Oscar night has come and gone. While there were some memorable moments – that Common and John Legend performance, win & speech, Zoe Saldana looking fine as ever and Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s big win and awesome shout out to Mexico. We can’t help but think of all the Latino talent in Hollywood that has been underappreciated or unnoticed. For every, Iñárritu, Benicio and Bardem there are talented Latino thespians who haven’t gotten their props. Let’s take a look at a few.
Esai Morales
Mr. Morales burst upon the scene back in 1983 with a memorable turn in Bad Boys opposite Sean Penn. He held his own and even stole scenes from the Oscar winner as antagonist Paco Moreno. Morales would go on to elevate and fine tune the heel character in La Bamba, as Bob, the half-brother of late pop star Ritchie Valens. Although both were certifiable hits thanks to his performances, leading man roles were not forthcoming. Morales has continued to do steady and solid television work in shows such as NYPD Blue, Caprica and most recently Magic City, as well as indie films like Gun Hill Road and King of the Avenue. We are sure even more fine work is on the way, here’s hoping it Morales gets some long overdue accolades.
Tony Plana
Cuban-born, Jose Antonio Plana, has been in the game since the 1970’s. The actor and director is best known as the Suarez family patriarch from the hit show Ugly Betty. However, his resume spans five decades, with appearances in over 70 films such as Zoot Suit, An Officer and A Gentleman, Nixon and Pain & Gain. Plana is also the co-founder and executive artistic director of the East L.A. Classic Theatre, a group comprised primarily of Hispanic American theatre professionals. Today Plana continues to break new ground. Currently he can be seen in Amazon Prime’s first original series Alpha House opposite John Goodman and fellow Latino thespian Mark Consuelos.
Yancey Arias
This Colombian/Puerto Rican actor first came to our attention as Miguel Cadenas in the NBC mini-series Kingpin. The appearance caught viewers’ attention and Arias went on to appear in such acclaimed series as The Shield, CSI and Revenge. Yet despite turning solid performances, film work hasn’t been as steady as one would expect from such a talent. Despite this, Arias continues the grind. In 2014 he appeared in the of biopic Chavez alongside Michael Peña. Next up is the long awaited Hands of Stone which will chronicle the relationship between boxing legend Roberto Duran and trainer Ray Arcel.
Paul Calderon
This New York City native, by way of Puerto Rico, is a veteran character actor who has a resume any actor would envy. He’s worked along-side Hollywood legends like DeNiro, Pacino, Robert Redford and Quentin Tarantino. Pulp Fiction, 21 Grams, King of New York and Bad Lieutenant are just a few of the films he’s lent his talents to. His small screen work is equally as impressive with turns in series such as Law & Order, Third Watch and Blue Bloods. We’ve noticed the great work, so how come Hollywood hasn’t?
Kirk Acevedo
This New York native of Puerto Rican and Chinese descent first caught our eye when he was cast in the gritty HBO series Oz, as inmate Miguel Alvarez. With a trademark raspy voice and talent for playing unsavory characters with tortured souls he’s impossible to forget. Acevedo has appeared in bigger films such as Boiler Room, Terrence Malik’s The Thin Red Line and Invincible opposite Mark Wahlberg. Most recently he’s appeared on The Walking Dead and last summer’s Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. Perhaps roles in mainstream titles and bankable hits like these will get Acevedo more starring roles; he’s certainly got the chops for it.
Image credits:
Kirk Acevedo – Copyright by Fox Broadcasting Company
Esai Morales – Copyright by CBS
Yancey Arias – Copyright by ABC
Paul Calderone – Boardwalkempire.wikia.com