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Michael Pena is one of the most popular and well-celebrated Latino actors in Hollywood. He has landed different roles in some of Hollywood's most popular mvies and award-winning films like "Felicity" which gained awards at the Golden Globes, Oscar-winning movies like Million Dollar Baby" and "Crash", and now he will be playing another character in Netflix's most compelled documentary series "Narcos: Mexico Season 2."

Not only that, but Michael Pena will also be one of the leading stars in the upcoming movie "Fantasy Island." This movie is about reaching someone's dreams and making the impossible possible on the island that Mr. Roarke,played by Pena, owns.

One of the reasons why Pena accepted this role in the movie is because of the difficulties he encountered in his life and the obstacles he faced before he landed in Hollywood. In an interview with NBC News, Pena said that progress has to be made in accepting Latinos.

Pena said: "We are almost 20 percent of the population. And right now, Latino representation does not show that. But we're all working on it. The opportunities I have right now are better than when I started acting. And it feels good to be part of a generation that's making some change." 

The Mexican-American actor is most remembered for his most acclaimed role in the film "Cesar Chavez" in 2014. When asked who inspired him to work hard and become a well-known actor in Hollywood, he said that everything he has right now, most especially in his acting career, is all because of the work ethic that his parents planted in him.

Nicolasa, Michael Pena's mother, was a social worker and Eleuterio, his father, worked at a button factory. They are his inspirations and he credits all his success in his acting career to his parents because of the determination and hard work he had seen in them. 

He said that both his parents came to the United States and fell in love with the country to the point that they wanted to be Americans. In a statement he shared with the news outlet he said, "Both of my parents worked hard. My mom went to school - after working a full-time job and taking care of us - to practice her English. She loved to learn and I think that rubbed off on me. She got good at speaking English and eventually became a social worker."

However, though it is very clear that he manifested and inherited the hard work and determination that his parents had shown him, he also accepts the fact that his journey towards Hollywood was not easy because of the stereotypes he had to face as a Latino and this is also what prevented many actors from succeeding in the entertainment industry.

Moreover, in connection to Latino stereotyping he said: "Everybody had their stereotypes in a way, generalizations, especially when you're starting. For me, I tried to rationalize it and not become a victim, cause when I become a victim it kind of stops me, it takes the control out of my hands. And it helped me specifically to not feel like that, knowing that I have some disadvantages in it. I did not want to be bitter."