Tag Archive: Kate del Castillo

Luis Antonio Ramos: Never Look Back, Just Go Forward

Luis Antonio Ramos

A personal story from Se Fija! publisher Angela Ortíz:

A couple of weeks ago, I got a call from Luis Antonio Ramos. We’d become friends, and talked frequently–in person and online–when he was working on the ABC TV series Lucky 7.

The series didn’t last long at all, but within weeks he had more good news: a new project. As much as the cancellation of Lucky 7 was a disappointment, he was looking forward to the future.

That new project is a movie that he’s very proud of, and it’s coming out December 6: A Miracle in Spanish Harlem, where he stars alongside Kate del Castillo. And Luis is being honored with a 2013 Latino Trendsetter Award by LatinTrends magazine.

Now comes news that he’ll be part of a new series called Power on the Starz Network. “As a Latino actor,” he told me recently, “to go from one cancelled show into a new one with such a short period in between is amazing.”

L-r: Kate del Castillo, Ramos, Fatima Ptacek, Brianna Gonzalez-Bonacci and Adrian Martinez

Power, already slated to run three years, is an hour-long drama executive produced by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and created by Courtney Kemp Agboh (The Good Wife), who will also serve as an executive producer and showrunner. La La Anthony also stars in the show. In it, Ramos will play “Ruiz,” one of the bad guys…but in talking with producer Mark Canton, he reminded him of the character he had played in The Ministers. (You can see a great clip of that character here, on YouTube. You can be one of the villains, but you can be human, too. It’s a fascinating part, an interesting show–a great future. And Luis never had any doubts.

Luis Antonio Ramos
and Se Fija! Angela Ortiz

Back on October 5, he wrote, “The committee that are your ancestors have already planned your next adventure so take a deep breath, focus and listen to wind! They have never steered you wrong and they have plans for you.” Just a month later, on November 8, he was offered the role on Power as a series regular. “There are many things I could say about this,” he wrote shortly after the news broke, “but I think it speaks for itself…Have faith, keep plugging away, you never know what’s around the corner! Stunned!!”

The Trendsetter Award that Luis has already garnered will be given on December 3. You can get more information here. If you want to see some vintage Ramos, you can catch him in a couple episodes of Martin Lawrence’s old sit com, Lawrence, on December 6 at 8:30P and 9:30P on MTV2.

No word has come down from ABC about the broadcast of the remaining episodes of Lucky 7. Expect to see them, on the air or on line, sometime early next year.

“Bless Me, Ultima,” “Bates Motel,” “Vegas,” “Nashville” and “Grimm” on DVD this week

Some pretty intense and some just plain fun performances by Latinos are available for viewing or re-viewing on DVD September 17. Among the pickin’s:

Bless Me, Ultima. It never got a decent chance at theatrical distribution–it was never in more than 263 theaters, and that for only a week, back in February–so this earnest and touching attempt to film Rudolfo Anaya’s classic Latino novel might be better off if it’s available on DVD. Miriam Colon, Benito Martinez, and newcomer Luke Ganalon star in the film directed and written for the screen by Carl Franklin.

Bates Motel. Freddy Highmore is a long way from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but as it turns out, the dubious concept of a prequel to Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho turned out to be an eerie, intelligent, and slightly addictive series on A&E this last year. It will be back for more; in the meantime, you can catch Nestor Carbonell as the world’s creepiest sheriff in most of the episodes…and come on, did they have to give him that haircut on purpose. He looks exactly like a Latino version of Anthony Perkins from the original film.

Vegas. The rough-and-tumble tale of the early days of Vegas, starring major players Randy Quaid and Michael Chiklis had a lot going for it, including a recurring, if never fully realized, role by Aimee Garcia (Dexter). But it didn’t intrigue enough people or the network enough, so Vegas: Season One is actually Vegas: Season Only. But it’s in the box and on the shelf as well.

Nashville didn’t have a regular Latino cast member, but Jay Hernandez was in six episodes, Yara Martinez in three, and Juan Pont Lezica in two, and all of the above are in the Season One DVD.

Grimm has had a strong Latino presence since it began, perhaps because Norberto Barba was executive producer for 34 episodes and directed seven himself, and Jose Molina served as executive producer for five episodes as well. Probably the most prominent example of the Latino influence was the appearance of Bertila Damas in three separate episodes as the all-Spanish-speaking “Pilar,” especially in the stunning “La Llorona” episode–and her character will be returning in the new season. (Lisa Vidal is doing an arc as well.) Add in guest stars like David Barrera, Kate del Castillo, Joseph Aceves, Angela Alvarado, Nicholas Gonzalez and others, and any fan of Latino Hollywood has something Grimm to watch. Season Two is on DVD this week.

Luis Antonio Ramos: A Name You May Not Know, but a Face You’ll Recognize

Luis Antonio Ramos
©2013 Angela María Ortíz S.

SeFija! publisher Angela Ortíz caught up with veteran character actor Luis Antonio Ramos at a Television Critics Association event a few weeks ago and talked about his career–past, present, and future.

For more than 34 years, we’ve seen Luis in movies and on TV, including roles in Trouble in the Heights, Common Law, Burn Notice, Roc, The Huntress and more. This fall he gets to plays his first “regular guy, a good guy, a family man” in ABC’s new series Lucky 7, about a group of New Yorkers who win the lottery and have to deal with the consequences, both good and bad. Luis is ecstatic at the opportunity. “I have a family and kids!” he said.

For years, Luis told Angela he was relegated to the same negative roles that Latinos have had to play for decades: “the gangster, gang-banger, rapist, all around bad man…” He mentioned those roles when he was part of the Lucky 7panel at the TCA, and he got emotional–a little choked up–when he talked about them.

Luis and some cast members of Lucky 7
©2013 Angela María Ortíz S.

In his conversation with Angela, he told her how he had to leave Hollywood a few years ago, and go back home to New York to find himself again, to “save his sanity.” He dropped out of acting for a while because those roles were the only roles that producers were giving him, and it was beginning to affect his spirituality and spirit. Then he went back to acting on stage, and found that being in plays made him happy. Then, when the Lucky 7 role came around he was ready for it.

This fall is a new beginning for his film career as well. As excited as he is about the TV series, he’s equally enthusiastic about his upcoming film, The Miracle of Spanish Harlem, in theaters in October. He has a family in this film as well, and Kate del Castillo plays his wife.

And all the way along, Luis has lived his life to the fullest. He’s an avid biker and has a blog called Luis Antonio Ramos—Actor on a Bike, You can check out his blog here.

Meanwhile, here’s just a snippet of the talk we had with him–this bit on the red carpet, where he talks about his own luck and love of life.

Lucky 7 premieres on Tuesday Sept. 24 at 10P on ABC. You can learn more about the show here, and even catch chef Mario Batali interview with Luis and other members of the cast. Actress Alex Castillo plays his TV wife.

Special thanks to Lea Michelle Cash for her contribution to this post.

Latinos in Some Strange and Challenging Films in Theaters

We’ve talked about some of these films already (see below), but some are new…and all in all, this Friday offers a great illustration of just how wide and deep the Latino presence is in Hollywood these days. Here on the Ides of March:

Spanish director Pablo Berger’s beautiful and bizarre retelling of Show White, Blancanieves, enjoys a limited opening.

Kate del Castillo plays a slightly insane transsexual convict in the extremely strange K-11.

Selena Gomez moves to the adult table in a strange and sexy film Spring Breakers, directed by Harmony Korine.

Breakout indie star (from Parks & Recreation to Safety Not Guarranted) Aubrey Plaza is one of the voices in Goro Miyasaki’s newest masterpiece, Up from Poppy Hill.

Oscar Nuñez (The Office) is part of the ensemble in a new rom com, Language of a Broken Heart, opening in L.A.

Argentine director Juan Diego Solanas, the son of famed Argentine director Fernando E. Solanas, premieres an off-kilter science fiction film, Upside Down, starring Kirsten Dunst.

The Girl, directed by David Riker, writer/director of La Ciudad. The film–nominated for Best Narrative film at the prestigious Tribeca Film Festival—the cast includes Will Patton, Abbie Cornish, Maritza Santiago, Giovanna Zacarías, Raúl Castillo, Luci Christian and Austin West—opens in a limited release. We spoke about it here.

All strange…and all true!

Kate del Castillo in the Most Challenging Role of Her Career: “K-11”

The last time we saw Mexican actress Kate del Castillo, she was giving a moving performance as an obsessed investigator on Grimm. Now you can see her in an entirely different–and ground-breaking–role as a violent Latino transsexual trapped behind bars in the disturbing thriller K-11, premiering in theaters and VOD on Friday, March 15.

Jules Stewart, mother of Kristen Stewart, had originally hoped to have her daughter in the film, but that didn’t pan out; instead Castillo joins Goran Visnjic (Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) in a bizarre story about a special block in L.A. County jail that’s reserved for “criminal transvestites, addicts, and mentally unstable fellow prisoners.”

The Hollywood Reporter says K-11 is “like a deranged John Waters remake of The Shawshank Redemption.” Judge for yourself with this definitely for NSFW trailer below:

More information and pictures are available here, at the K-11 web site.

Telenovelas: Gateway to Stardom

Nina Terrero over at NBCLatino.com has been producing a steady stream of great pieces about Latino Hollywood, and her recent piece on current stars and telenovelas is no exception. Her list includes Salma Hayek, William Levy, Kate del Castillo, Diego Boneta, and Gael Garcia Bernal, among others.

Of course, domestic soap operas have been a long-time gateway for big-time stars, from Demi Moore and Susan Sarandon to James Franco and Ryan Phillippe. And even Eva Longoria paid her dues just about a decade ago, with a couple of years on The Young and the Restless. 

The line–if there ever was one–between U.S. Latinos and Latino actors active in the U.S. market who were born and raised outside the U.S. continues to blur. On the one hand, it’s tough to see so many talented U.S.-born Latino actors and actresses not working as much as they should while “internationals” pick up some of the most noticeable roles every year; on the other hand, it’s hard to dismiss the great work and the positive impact on the Latino “brand” that’s produced by actors like Demián Bichir, Diego Luna and even Sofía Vergara. 

It’s a strong piece as usual. Read it in its entirety here.

Bertila Damas: No Nonsense, All Class

We sat down with this frank, funny, and dynamic “working actor” shortly before she began work on the episode of Grimm that premiered October 26 (and is still available for viewing online). With more than twenty years of impressive work on stage, in film, and on TV, she’s back from a short break and already gaining speed–someone whose face you already know and whose name you ought to remember.

There’s a straight-up, no-crap kind of energy that radiates from Bertila Damas, visible–and unavoidable–from the moment you meet her. It’s the kind of bold, in-your-face feeling you get from New Yorkers even in the soft light of L.A., and Bertila is proud of it. “I’ve been in L.A. for almost twenty years,” she’ll tell you, “but I’m an East Coast person and I’m not giving it up.”

And she shouldn’t; it’s part of her undeniable charm…and why you remember her, even if you can’t quite recall how. It happens to her all the time. “People come up to me all the time and say, ‘Hey, didn’t we go to high school together?’ or ‘Weren’t you at so-and-so’s party?’ And I’m not the type who says, ‘Were you watching TV last night?’ or ‘Do you have cable?’ But that’s what happens.”

Classically trained in theater, and with a rich voice that fills the room, Bertila has had consistent success in live performance, on film, and on TV, with appearances on a wide range of sitcoms and hour-long dramas, from Love and Marriage to NYPD Blue; from King of the Hill to Star Trek. And now–just this week–she was a major part of the highly successful “La Llorona” episode of NBC’s Grimm, playing Pilar, the formidable “woman who knows.”

“Fair treatment of actors, opportunities for Latinos, and union politics are a major part of Bertila’s professional life…”

All that broadcast work–as well as working with the likes of Dan Aykroyd, John Larroquette and Stephen Spielberg were interspersed with years of theatrical work as well. Which does she prefer? “I like them all equally,” she says with typical frankness–and sarcasm. “As long as they pay me well.” Seriously, she says, her preference is the theater first and then film. “I find they have something very much in common. There’s something about film and theater that comes right into you; I think it’s the bigness of the screen and the aliveness of the theater. There’s something about them that’s similar. I’ve been fortunate to work with some wonderful people in theater: Joe Papp, Estelle Parsons, Jose Rivera, Luis Alfaro, Ed Machado on Broadway, at the Arena, at the Mark Taper Forum. I’ve been very, very fortunate.” Read the rest of this entry »

“Grimm” Brings La Llorona to Life (or Afterlife)

From its beginnings last year, Grimm’s modern-day take on fairy tales has stuck pretty close to your standard European, Germanic/English/Scandinavian myths (hence the name)…but this week, for Halloween, the show is finally showing some Latin flavor by basing a story around the broad-based Latino ghost story of La Llorona, the Weeping Woman who steals children. And in the process, Grimm is employing a wide range of talented Latino actors and revealing the Latino origins of one of its continuing characters.

David Barrera, Kate del Castillo, Bertila Damas, Joseph Aceves, and Angela Alvarado are among the actors who will bring the modern-day version of La Llorona to life–or afterlife—at 9P on Friday, October 26. By all accounts, everyone involved had a great time during the shoot–in fact, you can catch a short interview about it with Kate del Castillo, right here:

As she mentions, Latino producer/writer Norberto Barba may be one of the reasons that a Latin American fairy tale finally made it into the show at all…and what’s even more refreshing is the amount of Spanish language and culture that invests this retelling–so much so that it’s essentially a bilingual story, that both English- and Spanish-speakers will enjoy.

What’s even more interesting is the previously unexplored past of “Juliette“, played by Bitsie Tulloch. Though this sassy redhead has been part of the series from the very beginning, it’s barely been mentioned that the character–like Bitsie herself–has a Latino Heritage. Her mother is of Spanish extraction; though she was born in San Diego, she grew up in Spain, Uruguay, and Argentina, and both her parents speak Spanish fluently and at home. She transposed part of that passion for Latino culture to her character, and now–finally–it’s on display in the newest episode. Here’s some more from Bitsie herself:

Read the rest of this entry »

Latinos on CBS all Friday Night and a Special “Grimm” on NBC

Fans of Latinos in front of the camera can set it on CBS and break off the knob this Friday. Cote de Pablo stars, as always, in a repeat of NCIS at 8P–and look sharp for the amazing stuntman/actor Thomas Rosales Jr. And at 9P, Natalie Martinez is the new co-star in CSI: New York. And Victor Cruz will be back on Blue Bloods, on the Nov 2nd episode. This from a network that used to have the lowest number of Latinos on network TV. And you can DVR and watch at your leasure “La Llorona” episode of Grimm on NBC, with great performances from Bertila Damas, David Barrera, Kate del Castillo, Joseph Aceves and Angela Alvarado as “La Llorona.”

Kate del Castillo Speaks to Children! (in a cartoon)

Kate del Castillo, star of the popular Telemundo series La Reina del Sur, Weeds, and Without Men is lending her voice to Punky Dunk and the Gold Fish, an animated, interactive, and bilingual storybook that makes learning fun to read for very young kids. Matthew Modine is supplying the narration for the English version; Kate’s handling the Spanish. You can get more information here or on the iTunes store here.

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