In the Latino entertainment industry, there were plenty of sad, shocking and happy moments in 2014. Here's a look at 12 of the biggest things that happened this year.
NBC Latino, whose tagline read "The Voice of American Hispanics," quietly closed its doors last Friday. NBC announced the sudden closure of the Latino-centric site last November.
Netflix is perhaps the most well-known and successful providers of streaming on-demand films and series, offering thousands of titles to more than 33.1 million subscribers in the U.S. alone. The website delivers films and television series in a number of languages and in every known genre. The website even hosts a collection of Hollywood favorites and hidden treasures that show Latinos as lead supporting actors and actresses.
Most stars don't make a smooth transition from child-to-adult celebrity. When crossing that bridge many stumble and slip due to alcohol or drug use and abuse, and some simply aren't equipped to handle the blinding beams cast down from being in the lime light. But, for the Latino stars who have successfully crossed that bridge, it's time to take a look at the first R-rated roles that appeared on their filmography.
Multi-instrumentalist and former guitarist of The Mars Volta/At the Drive-In Omar Rodriguez-Lopez has joined forces with Red Hot Chili Peppers' departed guitarist John Frusciante to create new project, Kimono Kult. The friends and longtime collaborators will be playing alongside frontwoman and guitarist Teri Gender Bender (Le Butcherettes, Bosian Rainbows); Nicole Turley on bass, drum machine, trumpets and backing vocals; Dante White-Aliano on guitar, and Laena Geronimo (Frusciante's wife) on violin, bass and trumpets.
Spanish is the second most used language in the United States, and according to the 2012 U.S. Census Bureau, it is the primary language spoken at home by 38.3 million people age five or older -having doubled since 1990. Latinos and non-Latinos, alike, are obliging to the growing need to speak and understand Spanish, as it's a valuable skill in most fields -even in Hollywood.
She's most famous for her masterful portrayal of cut-throat Police Captain Maria LaGuerta on the bloody hit Showtime drama Dexter; also, for a long run as Dr. Gloria Nathan on OZ and a reoccurring role as Elena on the much-adored show Ugly Betty. After Velez's character's fatal exit from Dexter, the dynamic Puerto Rican actress Lauren Velez has moved on to interesting and exciting projects and opportunities.
Media mogul, celebrity blogger, professional spectator, and television personality Mario Armando Lavandeira, Jr., professionally known as Perez Hilton, has gained notoriety for doodle-ridden tabloid photos, past antics of outing closeted celebrities, and an ongoing feuds with celebrities such as Lady Gaga. In a change of narrative, Hilton is now set to executive produce and star in a new reality TV series about becoming a first-time father, and what it means to be a gay father in New York City.
Born in the year 2349 on the Federation colony Kessik, half-human and half-Klingon, B’Elanna Torres acted as the Provisional Lieutenant/Chief Engineer on the USS Voyager, acting under Capt. Kathryn Janeway. Roxann Dawson, biracial (African American/Anglo)* actress and director, portrayed the brave and brilliant Latina Torres, perfecting the role of the quietly self-loathing, perpetually rebellious and passionately loyal character. Torres is the only major character in Star Trek to have Hispanic Heritage, which speaks to the present state of Latinos in Science Fiction.
Los 33 (The 33), the highly-anticipated film about the 2010 Chilean mining disaster, will star Antonio Banderas, and it is facing its fair share of issues.
