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Pepe Serna
Acting
Biography
Durable Mexican-American actor Pepe Serna has appeared in more than 100 feature films and 300 television shows, but is most recognized for his gritty support performances in a variety of motion pictures, including Scarface (1983) as Al Pacino's ill-fated cocaine partner, as well as the western Silverado (1985) with Kevin Costner, the crime yarn The Rookie (1990) starring Clint Eastwood and Charlie Sheen, and the drama American Me (1992) starring Edward James Olmos. In a career surpassing five decades, Pepe's characters have played on both sides of the law -- from drug peddlers to sheriffs.
He was born (and raised) in Corpus Christi, Texas on July 23, 1944, the son of a naval base interprete…
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Durable Mexican-American actor Pepe Serna has appeared in more than 100 feature films and 300 television shows, but is most recognized for his gritty support performances in a variety of motion pictures, including Scarface (1983) as Al Pacino's ill-fated cocaine partner, as well as the western Silverado (1985) with Kevin Costner, the crime yarn The Rookie (1990) starring Clint Eastwood and Charlie Sheen, and the drama American Me (1992) starring Edward James Olmos. In a career surpassing five decades, Pepe's characters have played on both sides of the law -- from drug peddlers to sheriffs. He was born (and raised) in Corpus Christi, Texas on July 23, 1944, the son of a naval base interpreter for Latin American pilots and a hairdresser. His desires to become an actor happened early in life, moving to Hollywood in 1969 to finally pursue his dreams. He didn't have to wait long to find steady Latino work on film and TV. Making an inauspicious debut in the exploitation film The Student Nurses (1970), Pepe found more "A" quality work after being discovered by producer Hal B. Wallis for the coming-of-age film Tim Belcher starring Richard Thomas and Catherine Burns and the western Shoot Out (1971) starring Gregory Peck. Specializing in urban, streetwise roles, he went on to mix a number of popular films (The New Centurions (1972), The Day of the Locust (1975), Car Wash (1976), A Force of One (1979), Walk Proud (1979), Honeysuckle Rose (1980), Inside Moves (1980), Deal of the Century (1983), Red Dawn (1984), Caddyshack II (1988)) with a slew of popular TV crime dramas such as "Mannix," "Police Story," "Adam-12," "The Rookies," "The Rockford Files," "Baretta," "Kojak," "CHiPs," "Barney Miller," "Scarecrow & Mrs. King," "T.J. Hooker," "Simon & Simon," "Hill Street Blues," "Miami Vice," "Cagney & Lacey" and "Diagnosis Murder." Long married to wife Diane, Pepe is a noted keynote teacher and motivational speaker who tours colleges and universities. His strong sideline as a painter has been met with critical success, having been commissioned quite frequently. His vibrant paintings and one-man stage shows reflect a serious return to his Mexican roots and was the subject of the 2015 short documentary "Life Is Art."
Biography expanded
BODY OF WORK
Pepe Serna's Filmography
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No Poster
Disco Beats
as Lou
Say a Little Prayer
Moe
Flamin' Hot
as Abuelito
Green Ghost and the Masters of the Stone
as Rancher
The Planters
as Jesús
The Margarita Man
as Jose Martinez
From the Dead
as Rodrigo
Flavor of Life
Downsizing
as Señor Cárdenas
Lowriders
as Pepe
Monday Nights at Seven
as Paul
Under Water: Dive Deep
as Lil' Big Me
Restored Me
as Manny
Superpowerless
as Dr. George Holst
Kill or Be Killed
as Rudy Goebel
Aguruphobia
as Nanak
Road to Juarez
as Fortunato
Ana Maria in Novela Land
as Father Miguel
Cake
as Nuncio
Man from Reno
as Paul Del Moral
White on Rice
as Professor Berk
The Black Dahlia
as Dos Santos
The Virgin of Juarez
as Eduardo Morales
Big Dreams Little Tokyo
as Mr. Gonzalez
Latin Dragon
as Hector Sanchez
Exposed
as Raoul
Deadly Swarm
as Commandante Alvarez
Along for the Ride
as Dr. Sanchez
Daybreak
as Herman Ortiz
The Princess and the Barrio Boy
as Bum
Bread and Roses
as Restaurateur
Picking Up the Pieces
as Florencio
Luminarias
The Brave
as Alessandro
Land of Milk & Honey
as Danny
In the Flesh
as Harlan Ramirez
A Million to Juan
as Mr. Ortiz
Jonny's Golden Quest
as Agent Menendez (voice)
Only You
as Dock Official
American Me
as Mundo
Conagher
The Rookie
as Lt. Ray Garcia
Postcards from the Edge
as Raoul
Bad Jim
as Virgilio Segura
The Forgotten
as Sgt. Pepe Gutierrez
Break of Dawn
as Hector
Caddyshack II
as Carlos
Human Error
The Three Kings
as Alex Sweetwood
Out of Bounds
as Murano
Streets of Justice
as Det. Almos
Fandango
as Gas Station Mechanic
Red Dawn
as Aardvark's Father
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension
as Reno Nevada
Best Kept Secrets
as Jim Ramos
Scarface
as Angel
Deal of the Century
as Vardis
The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez
as Romaldo Cortez
Heartbreaker
as Loco
White Water Rebels
as Harry Cutter
Seguin
as Manuel Flores
Vice Squad
as Pete Mendez
Joe Dancer II: The Monkey Mission
as Vito
300 Miles for Stephanie
as Bobby Hernandez
Inside Moves
as Herrada
Honeysuckle Rose
as Rooster
City in Fear
as Raymond Zavala
The Jerk
as Punk #1
The Streets of L.A.
as Sgt. Castro
Walk Proud
as Cesar
A Force of One
as Orlando
Roots of Blood
as Juan
Tarantulas: The Deadly Cargo
as Migrant Worker (uncredited)
Car Wash
as Chuco
The Killer Inside Me
as Johnny Lopez
Swashbuckler
as Street Entertainer
The Deadly Tower
as Mano
The Day of the Locust
as Miguel
The Desperate Miles
as Ruiz
The Gun
as Natcho
The Last Angry Man
as Charlie Parelli
Miracle on 34th Street
as Y Leader
Group Marriage
as Ramon
The New Centurions
as Young Mexican Man
Johnny Got His Gun
as Jose (uncredited)
Shoot Out
as Pepe
The Student Nurses
as Luis
Cuento de Navidad
as Sr. Ebenezer Scrooge
No Poster