List of Latinos in film
Opportunities for Latino/Hispanic Americans (i.e. those people who are or have family ancestry from Mexico, Spain, or other Latin American, Spanish & Portuguese speaking countries) in the film industry, often mirrors the opportunities, and challenges, facing people of other racial or ethnic identities who work in the industry, behind or in front of the film camera. Historically, actors or actresses of Latino/Hispanic ancestry often found work within certain stereotypical roles, which often reflected broader social attitudes and cultural biases.
Latino men were frequently depicted as being highly aggressive and also with low levels of emotional maturity, i.e. criminals, low-life thugs or the highly passionate, even violent, love interest of the starring character. Latino women, Latinas, were similarly portrayed when it came to their sexuality, but where as Latino men could be in a position of authority, albeit within an anti-social, criminal setting, Latinas were oftentimes characters with much less authority, such as housemaids, domestic servants or even prostitutes.
Traditionally, even without the usage of these stereotypes, it was rare for a Latino or Latina character in a film to be the star, unless the film was primarily marketed to a Latino audience. Behind the camera, it is still difficult for a Latino film producer, director, screenwriter or cinematographer to have mainstream commercial success.
However, as the social attitudes and biases change, there has been a gradual improvement in film depictions as well as in career opportunities for Latinos Americans.
History
The negative stereotyping of Latinos in film relates to the history of Latinos. Mexican Americans were seen by Anglos as uneducated and lacking integrity and thus unworthy of the rights to citizenship. Early films portrayed these negative stereotypes of Mexicans and Mexican Americans, but as time went on these stereotypes expanded to Central and South Americans. In the late 1890s, few Latinos were involved in filmmaking or appeared as actors in films. The Latinos that did appear in films or produced films were from privileged backgrounds. At this time, the late 1890s, filmmaking consisted of silent films. Myrtle Gonzalez and Beatriz Michelena were among the few Latinos to create silent films. In the 1910s and 1920s, a few film production companies rose to dominate the industry, forcing the depletion of Latinos working in film production. It was not until the 1970s that Latinos reemerged in the field of film production.
Silent western films were the first films to feature Latino characters. The Latino characters often played the role of the rebellious "greaser" opposing the white hero. The term "greaser" is used to describe Mexican bandits and other lazy, untrustworthy Mexican characters. Tony the Greaser and The Greaser's Revenge were two movies that capitalized on this storyline. These films helped to start the trend of establishing Latino characters as "others" in contrast to whites. The Mexican government in the 1920s complained and boycotted Hollywood films. These boycotts and complaints led film producers to disassociate negative Latino characters from identification with any particular country. This led to pan-Latino representations which were still negative, just not associated with one particular country.
The mid-1920s led to a few opportunities for Latino actors and actresses. The popularity of the Italian actor Rudolph Valentino, the original "Latin Lover", created opportunities for Latino actors and actresses such as Ramón Novarro, Dolores del Río, Lupe Vélez, Carmen Miranda etc. These actors were cast as major roles as passionate Latin Lover types and became international stars in silent films. The Latin Lover image capitalized on notions that Latinos were innately passionate and sexual. The Latin Lover image still exists today along with Latinos being viewed as villains and servants.
Changing times
Just as the population of Latinos is rapidly rising in the United States in the 21st century, Latinos are also emerging (although not as quickly as the population) in media, including motion pictures, both in front of and behind the camera. Mainstream news media conglomerates are finally covering "Latinos in Film" news, and also offer ground-breaking coverage specifically aimed at spotlighting Latinos in film, such as The Huffington Post's Latino Entertainment page. News not only highlights Latino celebrities, but Latino filmmakers of both studio and independent movies. Additionally, a small handful of organizations have emerged in the 2000s that advocate for Latinos rights and opportunity in the field of entertainment in the United States, as well as raising awareness of these rising talents, including the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP), The Latino Film Fund (LFF) and Edward James Olmos' Latino International Film Institute.
One of the first movies that portrayed Latinos not as stereotypes, but as regular families with their strengths and weaknesses was Mi Familia. The film won the Hispanic magazine's best picture of the 1995. It starred Edward James Olmos, Jimmy Smits and Jennifer Lopez.
Jennifer Lopez appeared in the Hispanic magazine's list of Hollywood's most powerful along with producer Nely Galán, writer–producer Josefina López, and Cameron Diaz. She also starred in movies such as Jack alongside Robin Williams, Anaconda as a female lead, and Money Train with Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson.
Moctesuma Esparza is a famous Latino producer who is best known for Selena, which grossed $21.7 million in its first ten days. He started his career in the 1980s with movies like Gettysburg (1993 film), The Battle of Gregorio Cortez and The Milagro Beanfield War.
Another Latino actor who is about to break into the mainstream of Hollywood film is Cesar Alejandro. He specializes in starring and producing movies in Spanish, but is beginning to make bilingual films. His latest movie depicts the lives of gang members through generations.
Things seem to be changing for Hispanics in Hollywood as many Hispanics enter and excel in the television and film industry. With movies such as Mi Familia and Selena making a respectable showing at the box office, the future is looking bright for Latinos in film
Latino actors
Actors such as Antonio Banderas, Alfred Molina, Charlie & Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez are often thought to be Latino but they actually have roots in Spain, but not Latin America, so they are not ethnically Latino.
Actors | Note |
---|---|
Desi Arnaz | Born in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba and is a Cuban-American actor |
Desi Arnaz, Jr. | Son of Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball |
Benjamin Bratt | Bratt's mother is a Peruvian Indigenous |
Rubén Blades | Born in Panama City, Panama |
Gael García Bernal | Born in Guadalajara, Mexico |
Cheech Marin | He is of Mexican descent |
Ricardo Montalbán | Born in Mexico City, Mexico |
Danny Trejo | He is of Mexican descent |
Edward James Olmos | Is a Mexican American |
Frankie Muniz | Muniz is of Puerto Rican, Italian, and Irish descent |
Héctor Elizondo | His parents moved from Puerto Rico to New York City |
Erik Estrada | He is of Puerto Rican descent |
Freddie Prinze | His mother was Puerto Rican |
Freddie Prinze Jr. | Son of Freddie Prinze, his mother is of English and Irish descent |
Jimmy Smits | His father is Surinamese of Dutch descent and his mother is Puerto Rican |
Luis Guzmán | Is a Puerto Rican American actor |
Javier Bardem | Is a Spanish actor of Spanish and Cuban descent |
Mark Consuelos | Is a Spanish-born American television and film actor of Spanish and Mexican descent |
Oscar Torre | |
Gabriel Iglesias | He is of Mexican heritage |
William Levy | Cuban actor |
George Lopez | Mexican descent |
Mario Lopez | He is of Mexican descent |
John Leguizamo | John Leguizamo was born in Bogotá, Colombia |
Diego Luna | Is a Mexican actor |
Sal Lopez | |
Alejandro Patino | |
Richard Yniguez | |
David Carreno | |
Daniel Zacapa | Born in Honduras |
Esai Morales | Of Puerto Rican descent |
Demián Bichir | Is a Mexican actor |
Édgar Ramírez | Is a Venezuelan actor |
Paul Rodriguez | Is a Mexican-born American stand-up comedian and actor |
Rico Rodriguez | He is of Mexican–American descent |
Rodrigo Santoro | Is a Brazilian actor |
Andy García | Is a Cuban American actor |
Danny Pino | Is of Cuban descent. |
Tyler Posey | He is of Mexican, Irish, and English ancestry |
James Roday | His father is of Mexican descent |
Ruben Santiago-Hudson | His father was Puerto Rican |
Jon Huertas | |
Wilmer Valderrama | He is of Colombian and Venezuelan descent |
Ryan Guzman | His father is Mexican and His mother in American of English, Scottish, German, French, and Dutch ancestry |
Raúl Juliá | Was a Puerto Rican actor |
Jaime Paul Gomez | Is a Mexican American Actor. |
Oscar Isaac | Is a Guatemalan-born American actor. |
Latina actresses
Despite popular misconception, actresses from Spain, such as Maribel Verdu and Penélope Cruz, who do not have roots in Latin America would not be classified as Latina.
Actresses | Note |
---|---|
Judy Reyes | Daughter of Dominican immigrants |
Lucie Arnaz | Daughter of Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball |
Morena Baccarin | Is a Brazilian actress of Italian descent |
Bérénice Bejo | Is a French-Argentine actress |
Jordana Brewster | Her mother is Brazilian |
Míriam Colón | Is a Puerto Rican actress |
America Ferrera | Her parents, were originally from Tegucigalpa, Honduras |
Carmen Miranda | Was a Portuguese-born Brazilian |
Jade Puga | Is a Mexican-American actress |
Sônia Braga | Is a Brazilian actress |
Aubrey Plaza | Her father is Puerto Rican |
Eva Longoria | Is a Mexican-American actress |
Rosario Dawson | Her mother is of Puerto Rican and Afro-Cuban descent |
Cote de Pablo | Is a Chilean-American actress |
Rosie Perez | Puerto Rican parents |
Rita Moreno | Is a Puerto Rican actress and singer |
Julie Gonzalo | Is an Argentine-American actress |
Selena Gomez | Her father is of Mexican descent |
Salma Hayek | Is a Mexican and American film actress |
Fernanda Montenegro | Is a Brazilian actress |
Jennifer Lopez | Puerto Rican parents |
Jessica Alba | Her father is of Mexican ancestry |
Elizabeth Peña | Is a Cuban-American actress |
Cierra Ramirez | |
Dania Ramirez | Is a Dominican-American actress |
Sara Ramirez | Is a Mexican singer and actress |
Sarah Ramos | Her father has Hispanic ancestry |
Monica Raymund | Her mother is a native of the Dominican Republic |
Naya Rivera | Rivera is of half Puerto Rican, a quarter African American, and a quarter German descent |
Génesis Rodríguez | Is an American actress |
Gina Rodriguez | Is a Puerto Rican actress |
Michelle Rodriguez | Her mother is a native of the Dominican Republic, her father is a native of Puerto Rico |
Raini Rodriguez | Is of Mexican descent. |
Madeleine Stowe | Her mother, had come from a prominent family in Costa Rica |
Karla Souza | Is a Mexican actress. |
Bella Thorne | Her father, was of Cuban descent |
Gina Torres | Her parents were both of multiracial Cuban descent |
Leonor Varela | Is a Chilean actress and model |
Lauren Vélez | Vélez's parents moved from Puerto Rico in the early 1950s |
Alexa Vega | Her father is Colombian |
Lana Parrilla | Her father is Puerto Rican |
Sofía Vergara | Is a Colombian actress |
Roselyn Sánchez | Is a Puerto Rican singer-songwriter, model, actress, producer and writer |
Demi Lovato | Her father was of Mexican and Spanish descent |
Zoe Saldana | Is of mixed Puerto Rican and Dominican heritage |
Harmony Santana | She is of mixed Puerto Rican and Dominican heritage |
Cameron Diaz | Her father's family were Cuban (of Spanish descent) |
Victoria Justice | Her mother is of Puerto Rican ancestry |
Lynda Carter | Her mother was of Spanish-Mexican descent[1] |
Elpidia Carrillo | Is a Mexican actress |
Rosanna DeSoto | Is a Mexican American actress |
Lupe Ontiveros | Daughter of Mexican immigrants |
Mía Maestro | Is an Argentine actress |
Vanessa Marcil | Marcil's father is Mexican and her mother is an American of French, Italian, and Portuguese ancestry |
Constance Marie | Is of Mexican descent |
Catalina Sandino Moreno | Is a Colombian actress |
Denise Blasor | |
Ivonne Coll | Is a former Miss Puerto Rico |
Evelina Fernandez | |
Alma Martínez | |
Jossara Jinaro | Is a Cuban-Mexican-American actress |
Yareli Arizmendi | |
Carmen Zapata | Mexican father and an Argentine mother |
Susana Santiago | |
Brittany Underwood | Her mother is from Colombia and her father is of English descent |
Maiara Walsh | Her mother is from Brazil and her father is of Irish, German and Swedish descent |
Raquel Welch | Her father is of Bolivian descent |
Tahnee Welch | Daughter of Raquel Welch |
Latino filmmakers
- Jade Puga
- Richard Montes
- Gregory Nava
- Desi Arnaz
- Robert Rodriguez
- Franc. Reyes
- Alejandro González Iñárritu
- Guillermo del Toro
- Luis Valdez
- Patricia Cardoso
- Alfonso Cuarón
- Alfonso Gomez-Rejon
- Miguel Arteta
- Fede Alvarez
References
External links
- http://www.filmreference.com/encyclopedia/Independent-Film-Road-Movies/Latinos-and-Cinema-LATINOS-AND-HOLLYWOOD-FILM.html
- http://epcc.libguides.com/content.php?pid=309255&sid=2629465
- http://www.lasculturas.com/library/famous/actors
- http://www.lasculturas.com/library/famous/actresses
- http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sj-main/
- List Of Famous Hispanic/Latinos
- http://www.latinofilmfund.org/home/why-latino-themed/