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- Ramon Franco is considered by many in the industry one of the finest character actors of his generation.In 2014 he made Grantland's list of "The 10 Most Underappreciated Actors on TV This Year" for his role as Fausto Galvan in the Peabody award-winning show "The Bridge". He's best known to movie audiences through his co-starring role in Heartbreak Ridge (1986) with Clint Eastwood.
Ramon received a baptism by fire in the off-Broadway Theatre during his early teen-aged years. Work with the Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre and in the critically-lauded production of Sancocho at Joseph Papp's Public Theatre in New York led to his first screen appearance in 1979's Boardwalk (1979) in which, at age 14, Ramon played opposite the legendary Lee Strasberg.
During the ensuing years, Ramon divided his time between stage work, television production and high school studies in the Bronx. Credits from that early portion of his career include the critically praised stage productions of Runaways by Elizabeth Swados, The Sun Always Shines for the Cool by Miguel Pinero, and We're Fighting Back (1981), a TV movie about the New York Guardian Angels.
Despite the professional activity that absorbed him during his teens, Ramon took a break from acting to work towards a bachelor of arts degree at Bard College. It was a brief hiatus. Ramon was enticed away from Bard's upstate New York campus when his agent called with several firm work offers. Academics were temporarily shelved in favor of a recurring role as Trimmer on the daytime drama Guiding Light (1952), appearances on Hill Street Blues (1981), Miami Vice (1984) and the pilot for _Stingray_, as well as roles in the features Deadly Force (1983) and Bulletproof (1996).
A return to the New York stage in early 1986 led to Ramon's most important break thus far. His performance as the troubled Marine Corporal Acevedo in the Chelsea Theatre production of Wasted drew rave reviews and attracted the attention of Clint Eastwood, who was then casting for young actors to portray a group of Marines who took part in the U.S. invasion of Grenada in 1984. Ramon's vivid portrayal of Corporal Acevedo landed him the part of Private Aponte in Eastwood's Heartbreak Ridge. Though demoted in military rank from Corporal to Private, Ramon was elated.
With Heartbreak Ridge behind him, many doors have opened for Ramon Franco. Filming Heartbreak Ridge in Hollywood and on locations in Puerto Rico also offered Ramon the opportunity to return to the town of Caguas, which he had left with his family during his early childhood. "It was very moving," he says, "the look on my father's face when I got off the plane with Clint Eastwood was priceless. It definitely made me feel I was on the right path." Indeed he was.
Upon completion of Heartbreak Ridge, Ramon relocated to Los Angeles and not only worked on episodes of Ohara (1987) and MacGyver (1985) but was cast as Private Alberto Ruiz in the CBS television series Tour of Duty (1987). Tour of Duty was the only TV show to have recognized Hispanic American involvement in the nation's armed conflicts through the character of Ruiz. From the years of Combat! (1962) to China Beach (1988), Hispanics had never been acknowledged in the form of leading characters. The EMMY Award winning show ran three seasons and enabled him to work on over fifty episodes garnering him international recognition.
Ramon has had the pleasure of working with many talented actors over the years: John Travolta in Chains of Gold (1990), Scott Glenn in Extreme Justice (1993), Gary Busey in Bulletproof (1996), Robert Beltran in Kiss Me a Killer (1991), opposite Robert Conrad in the TV movie Sworn to Vengeance (1993) and as a rookie FBI agent on Shattered Image (1994) with Bo Derek and Jack Scalia. One of his favorite roles was Mr. Cruz, a small town teacher in Search and Rescue (1994), starring Robert Conrad and Dee Wallace, on the NBC Network.
Over the span of his career, this ubiquitous and versatile actor has managed to guest star on nearly every popular TV show made over the last 25 years. From dramas like House (2004), The X-Files (1993), Cold Case (2003), Medium (2005) and NYPD Blue (1993) to comedies like Dead at 21 (1994), Bakersfield P.D. (1993), Seinfeld (1989), and Eagleheart (2011). In 2007, he played the role of Runty in the summer's #1 hit Resident Evil: Extinction (2007) and his excellent work as Arturo Padron, the man sent to assassinate Fidel Castro in the Golden Globe nominated mini-series The Company (2007) received great notices as well.
Ramon's most recent film work includes The Perfect Game (2009) a remake of Los pequeños gigantes (1960). He just wrapped the pilot for The Good Guys (2010) for 20th Century Fox and roles on CSI: Miami (2002) and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000). Of most recent notoriety is his critically praised and fan favorite role of Dirty Man/ Sucio on the hit Showtime series Weeds (2005). A one time guest role was expanded to 7 episodes over seasons four and five. The episode where Sucio meets his ultimate demise is considered comic genius and honored his character with the title of Su-Su-Sucio.
By far his most critically acclaimed work has been as Fausto Galvan in the 2014 Peabody award-winning show The Bridge (2013). A breakout performance loved by critics and fans alike worldwide.Of his work critic Andy Greenwald wrote,"In the season's most remarkable scene, Fausto interrupted a village quinceañera - not to wreak havoc, but to lose himself in normalcy, if only for a moment. With elegant focus, Franco was able to reveal the twisted root of his character's evil: a gnarled hunk of something that once, just maybe, looked an awful lot like decency." In 2019 he became the first actor in history to play 4 roles in a Quentin Tarantino film when he was cast in the director's Magnum Opus 'Once upon a time in Hollywood'. Mr. Franco is the recipient of the Desi Arnaz Vanguard Award, given for being a strong role model and improving the image of Hispanics in the media arts. - Actor
- Producer
Daniel Lugo was born on 30 July 1945 in Caguas, Puerto Rico. He is an actor and producer, known for American Made (2017), Mariana de la noche (1975) and Deception (2008).- Liz Dieppa is a latinx actress, singer and dancer professionally trained at Circle in the Square Theater School in New York and at the "Centro de Educación Artística" in Televisa, Mexico City.
Her first film role came about in 2013, as a dancer in The Disney Channel's flick "Teen Beach Movie".
In 2017 she had a role in the Mexican film "El habitante" soon followed by her first soap opera "Sangre de mi tierra" on Telemundo.
In 2018, she appeared in the Netflix TV series "Nicky Jam: El ganador" and Univision's "La bella y las bestias".
Liz had her first starring role in the Mexican film "Quiere jugar" directed by Adrián García Bogliano in 2019.
In 2021 she was in the ensemble cast movie "El cuartito" written and directed by the Argentine Marcos Carnevale (Elsa y Fred). That same year she became a series regular on two of Telemundo's soap operas: "100 días para enamorarnos" and "La suerte de Loli".
Her most recent role was as the young Lily in "Once Upon a Time in Havana" on Fox's Fantasy Island. - José David Sierra was born on 10 June 1980 in Caguas, Puerto Rico.
- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Alba Nydia Díaz was born on 27 April 1955 in Caguas, Puerto Rico. She is an actress and producer, known for Bitter Sweat (2003), Las combatientes (2004) and Psicosis (2003).- Actor
- Producer
Jorge Luis Ramos was born on 24 March 1961 in Caguas, Puerto Rico. He is an actor and producer, known for Force of Nature (2020), Captain Ron (1992) and Era del Silencio.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Johnny Lozada was born on 21 December 1967 in Caguas, Puerto Rico. He is an actor, known for Misión S.O.S. aventura y amor (2004), Amigas y rivales (2001) and Quiero Ser (1981). He has been married to Sandra Melendez since 23 May 1992. They have three children.- Actor
- Composer
- Music Department
Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Bryan developed his love for the arts at an early age by participating in school plays. Being exposed to different types of arts forms, Bryan has committed himself to pursuing a lifelong career in the performing arts. He has had the opportunity to work in film, television, theater and commercials.- Wilnelia Merced was born on 12 October 1959 in Caguas, Puerto Rico. She was previously married to Bruce Forsyth.
- Music Artist
- Actor
- Composer
Guaynaa was born on 12 January 1992 in Caguas, Puerto Rico. He is a music artist and actor, known for Father of the Bride (2022), Insecure (2016) and Guaynaa & Yandel: Full Moon (2019). He has been married to Lele Pons since 4 March 2023.- Miguel Cotto was born on 29 October 1980 in Caguas, Puerto Rico. He is married to Melissa Guzmán. They have two children.
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Marlon Correa was born in Caguas, Puerto Rico. He studied at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City. He began his professional acting career with the national tours of "Don Quixote" and "My Children, My Africa". Following the tours,he ventured out to Los Angeles where he immediately landed a role in daytime televisions, "The Young and The Restless". He has also appeared in NCIS:LA, Harry's Law, "A Better Life" and Rake. He continued to perform on the stage in productions with the Shakespeare Festival of LA's "Comedy of Errors" and Playwrights Arena "Conjunto".- Cinematographer
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Director
Miguelangel Aponte-Rios was born on 9 July 1971 in Caguas, Puerto Rico. Miguelangel is a cinematographer and director, known for No Regrets (2004), The Special (2005) and Mother's Little Helpers (2005).- Margot Arce de Vásquez was born on 10 March 1904 in Caguas, Puerto Rico. She was an actress, known for ¿Qué opina la mujer? (1957). She died on 14 November 1990 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
- Producer
- Cinematographer
- Editor
Amel J. Figueroa was born in Caguas, Puerto Rico in 1979 to Anselmo Figueroa and Merelyn Sanchez. His mother encouraged his passion for film at an early age, gifting him a worn paperback copy of "Rebel Without a Crew" and a SVHS camera allowing him to make his first feature film at 14. Amel is now a director, producer, writer, and cinematographer, best known for The Quiet Ones (2010), A Man Possessed (2016), and Junk in the Trunk (2023). His latest collaborations with artist 2Dee and Wyld Stylaz including the music videos "Love Again" and "We Outside" featuring Jadakiss have garnered him recent attention in the Hip Hop community as well. Amel is the founder of the independent film company Red Arena Films based in the Tri-State area. Show quoted text- Director
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Dean Zayas was born on 17 October 1937 in Caguas, Puerto Rico. He was a director and writer, known for Tanairi (1985), El derecho de nacer (1959) and Yo compro esa mujer (1960). He died on 3 February 2022 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.- Director
- Actor
- Art Department
Efraín López Neris was born on 1 April 1937 in Caguas, Puerto Rico. He is a director and actor, known for A Life of Sin (1979), Thunder Island (1963) and I Am a Director (2012).- Director
- Actress
- Writer
Krystell Susana Santiago Estrella is a 21 year-old Puerto Rican and Dominican singer, award-winning director, multi-instrumentalist, content creator, actress, scientist, and researcher who is best known for her directorial debut and critically-acclaimed short film, Pasado Meridiano (A Todo Color) (2022). She started gaining national attention in Puerto Rico when she was interviewed by Noticentro Edición Estelar from WAPA TV on 2021. She's a senior at Columbia University in the City of New York.
A rising artist of the new generation, Krystell experiments with a variety of musical and film genres which has allowed her to create and to be a unique voice within the artistic industry. Both an artist and a scholar, she hopes to inspire the next generation of creative thinkers to pursue and achieve all of their passions and dreams, no matter how different they are.
She has been featured in "Despierta con CDN" (2024), "El Plato del Día" (2024), "Al Límite con Rafaelina Bisonó" (2024), "El Caribe" (2024), and "TRA Noticias" (2024). She's led research talks and presentations in Columbia University, Harvard University, Brown University, Princeton University, and MIT.- Alex Cora was born on 18 October 1975 in Caguas, Puerto Rico. He is an actor, known for Béisbol Esta Noche (2006), El Efecto Clemente (2013) and The 2018 World Series (2018).
- J.C. Ortiz Calcaño was born on 10 September 1981 in Caguas, Puerto Rico. He is an actor, known for Punto final: De como Tito Mangual aprendio a bregar (1999).
- Joey Cora was born on 14 May 1965 in Caguas, Puerto Rico.
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Cinematographer
- Producer
Rafael Omar Rivera Zayas is a Cinematographer from Puerto Rico.
He was born in Caguas, Puerto Rico in 1992. Since a young age in his life his passion was to play baseball. He played for three years in the varsity team of his High School, Colegio Católico Notre Dame where he also graduated. In 2010 he got a scholarship to play baseball for The University of Puerto Rico in Carolina where he finished his BA in Graphic Design. It was there where his passion for filmmaking began. He took a class of video editing and he loved the process of shooting visuals and setting them together to tell a story visually. After he graduated he had a serious injury playing baseball, which made him retire and definitely steer his attention to a career in the filmmaking. In 2016 he decided to move forward and follow his dreams in the film industry moving to Los Angeles, California and start a master's degree in Cinematography at New York Film Academy.- Herman Badillo was born on 21 April 1929 in Caguas, Puerto Rico. He was married to Gail H. Roberts, Irma Deutsch Liebling and Norma Lit. He died on 3 December 2014 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA.
- Additional Crew
- Actress
Keila Rodriguez was born on 18 September 1974 in Caguas, Puerto Rico. She is an actress, known for Love You Right: An R&B Musical (2021) and Riddle Me This: Why Is Batman Forever? (1995).- Producer
- Director
- Cinematographer
Joshy Alvarez was born in Caguas, Puerto Rico, and was only 9 years old when he began his campaign in the entertainment industry by writing the Christmas play One Has to Forgive During the Holidays. Joshy was the critically acclaimed lead character of the play that was produced and performed in San Juan's premiere venue Centro de Bellas Artes.
In 2000, after graduating from high school in Puerto Rico, Joshy moved to Winter Park, Florida and obtained his first degree in Film Production and Digital Media. Several years later he obtains a Bachelor's in Entertainment Business and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing.
Armed with newly acquired textbook knowledge to complement his inner fire to succeed, Joshy began working with several major telecommunication companies. Through filming feature films and national sporting events for local television shows, Joshy established himself as a reliable, creative, and competent camera operator and cinematographer.
Joshy impressed his employers, that he was chosen as the director of photography and co-producer of the independent movie Gatorman. Joshy proved to be the perfect selection, as Gatorman went on to win the "Best Mini-Movie" at the Bare Bones International Film Festival.
His most recent works are the short films Dreams, which he produced and directed, his role as the lead character in the movie Insight and the short feature Sobe Love filmed in South Beach, Florida. With numerous uncredited high profile productions Joshy Alvarez continues to work as an independent artist.