Elizondo appeared, he went uncredited and he would not have minded staying that way for the movie Pretty Woman; however, it was Marshall who insisted on crediting him. His role in Pretty Woman only lasted 10 minutes, but it led to his receiving a Golden Globe nomination. In all, he has participated in over 80 movies and 18 of them have been Marshall's, including Runaway Bride (which incidentally reunited him with Pretty Woman co-stars Richard Gere and Julia Roberts).
In 2001, he portrayed security head Joe in the movie The Princess Diaries, a role he reprised in the 2004 sequel, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement. He is probably best known to the television audience as Dr. Phillip Watters on the CBS television series "Chicago Hope" created by well known television creator David E. Kelley. He has won both an Emmy and ALMA Award and was nominated for a Satellite Award and several SAG Awards for playing this role. He is one of only two people to remain on the show for its entire run, the other being Adam Arkin.
He also played "Pancho Duque" in the CBS television series "Cane." On April 30, 2008, it was announced by USA Network that Elizondo would become Adrian Monk's new therapist, Dr. Neven Bell, on the award-winning series "Monk." He replaced actor Stanley Kamel, who died suddenly on April 8, 2008.
Most recently, he played the father of Dr. Callie Torres (played by Sara Ramírez) in the ABC series "Grey's Anatomy" and will appear in the upcoming movie New Year's Eve, directed by (natch) Garry Marshall.
He has been married three times. He has a son from his first marriage; he is currently married to Carolee Campbell, his wife since 1969, an Emmy-Award winning actress, photographer and celebrated publisher.
The movies in which Héctor Elizondo has worked with Garry Marshall include, as of this writing, Young Doctors in Love (1982), The Flamingo Kid (1984), Nothing in Common (1986), Overboard (1987), Beaches (1988), Pretty Woman (1990), Frankie and Johnny (1991), Exit to Eden (1994), Dear God (1996), The Other Sister (1999), Runaway Bride (1999), The Princess Diaries (2001), Raising Helen (2004), The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004), Georgia Rule (2007), Valentine's Day (2010) and New Year's Eve (scheduled for release in 2011).
Bochinche refers to "gossip." In this sense, we use it to mention HOLA members who are getting acting and performance gigs. The names of HOLA members are in boldface.
Ricardo Alvarado, Anthony Ruiz and Ellie Diez appear in the film Pablo on Wheels. It will premiere at the Anthology Film Archives, in Manhattan's East Village on Wednesday, December 14, 2011. Alvarado and Ruiz, pictured above at right from left to right, booked their roles in Brett Sorem's film (from Nocturnal Features) through an HOLA casting notice. Johary Ramos and Johnathan Cedano will be in the production of Charles Rice-González's play Los Nutcrackers: A Christmas Carajo. Directed by Mark Finley, the show is scheduled for a December run at the Bronx Academy of Arts & Dance (BAAD!) in the Hunts Point section of the Bronx and will also feature Cisco Pérez, Yosvany Reyes, Gabriel Morales and Appolonia Cruz in the cast. Mario Bósquez, Venuz Delmar, Omar Pérez and Jeannie Sol star in the musical La Llorona. With a book, lyrics and music by Héctor J. Armienta, the piece is directed by José A. Esquea and will premiere in January at Teatro LATEA, located in the Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural and Educational Center (home to HOLA) in the Loísaida neighborhood of Manhattan.
Jorge Álvarez is starring in Vida de perro. Written and directed by Félix Otero, the production is being presented in November at El Comisionado Dominicano de Cultura in the Washington Heights area of Manhattan as part of its second Festival de Teatro Hispano.
If you are an HOLA member and want to submit a bochinche item, send us an e-mail at holagram@hellohola.org. If you are not an HOLA member, why not join?
Some of the most notable names from the dawn of film and television are of Latino descent. Here are some of them.
In this edition, up and coming stars of television.
Aubrey Plaza(1984– ) was born in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A., to a mother of Irish and English descent and a Puerto Rican father. An actress and comedienne, she has gained popularity through her deadpan-style comedy. She currently co-stars in "Parks and Recreation" as April Ludgate. She was named after the song "Aubrey" by Bread. She is a graduate of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. She has been performing improv and sketch comedy at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater since 2004. She also recently began performing stand-up and has appeared at the Laugh Factory and The Improv. She starred in the online series "The Jeannie Tate Show," and starred as Robin Gibney in ESPN's Mayne Street. She also appeared in the first episode of "Terrible Decisions with Ben Schwartz" on Funny or Die. She played Seth Rogen's love interest, Daisy, in 2009's Funny People directed by Judd Apatow. She also had roles in the comedy films Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and Derrick Comedy's Mystery Team. She appeared in a CollegeHumor short alongside Jason Bateman and Will Arnett. In addition to her role as April Ludgate on "Parks and Recreation," she has a recurring role as "the Princess" in the comedic sci-fi web series "Troopers" on CollegeHumor. Coté de Pablo (1979- ), born María José de Pablo Fernández, is a Chilean actress and recording artist. She has won an ALMA Award for her role as NCIS Special Agent Ziva David in the television series "NCIS." She has also embarked on a career as a songwriter and vocalist. She was born in Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile, to an upper-class Catholic family. In the fifth grade, she found many people could not properly pronounce her first name of "María José" so she asked them to call her Coté (a common nickname for María José in Chile). When she was ten, her mother, María Olga Fernández, received a job in Miami, Florida, U.S.A., at a Spanish-speaking television network. There, she attended Arvida Middle School and New World School of the Arts where she studied musical theater. She then attended Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she studied music and theater and appeared in several plays. These aforementioned plays include And The World Goes 'Round, The House of Bernarda Alba, Indiscretions, The Fantasticks and A Little Night Music. After graduation, she moved to New York City, where she picked up parts in the Joseph Papp Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival, a role in the show "All My Children," and in commercials. In 2005, de Pablo was about to make her Broadway debut in The Mambo Kings in 2005 as Dolores Fuentes, but the show closed after a short trial run in San Francisco. Two days after The Mambo Kings closed, she was asked to audition for NCIS. She was put alongside series star Michael Weatherly to test for chemistry during her second audition; he went off-script by brushing a hair back and commenting "You remind me of Salma Hayek," to which she stayed in character and "dismissed him completely." Afterwards, producer Donald Bellisario met with her when she was waiting for a cab to take her back to the airport and told her she got the part. The role is that of Ziva David, a former Israeli Mossad Liaison Officer, now a Special Agent for NCIS. She is also known for hosting some episodes of the show "Control" from 1994-95 on Univision, alongside host Carlos Ponce. As a singer, she performed a portion of Tom Waits's song "Temptation" on an episode of "NCIS." Her full performance of the song, including some lyrics in French, appears for the first time on NCIS: The Official TV Soundtrack, which was released on February 10, 2009. She is also the singer in Roberto Pitre's "Vivo en vida" where she sings "Samba in Prelude" and "Cry Me a River."
Tyler Posey(1991- ), born Tyler Posey Garcíaal estilo latinoin Santa Monica, California, U.S.A., the son of a Mexican mother and an Irish-Scottish-English-Native American actor. He is an actor and musician. He is best known for his role as Scott McCall in MTV's show "Teen Wolf." Working steadily in film and television for the last decade, he is also the frontman of the band Lost In Kostko, in which he sings and plays guitar. In his breakout role, he has been cast as the lead in the MTV television series of "Teen Wolf" (a re-imagining of the 1985 film of the same name), as the soft-spoken Scott, a high school student bitten by a werewolf, who has to keep his secret from his loved ones and keep them safe from impending dangers. Because of this role, he has received many comparisons to Taylor Lautner of The Twilight Saga. He, as a matter of fact, auditioned for, and was the runner up for the role of Jacob Black in Twilight, that later went to Lautner. He recently received the role of Doug in his new flick, White Frog, in which he co-stars with yet another Twilight star, Booboo Stewart, and the werewolf of "Wizards of Waverly Place," Greg Sulkin. Other film credits include roles in Collateral Damage; Maid in Manhattan; Veritas, Prince of Truth; and Legendary.
Michael Treviño(1985- ) is an actor born in Montebello, California, U.S.A. to a Mexican mother born in Zacatecas, Zacatecas, Mexico and a Mexican father born in Fresno, California, U.S.A. He is best known for his role as Tyler Lockwood in the CW series "The Vampire Diaries." He played the role of Jackson Meade, heir to Meade Milk, in the Disney Channel original movie Cow Belles. He has also appeared as a guest star on "Cold Case," "Without a Trace," "Charmed," "Bones" and "Commander in Chief." He also had a recurring role on "The Riches" on FX, playing high school student, Brent, in a four-episode story arc in Season 1, and in the third episode of Season 2. He played the role of Jaime Vega on the short-lived 2007 television series "Cane" and was cast as the character Ozzie, a student at West Beverly Hills High School, for a three-episode arc on the CW's "90210." He currently stars as Tyler Lockwood in the hit series "The Vampire Diaries" since September 2009 on The CW.
Lana Parrilla (1977- ) is a Puerto Rican actress, best known for her roles on the television series "Spin City," "24," "Boomtown" and "Miami Medical." She currently stars as The Evil Queen/Regina Mills in the ABC series "Once Upon a Time." Born in Brooklyn, New York, U.S.A., she is the daughter of Sam Parrilla, a professional baseball player for the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1970s. She had roles in a few movies, including Very Mean Men (2000), Spiders (2000), Frozen Stars (2003) and Replicant. She was first noticed in the mainstream when she joined the cast of "Spin City" in 2000, playing Angie Ordóñez for one season. After this, she joined Donnie Wahlberg and Neal McDonough in the 2002 series "Boomtown," for which she received the Imagen Award for Best Supporting Actress, in which she played Teresa, a paramedic. She guest-starred in shows such as "JAG," "NYPD Blue" and "Six Feet Under." In 2005, She took a recurring guest role on the fourth season of "24" as Sarah Gavin, a Counter Terrorist Unit agent. After just six episodes, she was promoted to a main cast member. In 2007, she guest starred as a character called Greta in two episodes of the third season of ABC's "Lost." In 2010, she starred in the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced "Miami Medical" on CBS, which had a short run towards the end of the 2009-10 television season before being canceled in July 2010. She currently stars as The Evil Queen/Regina Mills in the ABC adventure fantasy television series, "Once Upon a Time," which debuted in October 2011.
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Check out this article by Mariela Rosario called "Black is Beautiful: A Celebration of Afro-Latinas" featuring 18 Afro-Latinas (including Daphne Rubin-Vega, pictured at left) in Latina.com by clicking here.
Bochinche refers to "gossip." In this sense, we use it to mention HOLA members who are getting acting and performance gigs. The names of HOLA members are in boldface.
Loren Escandón and Mafer Rodríguez star as Margarita and Carlota in "Madres y comadres," a webnovela presented by Kmart. Take a look at an episode below (in Spanish and English with English subtitles). More webisodes can be seen here.
Francis Mateo and Carla Franchesca host "3 Minutos," a segment about New York life that airs on Dominican television on the program "Zona Joven de Color Vision." For more webisodes, click here.
Ziad Tayeh and Yanelba Ferreira can be seen in "Back To Basics," a webseries directed by Cyril Mahé. You can see a webisode below (note there is strong language; some discretion is advised).
J.W. Cortés wrote and directedConscientious Objector. The film, which had Edwin Pagán as its cinematographer, starred Cortés as well as Giselle Forté, Mônica Steuer, Martín Chávez, Jorge Humberto Hoyos, Kutcha, Marisol Carrere, Gilbert Cruz, Jaime Santana and Kareem Saviñón. It has been accepted as an official selection of the Puerto Rican International Heritage Film Festival, scheduled to take place on Saturday, November 19, 2011 at the Poets Den Theater in Manhattan's El Barrio neighborhood. For more information on the film, click here.The trailer for the film is below.
Tony Chiroldes booked a Spanish-language commercial for Publix Pharmacy (he appears on-camera and does the voiceover as well). In addition, a video of him singing "Suddenly Seymour" from the film Little Shop of Horrors with Doreen Montalvo was designated as "Video of the Day" on the website of The Metropolitan Room, a cabaret in New York's Flatiron District.
If you are an HOLA member and want to submit a bochinche item, send us an e-mail at holagram@hellohola.org. If you are not an HOLA member, why not join?
Wanna be an HOLA member? Wanna know more about HOLA first?
HOLA is a not-for-profit arts service and advocacy organization founded in 1975.
HOLA members get their headshots and resumes on our web directory. In addition, HOLA receives casting notices from various sources that we pass on to our members (or in specific cases, help refer actors to the casting director).
HOLA offers low-cost workshops and seminars, professional counseling, special events and networking activities. We also produce the HOLA Awards which honor outstanding achievement by Latinos in entertainment.
HOLA has a Facebook page and a Twitter page in addition to this blog (imaginatively titled El Blog De HOLA). Whenever a member is doing a project, we can promote via e-mails we send out, through our Members in Performance page on the website or in El Blog on our HOLA Member Bochinche column (only good bochinche, never bad bochinche). It functions as another outlet to promote your work. HOLA is also on YouTube and on Wikipedia.
What if you are not an actor? You can support HOLA by being a Friend of HOLA. For more information, click here.
To become an HOLA member online, fill out the member application form here.
Bochinche refers to "gossip." In this sense, we use it to mention HOLA members who are getting acting and performance gigs. The names of HOLA members are in boldface.
J.F. Seary, shown at left, booked a part in Rough + Ready through an HOLA referral. She will perform a piece by Diana Díaz (other writers whose work will be presented in this writer's showcase include Ken Much and Dan Wolpe). The production will occur at the end of November in the Theater Lab in the West Village of Manhattan. Also in November, she will appear in Something Outrageous, a satirical sketch comedy improv show due to take place at the 45th Street Theatre in the theater district of midtown Manhattan. For more information, go here or here. Suni Reyes recently performed a standup comedy set at Caroline's Comedy Club in New York's Times Square.
Nicole Colina and Germania Vásquez are in the cast of Arthur Miller's The Crucible. Produced by the City Island Theater Group, the play is directed by Maria Provenzano and Nick Sala and presented for a November run at Grace Hall in the City Island section of the Bronx.For more information, click here.
Daphne Rubin-Vega's latest film, Union Square (written and directed by Nancy Savoca), just made its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.
If you are an HOLA member and want to submit a bochinche item, send us an e-mail at holagram@hellohola.org. If you are not an HOLA member, why not join?
No. While we work similarly to an agency or an artist management company, we do a lot more. In essence, HOLA is a membership organization, a not-for-profit arts service organization that offers jobs and casting opportunities, workshops and seminars and special events to its membership.
• Does one have to audition for HOLA?
No. HOLA is a membership organization. Just pay the annual membership and you become an HOLA member.
• I am a new actor. Does HOLA apply to me?
HOLA member range from the beginner to the established and everywhere in between. HOLA will apply to you at every stage of your career.
• Do I have to speak Spanish (or Portuguese) to be an HOLA member?
No. HOLA members speak English only, Spanish only, or both languages fluently. Our Brazilian members speak Portuguese as well as English. There is no requirement for any member to speak Spanish (or Portuguese) to be an HOLA member.
• What kind of casting notices do you receive?
HOLA receives all kinds of casting notices— from union and nonunion, through the disciplines of film, television, theater and voiceover. The majority of our notices are distributed to our membership. There are some instances, whether because of short notice or because of the search for something very specific, that HOLA makes referrals to certain talent.
• I have signed representation. Would that be in conflict with HOLA?
No. In fact, we would put your signed representative’s name and number on your online profile. It would be another way to promote yourself without conflict.
• If I book a job through HOLA, do I owe you a commission?
No. We are not an agency or artist management company. You are under no obligation to give us a commission. (But if you want to show your appreciation with a donation, we’ll be forced to take it, I suppose.)
• I am in the process of getting my citizenship. Could I still join HOLA?
Yes. As long as you can legally work in the U.S., you can join HOLA.
• What if I am not an actor but I like what you do?
You could support HOLA by becoming a Friend of HOLA and donating to the organization. If you are a producer or director, a Friend of HOLA donation allow us to promote your productions!
Bochinche refers to "gossip." In this sense, we use it to mention HOLA members who are getting acting and performance gigs. The names of HOLA members are in boldface.
Emilio Delgado, shown at right, booked the role of Claudius in Hamlet, Prince of Cuba(adapted from the William Shakespeare classic by Michael Donald Edwards with a Spanish translation by Nilo Cruz and directed by Edwards) through an HOLA referral. The show will take place at Asolo Repertory Theatre in Sarasota, Florida for a March through May run. For more information, click here.
Bring It On: The Musical just opened its national tour at the Ahmanson Theater in Los Angeles, California. Andy Blankenbuehler directs and choreographs the production, which features a book by Jeff Whitty, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, music by Tom Kitt, lyrics by Amanda Green, and musical supervision by Alex Lacamoire. The show unfolds in the high-stakes world of competitive cheerleading. To see photos from opening night, click here.
Raúl Esparza is currently workshopping the musical Leap of Faith. Basedon the Steve Martin and Debra Winger film directed by Richard Pearce and written by Janus Cercone, the musical has a libretto by Cercone and Warren Leight with songs by Alan Menken and Glenn Slater and directed by Christopher Ashley. The producers aim to get the musical on Broadway. He most recently won the L.A. Ovation Award for this role. For information on the award, click here. José Yenque has just completed work on four films: Lost Revolution (written and directed by Michael J. Narváez), Hearts of Men (written and directed by Kenneth Castillo), Mamitas (written and directed by Nicholas Ozeki) and Freeloaders (written by Dan Rosen and Dave Gibbs and directed by Rosen).
If you are an HOLA member and want to submit a bochinche item, send us an e-mail at holagram@hellohola.org. If you are not an HOLA member, why not join?
Bochinche refers to "gossip." In this sense, we use it to mention HOLA members who are getting acting and performance gigs. The names of HOLA members are in boldface.
Christopher James López, shown at right, booked the short film Seizure (written and directed by Loui Terrier) after the director found his profile on the HOLA online directory of talent. For more information on the project, click here.
Mauricio Alexander's film Departure is making its Brooklyn debut this month at the Actors' Fund Arts Center in Downtown Brooklyn. The film short, written, directed and co-starring Alexander, was filmed in Brooklyn and also stars Tracy Pérez and Brian Luna. For more information, click here.
Ángel Pastrana is performing in Richard Thomas Henle's Full Circle. Directed by Henle, the play features Henle, Mairys Joaquín, Andrew Lerner, Chanise Renae, Félix Hiciano, Ariana Rodríguez and Bianca Christina Gallifuocoin the cast and is scheduled for a November run at the Manhattan Repertory Theater in the theater district of midtown Manhattan.For more information, click here.
Caridad De La Luz is one of the featured performers in the fifth annual Hearing Our Voices Awards reception. The awards, presented by Voices UnBroken, honor individuals who use their voices to benefit the greater good. This year's honorees include Maya Azucena, Franck De Las Mercedes and Bob Holman. The event is scheduled to take place Thursday, November 17, 2011 at the 28 on 27 Loft in the Flatiron district of Manhattan. For more information, click here.
Kamar de los Reyes will be appearing in an episode of "The Mentalist" (CBS).
Emmanuelle Bordas is singing in the cabaret show Jukebox Part Deux: the 70s. Produced by Jazzvox and directed by Cilla Owens, she will perform with a five-piece band in November at Don't Tell Mama in the theater district of midtown Manhattan.
If you are an HOLA member and want to submit a bochinche item, send us an e-mail at holagram@hellohola.org. If you are not an HOLA member, why not join?
Check out this article by Sigal Ratner-Arias in The Huffington Post about the the entertainment icon Rita Moreno and her current show, a retrospective on her career, entitled Life Without Makeup (currently playing at The Berkeley Repertory Theatre in Berkeley, California) by clicking here.
Bochinche refers to "gossip." In this sense, we use it to mention HOLA members who are getting acting and performance gigs. The names of HOLA members are in boldface.
Luis Bordoy, shown at left, booked the lead role of Raffy in the film Vivir así (written, directed and produced by Eddie Olmo), through an HOLA referral.
Initial casting has been announced for the upcoming developmental reading of David Omar Dávila’s Adán y Julio, a story of star-crossed lovers set against the Mexican drug war. The cast will consist of Dávila, Christopher James López, José Sepúlveda, Abdel González, Juan Villarreal, César Anthony Villavicencio, Christopher Romero-Wilson, Sarah Elizondo and Janice Amaya and take place at Primary Stages in the theater district of midtown Manhattan. [López, González, Villarreal and Elizondo, shown above and at right, clockwise from top left, received their auditions through HOLA referrals and/or e-mail announcements sent to HOLA members.]
Mateo Gómez, shown at left, booked the production Party People. Written by Universes (Steven Sapp, Mildred Ruiz Sapp, Gamal Abdel Chasten and William Ninja Ruiz) and directed by Liesl Tommy, it will take place from July through November 2012 at the New Theater of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) in Ashland, Oregon. He will also act in William Shakespeare's As You Like It (directed by Jessica Thebus) from June to October at OSF's Elizabethan Stage/Allen Pavilion. He booked the roles through an HOLA referral. For more information on the project, click here.
Abraham Makany is acting in OverRuled. Written by Shoja Azari and Behrang Azari and presented by famed performance artist Shirin Neshat, the piece will be performed in November as part of the Performa 11 Festival at Cedar Lake Theater in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. For more information, click here.
Gilbert Cruz booked a role on an episode of "Damages" (FX) where he shares a scene with Rose Byrne and Janet McTeer.
Milteri Tucker will be performing in the Nancy Nevárez play Llamada/Rally Cry. Produced by Café con Teatro Colao, the play is a dance-music-theater piece featuring the Puerto Rican folkloric musical style of bomba mixed with salsa and reggaetón. Ms. Tucker is also choreographing the piece, which features the members of the Bombazo Dance Company. The show is scheduled for a November run at the landmark Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church in the Fort Greene section of Brooklyn. [Ms. Tucker, shown at right, was cast after the writer found her profile on the HOLA online talent directory.]
Marco Antonio Rodríguez booked to role of CSI Tech Grant on the short film Vamps, Blood and Smoking Guns (written and directed by Alex García Topete), to begin shooting this month in Dallas, Texas.
Gerardo Gudiño will be acting in a few performances of La Strada. Adapted by Gerard Vásquez from the screenplay by Federico Fellini, Tullio Pinelli and Ennio Flaiano, the play is produced by La Strada Company, directed by Jorge B. Merced and René Buch and stars Luis Carlos de La Lombana, Nanda Abella, Israel Ruiz, Winston Estévez, María Peyramaure and Adela María Bolet. The production, winner of two 2011 HOLA Awards, will be performing at TBG Theater in the theater district of midtown Manhattan now through the first week of December.
If you are an HOLA member and want to submit a bochinche item, send us an e-mail at holagram@hellohola.org. If you are not an HOLA member, why not join?
Mike Smith Rivera and Tony Chiroldes, shown at right from left to right, booked the roles of William Harris and Dr. Makepeace, respectively in the film The Wailing through an HOLA casting notice. The film is produced by Latin Horror and La Sayona Productions and boasts Edwin Pagán as producer and director of photography, Ydaiber Orozco as associate producer and casting director and Leonardo Rodríguez as producer and director. Filming will begin in mid-January 2012 in and around New York City.
