Afro-Latinos/Latinas/Latinx
People in entertainment who are racially identified as black (at least 1/4) of Hispanic/Latino origin and their nationalities in random order.
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- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Zoe Saldana was born on June 19, 1978 in Passaic, New Jersey, to Asalia Nazario and Aridio Saldaña. Her father was Dominican and her mother is Puerto Rican. She was raised in Queens, New York. When she was 10 years old, she and her family moved to the Dominican Republic, where they would live for the next seven years. While living there, Zoe discovered a keen interest in performance dance and began her training at the prestigious ECOS Espacio de Danza Dance Academy where she learned ballet as well as other dance forms. Not only did her training provide an excellent outlet for the enthusiastic and energetic youngster, it would also prove to be a fortunate precursor for the start of her professional acting career. At age 17, Zoe and her family moved back to the United States where her love for dance followed and an interest in theater performance became stronger.
She began performing with the Faces theater troupe which put on plays geared to provide positive messages for teens with themes dealing with issues such as substance abuse and sex. These performances not only gave her valuable experience but also a source of great pride knowing that she was making a difference in the lives of young people like herself. While performing with the Faces troupe and also the New York Youth Theater, Zoe was recruited for a talent agency and her dance training years before coupled with her acting experience greatly helped her land her first big screen role as Eva Rodriguez, the talented and headstrong ballet dancer in the film Center Stage (2000). Since her professional career began several years ago, Zoe's talent and determination have allowed her to be involved in blockbuster films and act with major actors, actresses and industry insiders at a pace that very few young professionals have experienced.
Zoe has not only held her own in major motion picture productions but gained the respect and praise from industry insiders such as Jerry Bruckheimer and Steven Spielberg and actors/actresses such as Tom Hanks, Bernie Mac, Keira Knightley, Ashton Kutcher, Kirsten Dunst and Orlando Bloom. According to many of her co-stars, producers and directors, the sky is no limit for this young star who has incredible range, intense concentration, and a steely determination to be involved with projects that challenge her professionally with wide-ranging subject matters and characters. Just to ask practically anyone who she has worked for or with about her, glowing comments abound and earned friendships and respect are readily revealed. A star has been born, and growing every day.Dominican & Puerto Rican- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
La La Anthony is an actress and producer, known for her roles in Think Like a Man (2012) and Think Like a Man Too (2014), in which she starred alongside Kevin Hart and Taraji P. Henson, Spike Lee's Chi-Raq (2015), and television shows Unforgettable on A&E with Poppy Montgomery and Starz' hit show Power, executive produced by 50 Cent and starring Omari Hardwick.
La La is also co-producer of "Eclipsed" on Broadway starring Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o.Puerto Rican- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Tatyana Marisol Ali was born on January 24, 1979, in North Bellmore, New York, to Sonia, a nurse from Panama, and Sheriff Ali, a retired police officer from Trinidad. At the age of four, she started singing and got a taste of fame when she begged her mother to take her to an audition for Sesame Street (1969).
She went on to perform in many productions in her native New York, including the Broadway show "Fences"--with James Earl Jones and, later, Billy Dee Williams--and the off-Broadway show "Orfeo del Campo". When she was seven, she appeared on Star Search (1983) and won twice, receiving a four-star rating when she appeared for a second time. At age 11, Tatyana moved from New York to Los Angeles to establish her career and, not long afterwards, got her breakthrough role:Will Smith's cousin, "Ashley Banks," from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990).
While filming "The Fresh Prince," she also had exciting side projects, including guest roles in television shows such as The Cosby Show (1984), The All New Mickey Mouse Club (1989) (aka "The Mickey Mouse Club"), Kyno's Storytime (1992), Are You Afraid of the Dark? (1990) and Foster's Field Trip (1994).
The public saw her grow on "Fresh Prince" from an adorable little girl to a stunning young woman, and she sang in several episodes of the show, most notably her rendition of Aretha Franklin's "Respect" and an original song, "Make Up Your Mind." Smith was so impressed with her singing that he asked if she would consider doing it professionally. Tatyana began preparing for her singing career during the last year of the show as she began training her vocal cords, recording demos and publicly performing on television and in various informal live concerts. Her performances on "The Fresh Prince" actually helped her build a fan base that anxiously waited for her first album launch. On August 25, she released her album "Kiss the Sky" (MJJ Music/Work/SME) and her single "Daydreamin'." The single was certified gold within weeks of its release, and it quickly rose on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles, where it reached #6 and stayed there for two weeks. She also contributed to major movies such as Crocodile Dundee II (1988) and Eddie Murphy: Raw (1987). Since then, she has had significant roles in two films, Fall Into Darkness (1996) and Fakin' Da Funk (1997). She has also guest-starred in several sitcoms, including In the House (1995), and had a cameo role in the film Kiss the Girls (1997). She also went to Harvard and graduated with a degree in Anthropology in June 2002. She is now working on a new album and starring in more movies.Half Afro-Panamanian- Matt Cedeño was born on 14 November 1973 in Moses Lake, Washington, USA. He is an actor, known for Power (2014), Z Nation (2014) and Devious Maids (2013). He has been married to Erica Cedeno since 31 July 2009. They have two children.Half Afro-Cuban
- Actress
- Music Department
- Producer
Christina Milian was born Christine Flores on September 26, 1981 in Jersey City, New Jersey & raised in Waldorf, Maryland. At the age of 19, Milian signed a contract with Def Jam. In 2001, Milian released her self-titled debut album, which featured the singles "AM to PM" and "When You Look at Me"; "AM to PM" charted within the Top 40 of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and both peaked in the top three on the UK Singles Chart. In 2004, Milian released her second studio album It's About Time, which provided her first major U.S. hit, "Dip It Low", which reached number five on the U.S. Billboard chart. "Whatever U Want" was released as the album's second single. Both singles charted within the Top 10 of the UK chart.Cuban- Music Artist
- Actress
- Composer
Celia Cruz was born on 21 October 1925 in Havana, Cuba. She was a music artist and actress, known for Carlito's Way (1993), Amores Perros (2000) and Tower Heist (2011). She was married to Pedro Knight. She died on 16 July 2003 in Fort Lee, New Jersey, USA.Cuban- Born and raised in New York City by Panamanian parents, Melissa De Sousa attended the renowned High School of Performing Arts as a ballet major, and began her career as a principle dancer with The Alvin Ailey American Dance Company before transitioning into acting.
Melissa is best known for her performance as the infamous "Shelby" in the Universal Studio franchise The Best Man and The Best Man Holiday starring opposite Terrence Howard, for which she earned an NAACP Image Award nomination. Currently recurring as "Alex Rivera" in Our Kind Of People on FOX , and recently as "Chief Ana Lopez" on the CW's Black Lightning. Melissa also had a standout role as the pill popping journalist "Mirta Herrera" on Showtime's On Becoming A God In Central Florida opposite Kirsten Dunst. She led the cult hit series Single Ladies for BET Networks where she played Austin Aguilera, described as the Latin Kim Kardashian. A sexy, single socialite turned club owner, who liked to party.
De Sousa also starred opposite Matthew Perry in the TNT original presentation of The Ron Clark Story, which garnered an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Made For Television Movie. Other film work includes Lisa Cholodenko's Laurel Canyon with Frances McDormand, Donald Petrie's Miss Congeniality opposite Sandra Bullock, and the indie hit Constellation alongside Zoe Saldana. Her television credits include series regular roles on Reed Between The Lines, Second Time Around, One on One, Darren Star's drama The $treet for FOX, Valley Of The Dolls, and Damon, with Damon Wayans produced by Carsey- Werner, also for FOX. Guest Star credits include Criminal Minds, Elementary, Shameless, and countless others. De Sousa currently resides in New York.Panamanian - Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Dania is a Latin American actress born in the Dominican Republic. She grew up, living with her grandmother, in a poor household. Her parents left for the United States, when she was 6-months old, and she finally joined them in New York when she was age 10.
She knew from a young age that she wanted to act. She was discovered by a model scout and cast in a soda commercial. She attended the Actor's workshop in New York City and moved to Los Angeles to pursue her acting career.
Her first job was Jay-Z's girlfriend in his music video, Streets Is Watching (1998). She went on to appear in high profile TV shows The Sopranos (1999), Entourage (2004) and Heroes (2006). She has also appeared in films and, in 2012, she was cast in American Reunion (2012). She is currently starring on Lifetime's Devious Maids (2013) as 'Rosie Falta'.Dominican- Actress
- Additional Crew
- Director
Rosie Perez was born in Bushwick, Brooklyn, New York City, to Lydia Perez and Ismael Serrano, a merchant marine. She is of Puerto Rican descent. Rosie attended Grover Cleveland High School in Ridgewood, Queens, New York, and later enrolled at Los Angeles City College in Los Angeles, California. Rosie Perez was in her second year of college, and just about to move back to New York from Los Angeles. Her friends had given her a going-away party. When Spike Lee proposed that she work in his film Do the Right Thing (1989), she accepted. It would be her first major acting role. She went on play the supporting role of Carla Rodrigo in Peter Weir's Fearless (1993), for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. (She lost to Anna Paquin for The Piano (1993).)Puerto Rican- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Langston Faizon Santisima is an African-American actor and comedian from Santiago de Cuba known for Wanda from Elf, Big Worm from Friday, Sean "Sweet" Johnson from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Jahmal Abdul Jackson from The Replacements, Bruce the Bear from Zookeeper, Robin Harris from Bébé's Kids and Maurice from The Meteor Man.Cuban- Actress
- Producer
- Director
This stunning and resourceful actress has been primarily a film player thus far. Only recently has she been opening herself up more to doing television (the series Gemini Division (2008), which she executive-produced), and animated voice-overs. Dawson's powerhouse talent stands out the most in edgy, urban filming that dates back to 1995 when she was only sixteen.
A rags-to-riches article entitled "Rosario Dawson: From Tenement to Tinseltown" probably says it all. Rosario was born on May 9, 1979 in New York City. Her mother, Isabel Celeste, of Puerto Rican and Afro-Cuban descent, is a singer, and her stepfather, who raised her, Greg Dawson, of Irish descent, is a construction laborer. Her parents, who married when both were teenagers, eventually divorced. Rosario and her younger brother, Clay Dawson, had it hard while growing up, and were cared for by family members, most of whom were poverty-stricken, and some of whom were HIV-positive.
Her career actually started as a child when she made a minor showing on the children's show, Sesame Street (1969). As the story goes, she was "discovered" as an adolescent on her front porch step by two photographers. One of them, Harmony Korine, was an aspiring screenwriter who thought the inexperienced sixteen-year-old was ideal for the controversial cult film Kids (1995), in which she would portray a sexually active adolescent. It took time for Rosario's film career to kick in after that, but by the late 1990s, she had nabbed several independent films. Since then, she has moved into main-stream hits (and misses) and has surprised viewers with her earthy, provocative, uninhibited approach to her roles.
Reflecting New York's tougher, tawdrier side as assorted streetwalkers, homeless mothers, drug addicts, etc., her film highlights have included Light It Up (1999), Edward Burns' Sidewalks of New York (2001), Spike Lee's 25th Hour (2002) and Shattered Glass (2003). For Oliver Stone, she portrayed the duped bride of Colin Farrell's famed B.C. Macedonian warrior, Alexander (2004) (as in "...the Great"), which featured a notoriously violent-tinged nude/sex scene.
Expanding her horizons beyond film, she has always expressed interest in singing. She hooked up with Prince for the re-release of his 1980s hit "1999" and appeared in The Chemical Brothers' video for the song "Out of Control" from the album "Surrender". She is also featured on the Outkast track, "She Lives in My Lap". On stage, she co-starred as Julia in a revival of "Two Gentlemen of Verona" at the Public Theater's "Shakespeare in the Park" and appeared in "The Vagina Monologues".
She lucked into and got to show off her singing chops in the film adaptation of the hit New York musical Rent (2005), when Daphne Rubin-Vega, the original Mimi, became pregnant and was unable to reprise her exotic dancer role. Rosario also appeared as a prostitute in the adaptation of the graphic novel Sin City (2005). Of late, she has turned to producing. One of those, Descent (2007), had her playing a college coed who is brutally attacked and raped by a fellow student. Her more popular ventures have thus far included the role of Valerie Brown in the live-action version of the comic strip Josie and the Pussycats (2001), the Will Smith starrer Men in Black II (2002), Eagle Eye (2008) with Shia LaBeouf and Seven Pounds (2008), again with Smith, in which she offered one of her more tender-hearted performances as a woman with a potentially fatal heart condition.
More recent millennium films opposite some of Hollywood's top leading movie men include the tense actioneer Unstoppable (2010) with Denzel Washington and Chris Pine; the comedy/fantasy Zookeeper (2011) opposite Dalekmania (1995); romantic dramedy 10 Years (2011) with Channing Tatum; crime drama Fire with Fire (2012) with Bruce Willis; romantic comedy Top Five (2014) with Chris Rock; and action adventure Zombieland: Double Tap (2019) with Woody Harrelson. She has also top-lined independent films with her own feisty characters such as the thriller Unforgettable (2017) and the title role in the dramedy Krystal (2017).
Focusing also on TV projects, Rosario has graced such action series/mini-series as Daredevil (2015), Iron Fist (2017) and The Defenders (2017), as well as the comedy Jane the Virgin (2014) and animated cartoon series The Last Kids on Earth (2019).
Off-camera, the still-single Dawson is highly active in political, social and environmental causes and has been involved with such organizations/charities/campaigns as the Lower East Side Girls Club, Global Cool, the O.N.E. Campaign, Oxfam, Amnesty International, Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, Control Arms, International Rescue Committee, Voto Latino (which she founded), Conservation International, Doctors Without Borders, National Geographic Society, The Nature Conservancy and Save the Children. In October 2008, she lent her voice to the RESPECT! Campaign, a movement aimed at preventing domestic violence.1/4 Afro-Cuban- Actress
- Soundtrack
It was inevitable that Nona Gaye would become a singer - she is the granddaughter of Cuban jazz great Slim Gaillard, the niece of R&B singer/songwriter Frankie Gaye and the daughter of soul legend Marvin Gaye. Signed to Third/Stone Atlantic at 14, Nona released "Love for the Future" in 1992, which included the top 20 hit "I'm Overjoyed". But it was acting that give Nona a name of her own. With no acting experience and her agents warning her not to get her hopes up, she won the role of Khalilah Camacho Ali in Ali (2001)opposite Academy Award-nominee Will Smith. Nona went on to play Zee in the "Matrix" sequels, replacing singer Aaliyah after her sudden death in a plane crash. In 2004, Nona provided the voice for Hero Girl in The Polar Express (2004), which also starred Tom Hanks. Nona has plans to return to the music studio as well as the silver screen. "My music will always reflect upon my family's legacy or people's expectations," Nona told Interview Magazine in 2001. "But acting's all mine."Part Afro-Cuban- Producer
- Actress
- Director
Soledad O'Brien is the anchor for CNN morning show Starting Point with Soledad O'Brien and special correspondent for CNN/U.S. Since joining the network in 2003, O'Brien has reported breaking news from around the globe and has produced award-winning, record-breaking and critically acclaimed documentaries on the most important stories facing the world today. She also covers political news as part of CNN's "Best Political Team on Television." In 2010, she wrote a critically-acclaimed memoir The Next Big Story: My Journey through the Land of Possibilities, which chronicles her biggest reporting moments and how her upbringing and background have influenced these experiences.
O'Brien's most recent documentaries include Black in America: The New Promised Land - Silicon Valley, a profile of an accelerator program developed to diversify the technology industry by helping African-American digital entrepreneurs secure funding for their ventures; Latino in America 2: In Her Corner, the story of female flyweight fighter and U.S. Olympic hopeful Marlen Esparza; Beyond Bravery: The Women of 9/11, an investigation into the lives of female rescue workers who were the first to respond to the World Trade Center terrorist attacks; Don't Fail Me: Education in America, a look at the crisis in public education where American kids are not learning the skills necessary to compete; The Women Who Would be Queen, a portrayal of the future King and Queen's friendship-turned-romance and very modern royal marriage; Unwelcome: The Muslims Next Door, a report on religious freedom protections; Pictures Don't Lie, the story of the secret life of Civil Rights photographer Ernest Withers as a paid FBI informant; Almighty Debt, a Black in America special that explores the role of the black church in helping African Americans survive the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression; Rescued, a look at Haiti's remarkable children before, during and after the devastating earthquake; and Gary and Tony Have a Baby, the story of two gay men and their struggle to have a baby that has a biological and legal connection to both of them.
In 2009, Soledad reported for Latino in America, a wide-ranging look at Latinos living in this country; how they're reshaping America and how America is reshaping them. Prior, O'Brien reported for Black in America 2, a four-hour documentary focusing on successful community leaders who are improving the lives of African-Americans. O'Brien's reporting for Black in America in 2008 revealed the state of Black America 40 years after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. She has also reported for the CNN documentary Words That Changed a Nation, featuring a never-before-seen look at Dr. King's private writings and notes, and investigated his assassination in Eyewitness to Murder: The King Assassination. Her Children of the Storm project and One Crime at a Time documentary demonstrate O'Brien's continued commitment to covering stories out of New Orleans.
O'Brien joined CNN as the co-anchor of the network's flagship morning program, American Morning, and distinguished herself by reporting from the scene on the transformational stories that broke on her watch. For CNN's Katrina coverage, O'Brien's reports on the storm's impact included an in-depth interview with former FEMA chief Michael Brown. She also covered the Japan earthquake and tsunami in 2011, London terrorism attacks in July 2005, and in December 2004, she was among a handful of CNN anchors sent to Thailand to cover the disaster and aftermath of the tsunami.
In 2011, Soledad won her first Emmy for Crisis in Haiti (Anderson Cooper 360) in the category of Outstanding Live Coverage of a Current News Story - Long Form. O'Brien was part of the coverage teams that earned CNN a George Foster Peabody award for its BP oil spill and Katrina coverage and an Alfred I. duPont Award for its coverage of the Southeast Asia tsunami. The National Association of Black Journalists named O'Brien the Journalist of the Year and Edward R Murrow Awards lauded her with the RTDNA/UNITY award for Latino in America in 2010. She received the 2009 Medallion of Excellence for Leadership and Community Service Award from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute. In 2008, she was the first recipient of the Soledad O'Brien Freedom's Voice Award from the Morehouse School of Medicine for being a catalyst for social change and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health's Goodermote Humanitarian Award for her efforts while reporting on the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina and the tsunami. Her numerous other awards include a Gracie Allen Award in 2007 for her reporting from Cyprus on the Israeli-Hezbollah conflict as well as her reports from the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina. The NAACP honored her with its President's Award in 2007 for her humanitarian efforts and journalistic excellence.
O'Brien came to CNN from NBC News where she anchored the network's Weekend Today since July 1999. Prior, O'Brien anchored MSNBC's award-winning technology program The Site. O'Brien joined NBC News in 1991 and was based in New York as a field producer for Nightly News and TODAY. Before her time at NBC, she served three years as a local reporter and bureau chief for the NBC affiliate KRON in San Francisco. She began her career as an associate producer and news writer at the then-NBC affiliate WBZ-TV in Boston. Soledad O'Brien is a graduate of Harvard University and currently lives with her husband and four children in Manhattan.Half Afro-Cuban- Sammy Sosa, who grew up in the slums of the Dominican Republic, has quickly emerged as one of the most beloved athletes in baseball. During the 1998 season, Sosa was right behind Mark McGwire for the record owned by Roger Maris of 61 home runs. Unfortunately, Sosa only led in home runs for just about two hours all season. Prior to his final home game of the season, the mayor of Chicago and governor of Illinois declared the day as Sammy Sosa Day.Dominican
- Born in Brooklyn and raised in Queens, New York among eight siblings, including her twin sister Lorraine, Lauren Velez dreamed of becoming an actress ever since she played a groundhog in a school play in second grade. Immediately following high school, she received a scholarship from the Alvin Ailey Dance School which led to her first job performing in the national touring company of the musical "Dreamgirls". Later she became understudy for actress Phylicia Rashad in Broadway's "Into the Woods". Her most visible role was that of "Nina Moreno" on the cop drama New York Undercover (1994). With her varied performances and Afro-Latin background and appearance, Velez's success is considered -- by fans and critics alike -- a breakthrough for Latina actresses who do not fit the stereotypical "Europeanized Hollywood" version of Latin females. As a result, Velez deservedly has a large multi-ethnic following.Puerto Rican
- Actress
- Producer
- Additional Crew
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.Cuban- Music Artist
- Actor
- Composer
His Nigerian mother and Brazilian-born father were still studying when Seal was born. They were barely able to stay afloat with odd jobs. Shortly after his birth, Seal was sent to a foster family, where he grew up in sheltered conditions until he was four years old. In 1967, his mother Adebisi fought back for custody of him. She now had an orderly life, worked as a wig maker and had divorced Seal's father. For the next two years, Seal lived with his mother in London with his five siblings until she left him to his father in 1969. Life with his father was marked by domestic violence and abuse.
In addition to his father's violence, he also had to deal with the worst kind of teasing at school. The skin disease lupus erythematosus, which affected him as a child, left extensive scars on his face. At the age of 15, he ran away from home and dropped out of school. From then on he kept himself afloat with various odd jobs, but always kept an eye on his passion for music and sang in various pubs and bars. In the mid-1980s, Seal joined the British funk band Push. A tour took him to Japan and Thailand, where he briefly joined a blues band. Fascinated by Asia, he went on an exploratory trip to India. In 1990 he returned to London and met the producer Adamski there. With him Seal recorded "Killer", which immediately reached number one in the British charts.
In 1991 he recorded his first album entitled "Seal" with Trevor Horn, who was a producer for Grace Jones, among others. The single "Crazy" was particularly successful. In 1994 he released his second album, which he also simply titled "Seal". He celebrated an absolute worldwide success with the title song for the movie "Batman Forever". "Kiss From A Rose" went multi-platinum, went number one in the US and stayed on the charts for a total of 45 weeks. Seal was also nominated for three Grammys for "Kiss From A Rose." His participation in the soundtrack to the 1996 film "Space Jam" entitled "Fly Like An Eagle" also received wide attention. Two years later, in 1998, Seal's third album "Human Nature" followed, but could not match the great success of its predecessors. In the following years things became a little quieter for the soul star.
Seal lived in Los Angeles and stayed away from the public most of the time. However, media interest quickly returned when it was revealed that he was in a relationship with top German model Heidi Klum. He moved to London to live with her and recorded the album "Seal IV" (2003), again with Trevor Horn, who accompanied him on all his albums. The success was unimaginably great, especially the single "Love's Divine" became a worldwide megahit and was listed in the top ten around the world. At the end of 2004 a best-of album followed with the title "Best 1991 - 2004". On May 10, 2005, Seal and Heidi Klum married. They lived alternately in London and New York. Together they became parents to two sons in 2005 and 2006; Their daughter was born in 2009. Another of Klum's daughters, from a previous relationship, was adopted by Seal.
At the beginning of 2007 he contributed the song "A Father's Way" to the film "The Pursuit of Happiness". In February of the same year, Seal was defeated in a legal dispute with his former manager in a London appeal court, whereupon he had to pay John Wadlow $922,000 in commissions from the proceeds of his first two albums. At the end of 2009, Klum subsequently adopted Seal's surname Samuel. In October 2011, a private appearance at Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov's birthday party led to criticism because he was accused of serious human rights violations. On January 22, 2012, the couple announced their separation.Half Afro-Brazillian- Actor
- Producer
- Manager
Chosen as one of Variety's "Top Ten Actors to Watch" and part of the new breed of leading men in Hollywood, Laz Alonso is starring in Amazon Prime's series THE BOYS. He can also be seen playing opposite Gabrielle Union and Jessica Alba in their new series LA'S FINEST. He previously starred opposite Debra Messing and Josh Lucas in NBC's THE MYSTERIES OF LAURA. Laz's extensive television credits also include leading roles in NBC's DECEPTION and A&E's BREAKOUT KINGS.
Theatrically, Laz recently played Carlos Jones in Guy Ritche's CASH TRUCK, opposite Jason Statham, Josh Hartnett and Holt McCallany. Previously he portrayed Congressman John Conyers, in the Annapurna critically acclaimed film DETROIT, directed by Kathryn Bigelow. He also starred opposite Paula Patton and Omar Epps in the independent Thriller TRAFFIK. Alonso previously starred opposite Patton in the hit romantic comedy JUMPING THE BROOM for Columbia Pictures, for which he received a NAACP IMAGE AWARD for Outstanding Actor In A Motion Picture . He has also been nominated for a BET Best Actor Award. Prior to that, he played the heroic role of "Tsu'Tey" in the highest grossing film of all time, James Cameron's AVATAR. Laz played the lead villain role of "Fenix Calderon" in Universal's FAST AND FURIOUS, which reunited the original cast and relaunched the successful franchise. His past movie credits include lead roles in the Sony/Screen Gems' hits STOMP THE YARD and THIS CHRISTMAS, a co-starring role in Sam Mendes' hit JARHEAD, for Universal Pictures opposite Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx, Jake Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard, and a supporting role in Rod Lurie's remake of the Sam Peckinpah classic STRAW DOGS. Laz also starred in Spike Lee's MIRACLE AT ST. ANNA, in which he played "Hector Negron", based on a true story of a black and Puerto Rican WWII Buffalo Soldier that witnessed something that he carried inside for over 30 years until his past meets him again.
Laz has also executive produced and starred opposite Danny Glover in Alan Jacobs' DOWN FOR LIFE, which ended up with a much-coveted position in the Toronto Film Festival, where it received critical acclaim. He has directed a mini documentary that premiered at Art Basel titled I AM, which highlighted a Washington DC artist who paints homeless people in prestigious settings.
Born and raised in Washington DC, Laz always knew he wanted to be an actor. He graduated from the prestigious Howard University School of Business, earning a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing. After college, he worked on Wall Street as an investment banker at MERRILL LYNCH and began his acting career simultaneously, doing NY off-Broadway theater. He credits his ability to tackle so many different types of roles by his theater training. He now splits his time between Los Angeles and New York City.
WINNER BEST ACTOR NAACP IMAGE AWARDSCuban- Merlin Santana was born in New York to parents from the Dominican Republic. His mother pushed him into a showbusiness career to keep him off the mean streets and out of trouble. He began as an advertising model for a fast-food chain at age 3, and soon became noticed as Stanley, one of Rudy Huxtable's admirers on the hit TV show The Cosby Show (1984). At 15, he co-starred in the short-lived sitcom Getting By (1993) alongside Cindy Williams and Telma Hopkins. His best-known role was as smooth-talking Romeo Santana on the popular WB series The Steve Harvey Show (1996) in 1996.
Merlin Santana was murdered on November 9, 2002 in Los Angeles, California, while he was sitting in a car. He was 26 years old.Dominican - Stunts
- Actor
- Visual Effects
Lateef Crowder was born on 23 November 1977 in San Jose, California, USA. He is an actor, known for Tekken (2010), Wonder Woman (2017) and Furious 7 (2015). He was previously married to Andressa Vallotti.Brazillian- Actor
- Composer
- Soundtrack
Tego Calderón was born in Santurce, Puerto Rico, in 1972. He grew up in Río Grande and Carolina, areas of Puerto Rico that maintain some of the strongest Afro-Caribbean influences on the island. Throughout his childhood Calderón was exposed by his parents to the groundbreaking music of salsa legend Ismael Rivera, as well as to Latin jazz.
Determined to take his place in the music world, Tego explored a diversity of musical influences, transforming himself into an accomplished musician as well as vocalist. He attended the Escuela Libre de Música of Puerto Rico, where he concentrated on percussion studies, while also mastering composition and lyrics.
In the late-1980s, Tego moved to Miami, where he graduated from Miami Beach Senior High School. It was there that Calderón began to soak up the influences of American hip-hop. Hearing the California gangster rap troupe N.W.A. proved pivotal.
Moving back to Puerto Rico, Calderón also found a new appreciation for such Jamaican dance hall performers as Buju Banton, Super Cat, and Ninja Man. Around the same time, the Reggaeton movement began to become a force in Puerto Rico. Calderón began to forge his own multicultural rap style, earning a reputation as a street poet with a fresh musical approach.
He credits fellow Puerto Rican hip-hop pioneer Vico C with inspiring him to rap in Spanish, instead of imitating the English catch phrases of African-American hip-hop. Establishing himself as a new voice of the streets, he made a series of appearances on best-selling Latin hip-hop compilations. A remix collection entitled "El Enemy De Los Guasibiri," released in 2004, consisted largely of tracks which had appeared on those early compilations.
"El Abayarde" released in 2002, broke sales records in the then-underground Reggaeton genre, selling a remarkable 50,000 on the first day of its release, and Calderón became an overnight Latin superstar. Just three months after making his solo debut, Calderón was greeted with a tumultuous response at a sold-out concert at Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan. The following day, he made history when he became the first rap artist to perform at the traditional National Day of Salsa celebration.
When Tego first headlined New York's Madison Square Garden in August 2003, the New York Times heralded him as "the most forward-looking performer" of the artists on the bill.
In October 2004, when he returned to the stage of the Garden as the star of the breakthrough "Megatón 2004" event, attendance had swelled from 12,000 to a sold-out 20,000, with a large number of non-Spanish-speaking fans in the audience.
As Latin rappers have been embraced by the American hip-hop culture, Calderón has been featured on a variety of mix tapes and has been invited to add his trademark vocal style to collaborations and remixes by the likes of Fat Joe's Terror Squad (the 1 smash, "Lean Back"), Usher, 50 Cent, Cypress Hill, and Wyclef Jean, among others.
From his appearances at New York's annual Puerto Rican Day parades in 2004 and 2005, to becoming the first Spanish-language artist to be featured on New York's Power-105, Calderón has been breaking cultural barriers. In a cover story on Calderón and Reggaeton, the Village Voice noted that Tego "almost single-handedly...steered his country's dominant youth culture out of the island and Latino neighborhoods, and into the American stream of pop consciousness." Among Calderón's achievements are Latin Grammy and Billboard Award nominations, a Source Award for "International Artist of the Year," a Tu Música award, and nominations for La Gente and Lo Nuestro awards.
Tego's music is an experimental nexus of urban Hip Hop roughness with the poetic Caribbean rhythms transmitted by the early sounds of Salsa music. Not only is Tego, like many of his Salsa heroes, a formidable storyteller...he also incorporates the lyrical percussion and fine rhythmic lines that can be found in the works of Luis Pales Matos.
Calderon's is by far more than just another Reggaeton performer; he is a consummate street poet at the Vanguard of the Puerto Rican musical and artistic scene. While others break...Calderon's music is the true essence of a real artist...He creates and repairs...not many current musicians can boast that.Puerto Rican- Known for his hitting prowess on offense and his strong, accurate throwing arm on defense, Roberto Clemente carved out a Hall of Fame career over his 18 seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates, compiling a .317 lifetime batting average and collecting an even 3,000 hits. He was the National League's Most Valuable Player in 1966 and was voted MVP of the 1971 World Series in which the Pirates defeated the Baltimore Orioles. He was killed in a mission-of-mercy plane crash while attempting to deliver supplies to earthquake-stricken Nicaragua. Clemente was inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame in 1973, only the second player to have had the required five-year waiting period before being eligible waived.Puerto Rican
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Simply he was, and for many people still is, the greatest football player of the world. Not a single thing was impossible for him: he won three World Cups with his National Team of Brazil (Sweden 1958, Chile 1962, Mexico 1970). He scored more than 1.200 goals during his long career (more than 1.300 official matches). He also won many national Leagues and Continental Cups ("Copa Libertadores"), with his team, the Santos Futebol Clube (of Brazilian 'São Paulo' State). In the '60s, he was nick-named "O Rei" (The King), and in the '70s, ninety-five people out of 100 knew his name. ("Wow, man, you're popular!" said Robert Redford, some years ago, after seeing Pelé give dozens of autographs in New York while he was not asked for one). In the late 1960s, when he and his team, Santos, went to Nigeria to play a few friendly matches, the ongoing civil war stopped for the duration of his visit. He finished his career in the New York Cosmos, in 1977. He later became a United Nations Ambassador and has been also Minister for Sports in his country, but, for the people who saw him make magics with his right foot, he is, now and forever, the biggest footballer in the world, and the one and only "King".Brazillian- Actress
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Taís Araújo was born on 25 November 1978 in Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She is an actress, known for Sparkling Girls (2012), Xica da Silva (1996) and Shades of Sin (2004). She has been married to Lázaro Ramos since 9 June 2011. They have two children.Brazillian- Actress
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- Director
Paola Menacho is an Afro-Latina Actor and Director originally from Santa Cruz, Bolivia and based in Los Angeles. Paola grew up near the Amazon jungle with a passionate love of nature.
At age 3 she booked the lead in her preschool play and soon after that, the lead in a small hometown independent film. Her mother owned a dance school and Paola grew up dancing salsa, merengue, cumbia, bachata and samba. She majored in Theater and Communications at the University of Santa Cruz and joined Larca Theatre Group. She launched her television career as reporter for Expo Cruz, a well-known Bolivian TV Entertainment magazine. It was as a reporter that Menacho covered Bolivia's most elite annual bash, Carnivale, where heads of Bolivia's entertainment industry noticed Menacho's charismatic passion and fierce energy. As a result, Menacho was offered her own TV show, Carnivale with Paola, on MTV Latin America.
Three years later, Paola moved north to America. During her first three years in the States, Paola performed in local theater plays such as Hello Dolly and A Christmas Carol. She was featured in music videos by Gwen Stefani, Outkast, Sisqo, Master P, The Westside Connection and many more and landed her first national commercial for Coffee Mate followed by 12+ additional national commercials.
Paola went on to land one of her first U.S. film roles as a supporting role in the feature film The Spot, which appeared in theaters Winter 2007 and held a lead role in The Black Mariachi, which premiered at Los Angeles' African American Film Marketplace. Menacho soon achieved a lead role in ABC Entertainment Television's Actors Showcase, in which 18 actors of 700 candidates were selected. She also was selected for the SAG Diversity Showcase where she performed a pilot presentation written by T.C. Gunter, mentored by Friends creator Marta Kaufman. Her early achievements in the U.S. led to her eventual lead role in the major Netflix film, Ocean's Rising, and her first television guest star on Everybody Hates Chris.
Paola holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre from the University of North Carolina and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Film Directing from the Los Angeles Film School. In 2020, she established her film production company, PM Film.
Outgoing, a little tough, and pretty much an optimist, Paola loves to hike, grow her own vegetables, and believes in spreading real, honest, and supportive love. Volunteering with The Alexandria Home, she helps provide safe, healthy resources for women who are homeless, abused, or in critical condition. Privately owned, the Home allows women to stay as long as they need, giving them food and shelter alongside their children with the freedom to obtain education along a positive and progressive path.
Paola resides in Los Angeles with her family.Half Afro-Bolivian- Director
- Producer
- Writer
Jessy Terrero is a Dominican-American filmmaker and non-writing executive producer who first gained recognition for his work in the music video industry, creating iconic videos for artists such as Jennifer Lopez, 50 Cent, Enrique Iglesias, Daddy Yankee, Maluma and Bad Bunny, amassing over 21 billion views collectively. Terrero, who is considered one of the most influential music video directors in urban culture, transitioned into Film and TV with his first move being the cult classic SOUL PLANE, a film that marked the debut of comedian Kevin Hart and Sofia Vergara. His long standing relationship with 50 Cent led him to direct a series of features in which the rap icon starred in including, FREELANCERS with Robert De Niro and Forrest Whitaker; and GUN with Val Kilmer.
Wanting to honor his heritage, Terrero started to focus his directing and producing efforts in the Latinx market bringing with him the experience garnered in his previous projects. He created and directed the Netflix Original NICKY JAM: EL GANADOR. The success of the show led him to a blind deal with YouTube Originals where he developed BRAVAS, an all-female cast series set in Puerto Rico. Under his production company Cinema Giants, Jessy continues to develop stories for the international market as well as partnering with domestic buyers such as Showtime or Apple, where he currently has series in development and is attached to direct.Dominican- Actress
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- Soundtrack
Kathleen Emperatriz DeLuna (born November 26, 1987) is a Dominican-American singer, songwriter and dancer. DeLuna began pursuing a career as a singer when she was a teenager. After signing with Epic Records, she released her debut single "Whine Up" in 2007. The single went on to become a commercial success, entering the Top 40 in numerous countries and topping the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. Her debut studio album, 9 Lives (2007), failed to see the success of its lead single. The album's third single, "Run the Show", became a hit in various territories, and reached number two on the Hot Dance Club Play chart.
Following the commercial performance of her first album, DeLuna was dropped from Epic Records. DeLuna continued to record both collaborations and soundtrack singles. DeLuna later began working on her second studio album, Inside Out (2010), which received a limited release through Universal Music Belgium. The album spawned a number of singles, notably "Unstoppable", "Push Push", and "Dancing Tonight" featuring Lil Wayne, Akon, and Fo Onassis respectively. Viva, the North American edition of the album, was slated to be released later that year; however, this never materialized. DeLuna released the compilation album "Loading" in 2016. Wanna See U Dance was released as the first single back in 2012.
In 2007, DeLuna won "Best New Artist" at the Los Premios MTV Latinoamérica 2007 awards. In 2008, she won "Best New Artist" and "Best Urban Artist" at the TMF Awards. DeLuna's single, "Whine Up", won the award for "Latin Dance Club Play Track Of The Year" at the 2008 Latin Billboard Music Awards. She also won a Casandra Award in 2008 for "Best International Artist".
DeLuna was born & raised in The Bronx to Dominican parents. At a young age, DeLuna and her family moved to the Dominican Republic. When she was 12, DeLuna performed onstage and was heard by Milly Quezada who commended her vocals. Friends and family recognized her talent at an early age, but it was not until she moved back to the United States at age 14, to Newark, New Jersey, that DeLuna realized her potential as a singer. She attended Benjamin Franklin Elementary in Newark, and was taught by Nicholas Straus. DeLuna then attended the Newark Arts High School, which was the only school she applied to. While there, DeLuna and her friends formed an R&B group called Coquette. DeLuna had a tough upbringing and was raised in poverty. She spent her time listening to Aretha Franklin and Billie Holiday records, which she imitated daily on her karaoke machine.
At age 15, DeLuna entered a Coca-Cola sponsored karaoke competition. Her version of "I Will Always Love You" took first place. It was through this competition that she met Cuban salsa singer Rey Ruiz. Ruiz gave DeLuna this advice: "Nobody knows you better than you do, and nobody can help you if you can't help yourself." DeLuna began writing her own music and has continued to do so. In 2004, while DeLuna was 17, Coquette opened for a Cassidy concert in New Jersey. In 2006, DeLuna chose to pursue a solo career and was signed by Epic Records.Dominican- Actress
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Judy Reyes was born on 5 November 1967 in Bronx, New York City, New York, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Scrubs (2001), Smile (2022) and Devious Maids (2013). She was previously married to Edwin M. Figueroa.Dominican- Music Artist
- Actor
- Composer
William Omar Landrón Rivera is the oldest son of William Landrón and Luz Antonia Rivera. He was raised in Cristo Rey, a barrio of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, specifically in the Villa Altagracia area. From an early age, he showed interest in the music of Vico C and Brewley MC, but never actually followed it. During his youth, he became an active member of a Protestant church, Iglesia Evangélica Restauración en Cristo, in Pedernales where he occasionally offered sermons. However, after four years, he left the church to dedicate himself to singing.
Several months later, he had his first public presentation in a night club, accompanied by disc jockey Eliel Lind Osorio. Afterwards he appeared regularly on compilation albums from popular DJ's and producers like Luny Tunes, Noriega, and DJ Eric. He also started working as a backup singer for the puerto rican duo Héctor & Tito. One of the members, Héctor Delgado, helped him produce his first solo album.Puerto Rican- Dominican
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- Producer
Amaury Nolasco was born in Puerto Rico. He is an actor and producer, known for Prison Break (2005), A Good Day to Die Hard (2013) and Transformers (2007).Puerto Rican- Actress
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Lupita Amondi Nyong'o was born March 1, 1983 in Mexico City, Mexico, to Kenyan parents, Dorothy Ogada Buyu and Peter Anyang' Nyong'o. Her father, a senator, was then a visiting lecturer in political science. She was raised in Kenya. At age 16, her parents sent her back to Mexico for seven months to learn Spanish. She read film studies at Hampshire College, Massachusetts and, after working as a production assistant on several films, graduated from the Yale School of Drama's acting program. In 2013, she impressed cinema audiences in her film debut, as brutalized slave Patsey in acclaimed director Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave (2013). She was also the lead in MTV's award-winning drama series, Shuga (2009), appeared in the thriller Non-Stop (2014) and had roles in the big-budget films Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015) and The Jungle Book (2016).
Lupita's stage credits include playing "Perdita" in "The Winter's Tale", (Yale Repertory Theater), "Sonya" in "Uncle Vanya", "Katherine" in "The Taming of the Shrew", as well as being in the original production of Michael Mitnick's "Elijah".
Lupita played the female lead, Nakia, in the 2018 superhero film Black Panther (2018).Mexican-born Kenyan- Producer
- Actor
- Additional Crew
David Ortiz was born on 18 November 1975 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He is a producer and actor, known for Patriots Day (2016), Are You Afraid of the Dark? (1990) and American Masters (1985). He has been married to Tiffany Brick since 16 November 2002. They have three children.Dominican- Actress
- Additional Crew
- Music Department
Selenis Leyva was born on 26 May 1972 in Baracoa, Guantánamo, Cuba. She is an actress, known for Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Orange Is the New Black (2013) and The Place Beyond the Pines (2012). She has been married to Raul Rivera since 25 August 2001.Cuban & Dominican- Actress
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China Shavers was born on 16 June 1977. She is an actress and producer, known for Not Another Teen Movie (2001), The Glass House (2001) and Beginners (2010).Dominican & Panamanian- Actress
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Amara La Negra is known for Bendecidas, Fall Girls (2019) and Don't Cancel Me with Amara Le Negra (2021).Dominican- Music Artist
- Actress
- Composer
Cardi B was born Belcalis Marlenis Almanzar on October 11, 1992 in Manhattan, New York City, New York & raised in The Bronx, New York City, New York. She became an Internet celebrity after several of her posts and videos became popular on Vine and Instagram. From 2015 to 2017, she appeared as a regular cast member on the VH1 reality television series, Love and Hip Hop: New York (2010), which depicted her pursuit of her music aspirations. She released two mixtapes: Gangsta Bitch Music, Vol. 1 & Vol. 2, before signing with label Atlantic Records on early 2017. Her debut studio album, Invasion of Privacy (2018) debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, broke several streaming records, was certified triple platinum by the RIAA and named by Billboard the top female rap album of the 2010s. Critically acclaimed, it won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album, making Cardi the only woman to win the award as a solo artist, as well as the first female rap artist in 15 years to be nominated for Album of the Year. It spawned two number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100; Bodak Yellow, which made her the second female rapper to top the chart with a solo output-following Lauryn Hill on 1998-and I Like It, which made her the first female rapper to attain multiple number-one songs on the chart. Her Maroon 5 collaboration, Girls Like You made her the only female rapper to top the Hot 100 three times. WAP, the lead single of her second album, expanded her record as the female rapper with the most Hot 100 number-one singles as her fourth leader, and made her the only female rap artist to achieve chart-topping singles in 2 decades (2010s and 2020s).
Recognized by Forbes as one of the most influential female rappers of all time, Cardi's known for her aggressive flow and candid lyrics, which have received widespread media coverage. She's the highest-certified female rapper of all time on the RIAA's Top Artists (Digital Singles) ranking, also appearing among the ten highest-certified female artists and having the top certified song by a female rap artist. She's the only female rapper with multiple billion-streamers on Spotify. Her accolades include a Grammy Award, 8 Billboard Music Awards, 5 Guinness World Records, 4 American Music Awards, 11 BET Hip Hop Awards & 2 ASCAP Songwriter of the Year awards. In 2018, Time included her on their annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world.Dominican- Actress
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The actress Tessa Lynn Thompson was born on October 3, 1983 in Los Angeles, California. She is the daughter of singer-songwriter Marc Anthony Thompson and the granddaughter of actor-musician Bobby Ramos. She was raised in Los Angeles before moving to Brooklyn, New York. Her father is of Afro-Panamanian ancestry and her mother is of Mexican and British Isles ancestry. Thompson attended Santa Monica High School, where she was featured in numerous theatre productions. After graduation, she enrolled at Santa Monica College, where she obtained a degree in cultural anthropology.
She starred as Juliet in William Shakespeare's drama "Romeo and Juliet" in a production held at the Boston Court Theatre in Pasadena, California. Her performance from earned her the NAACP Theatre nomination the same year. Away from the theatre stage, In 2005, Tessa made her first television appearance when she starred in the CBS series Cold Case (2003). Talented like her father Marc, Tessa's versatility extends to music, as a member of Electro Band, through which she has produced many songs, including one used in her film Dear White People (2017).
Since her acting career began in 2002, Tessa has played remarkable roles in popular television series and movies including Murder on the 13th Floor (2012), Make It Happen (2008), Red & Blue Marbles (2011), Selma (2014), Creed (2015), Creed II (2018), War on Everyone (2016), Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Sorry to Bother You (2018), Annihilation (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019), Men in Black: International (2019), Lady and the Tramp (2019) and Sylvie's Love (2020).Half Afro-Panamanian- Rome Flynn was born on 25 November 1991 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He is an actor, known for How to Get Away with Murder (2014), With Love (2021) and Raising Dion (2019).Half Afro-Cuban
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- Music Department
Actress, singer, songwriter, and producer Irene Cara was destined for a life of accomplishments that millions strive for but very few actually attain. From being able to play the piano by ear at age five to earning an Oscar, multiple Grammys, a Golden Globe, and a People's Choice Award, Irene's rise to stardom was paved with experiences of a lifetime.
Beginning shortly after realizing their daughter's natural talent, Irene was quickly enrolled in music, acting, and dance classes. Shortly before that, her mother entered her into multiple competitions and at the age of three, Irene was a finalist in the "Little Miss America" pageant.
Her professional career began on Spanish-language television singing and dancing before performing on shows including 'The Original Amateur Hour', 'The Ed Sullivan Show', and 'The Tonight Show' with Johnny Carson. Her talent was also showcased On and Off Broadway in various productions including 'Ain't Misbehavin'', the Obie Award-winning musical 'The Me Nobody Knows', 'Maggie Flynn' starring Shirley Jones and Tony Award-nominated actor Jack Cassidy, and 'Via Galactica' opposite Raul Julia.
Having performed on the stage, the next natural progression seemed to be series television. She would find a home on the daytime drama 'Love of Life' and the educational series 'The Electric Company' where she participated as a member of the group 'The Short Circus', teaching children about grammar through music. 'The Electric Company's' cast was made up of veteran actors Bill Cosby, Rita Moreno, and Morgan Freeman.
Continuing the pursuit of excellence, Irene recorded her first Spanish-language album at the age of eight and released an English-speaking holiday album shortly thereafter. Her career already blossoming, she would receive the honor of becoming the youngest member to perform in an all-star concert tribute for the legendary Duke Ellington. Held at Madison Square Garden, Irene performed along with music greats Stevie Wonder, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Roberta Flack.
With Broadway, television, and recording firmly tucked under her belt, Irene's next stop was the big screen. Before she entered her teenage years, she had won the title role in the film Aaron Loves Angela. Her performance in the movie was so outstanding that she was cast as the lead in the now cult classic musical drama 'Sparkle'. Proving that she was a tremendously versatile actress, Irene received international acclaim for her roles in 'Roots: The Next Generation' starring alongside James Earl Jones and Diahann Carroll among others, and 'The Guyanna Tragedy: The Jim Jones Story' where she would again work with James Earl Jones as well as LeVar Burton. As much as she had already accomplished, nothing could have prepared her for the super-stardom that would come with her next role.
In 1980, Irene would portray the character Coco Hernandez in a movie-musical titled 'Fame', a story about a group of students auditioning for acceptance into New York's High School for the Performing Arts. The film follows the students from their first to final days at the school and served to shine a light on the film's inspiration, LaGuardia High, and its counterpart Julliard. Irene's massive solo vocal talent was showcased through the title song 'Fame' as well as 'Out Here on My Own'. They and Irene would make Academy Awards history as it marked the first time two songs from the same film were nominated in the same category, and both performed by Irene. The title track won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.
The impact of 'Fame' would catapult Irene Cara into a household name and earn her two Grammy nominations for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Artist, as well as a Golden Globe nomination for Best Motion Picture Actress in a Musical. Billboard Magazine named her the Top New Single Artist and Cashbox Magazine awarded her with the Most Promising Female Vocalist and Top Female Vocalist honors.
In 1982, Irene was awarded the NAACP Image Award for Best Actress for the NBC movie-of-the-week Maya Angelou's 'Sister, Sister' also starring Diahann Carroll and Rosalind Cash. She would garner another NAACP Image Award nomination for the title role in the PBS film 'For Us the Living: The Medgar Evers Story'. When it seemed her professional life couldn't get any better, Irene set the world on fire again.
Composer Giorgio Moroder approached Irene in 1983 to collaborate on the theme to a film he was attached to titled 'Flashdance'. Irene agreed and actually wrote the lyrics to the title song 'Flashdance...What a Feeling' in a car with producer Keith Forsey while on the way to the studio to record it. Those lyrics would reinforce Irene's already solid place in Hollywood history. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards with Irene taking home the coveted Oscar for Best Original Song. She would also add a Golden Globe to her already impressive collection of honors for Best Original Song in a Motion Picture in addition to two Grammys, a People's Choice Award, and an American Music Award. On a personal level, as a woman of Puerto Rican and Cuban descent, her Academy Award win is even more special as she was the first bi-racial woman to ever win in any category other than acting and only the second to be nominated outside of an acting category.
In 1984/85, Irene was back on the big screen in the film 'City Heat' opposite Clint Eastwood and Burt Reynolds. She co-wrote the theme as well as performed the classic standards 'Embraceable You' and 'Get Happy'. Irene also starred opposite Tatum O'Neal in the film 'Certain Fury', voiced "Snow White" in the animated film 'Happily Ever After', and toured as "Mary Magdalene" in the Andrew Lloyd Webber production 'Jesus Christ Superstar'.
Not having sat on her laurels, in between winning Oscars, Grammys, and touring, she released the albums 'Anyone Can See' and 'What a Feeling' in 1982 and 1983 respectively which spawned the additional hits 'Breakdance', 'The Dream', 'You Were Made for Me', and 'Why Me', and in 1985 collaborated and sang with Placido Domingo. 'Breakdance' and 'Why Me' would both become Top 10 hits. In 1987, the release of the album 'Carasmatic' was shelved in the United States because of legal issues with the label, but it was issued in limited quantities in the United Kingdom, immediately making the album a collector's piece for anyone lucky enough to have gotten a copy.
Still feeling the love of audiences everywhere, the 90s were spent living out of a suitcase on multiple European concert tours. After finally getting a little breathing space, Irene formed the group Hot Caramel in 1999 and returned to performing to the delight of eager audiences clamoring to hear her unmistakable voice.
In 2004, Irene was awarded the Prestige Award for Lifetime Achievement. She was given the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Fort Lauderdale Film Institute in 2005, and in 2006, was awarded the Honorary Lifetime Achievement for outstanding contribution in the African-American community by the Columbus Times of Georgia, the country's oldest black newspaper. In 2007, the Reel Sisters of the Disapora Film Festival presented her with the Trailblazer Award, and the Council of the City of New York honored her for her outstanding contributions as a performer. Perhaps one her most pleasurable moments was the 2011 unveiling of her name on a street sign in the Grand Concourse of the Bronx Walk of Fame. That same year, she released a new album titled Irene Cara Presents Hot Caramel. Now semi-retired from the industry that filled every corner of her life for decades, Irene is now enjoying entertaining audiences via her YouTube podcast 'The Irene Cara Show' where she shares videos and talks about the acting and music industry's backstory.
While the outpouring of love from fans still makes her happy, Irene continues to be touched by the knowledge that she and her roles have inspired others within the acting/music industry as well.
Mariah Carey: "Around the same time, my mother entered me in a talent competition in the city, and I sang one of my favorite songs, 'Out Here on My Own', by Irene Cara. I felt 'Out Here on My Own' described my entire life, and I loved singing that way - singing to reveal a piece of my soul. And I won doing it. At that age. I lived for the movie 'Fame', and Irene Cara was everything to me."
Celine Dion: "Whether it's 'Titanic' and the unsinkable 'My Heart Will Go On', 'Michael's Song' and 'Listen to the Magic Man' (in English and French) for 'The Peanut Butter Solution', or 'Deadpool 2's' unexpected 'Ashes', she presides over movie theme songs as if taking up the baton from Irene Cara herself."
Whitney Houston: "'Sparkle' was especially important to because she'd been trying to get the film made for 15 years, having fallen in love with the 1976 original (starring Irene Cara, who went on to appear in Fame) as a teenager, seeing it every Saturday for three months straight."
The two most memorable lines from the title song 'Fame' are "I'm gonna live forever," and "Baby, remember my name". From "Little Miss America" to Carson, 'The Electric Company', 'Flashdance' and beyond, Irene Cara's legacy is guaranteed. Everyone will remember her name.Half Afro-Puerto Rican- Actor
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- Director
In 2023, Mr. Domingo was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Play as a producer for the Pulitzer Prize winning play Fat Ham. Colman won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor Drama for his role as Ali in the HBO series Euphoria. Domingo has been honored with the inaugural Denver Film CinemaQ-LaBahn Ikon Film Award, the National Hispanic Media Coalition Impact Award, the Creative Coalition Television Humanitarian Award and the Atlanta's Out On Film Icon Award. Colman Domingo stars in the Netflix, Higher Ground film Rustin as Bayard Rustin slated for the fall of 2023. He also stars as Mister in the Warner Brothers, Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg produced The Color Purple musical motion picture. A two time Film Independent Spirit, Gotham, SAG, Critics Choice and NAACP award nominee, he won a Hollywood Critics Association Award for Best Actor in a Limited Series/Anthology and an Imagen Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama for his work in Euphoria. Domingo is a Tony®, Sir Lawrence Olivier, Drama Desk, Drama League and NAACP Theatre Award nominated, OBIE and Lucille Lortel Award winning actor, playwright, director and producer. Colman received his Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Ursinus College. He is on the faculty of University of Southern California, School of Dramatic Arts as a Professor of acting, after having served as a Juilliard School Creative Associate and a faculty member of the Yale School of Drama. Colman has starred in some of the most profound films in recent years such as Barry Jenkins' If Beale Street Could Talk, Steven Spielbergs' Lincoln, Lee Daniel's The Butler, Ava DuVernay's Selma, Nia DaCosta's Candyman and Janicza Bravo's Zola.Half Afro-Guatamalan