By Bel Hernandez
Hollywood, CA — I ran into up and coming TV and film star, Johnny Ortiz at the Smash Global MMA Black Tie Event honoring boxing trainer Freddie Roach and benefiting the Michael J. Fox Foundation, a couple of weeks back. Johnny was sporting a new look with auburn colored hair for a new role he recently booked and was getting ready to shoot. He told me all about it and I had to just find out more.
Johnny Ortiz with Smash Global’s Steve Orozco
Boxing Trainer Freddie Roach, Johnny Ortiz and actor Enrique Castillo
Johnny Ortiz was recently cast in the recurring role of Rusty in the new Alfonso Gomez-Rejon pilot Citizen for Hulu. The show, it is said, gives a new twist to the hero origin story, blending elements of magic realism and the gritty world of vigilantes and places it smack in the middle of East L.A. Ortiz has been cast as the recurring character of Rusty, an ill-tempered gangbanger and a member of the baby Narcos.
But before you start the “not another gangbanger character,” Johnny don’t play that. He prides himself in taking on roles that go beyond the stereotypes.
“I took this role because I can portray gang bangers in a human way, and that is what I want to promote,” Johnny explained. “He is not your typical gang banger you see out there. This guy has orange hair, he drives a yellow Harley Davidson, and he’s a social media guy. He likes to take pictures wherever he’s at. Now which gangbanger do you see out there taking pictures for social media.”
In a very short time Johnny has proven that he has a knack for playing his characters with authenticity. In his first major film role, in Strike One, it was so authentic, it mirrored his own life. Johnny grew up on the East side of the L.A. concrete river and had a taste for the street life. After landing in jail while still a juvenile for petty theft, and seeing what incarceration does to young kids, he decided to focus on the passion he has had since the age of five when he called 411 and asked them how he could become an actor.
Johnny started his acting training and career when he met Edward Padilla, who is now his life coach. Padilla is a board member of Casa0101 a theater company founded by screenwriter/producer Josefina Lopez. Johnny quickly began booking TV and film roles and in 2013 he landed not one but two high profile roles, one a series regular ABC’s American Crime and the other Disney’s McFarland where he starred alongside Kevin Costner. Both these projects brought attention to Johnny’s talent and he has not had time to look back since. Johnny only looks to the future. And the future looks good for Johnny.
Johnny Ortiz in “Soy Nero”
Earlier this year he travelled to Berlin where his latest film Soy Nero, directed by acclaimed Iranian writer-director Rafi Pitts was in competition at the Berlin International Film Festival
Playing the 19-year-old Nero, an illegal Mexican living in the U.S., as he joins the army to obtain a shortcut to citizenship, has ignited a new passion for Ortiz. In his research he learned about the plight of many Latino U.S. armed forces Veterans. They have gone to fight the U.S. wars from from Korea to Iraq, only to be deported back to Mexico or Latin America…sometimes for minor offenses. He has made it a point to speak up about this because he has lived it fictionally through his character’s life story.
For now Johnny is very focused preparaing for his role of in Citizen, learning to ride a motorcycle, learning more about magic realism and he couldn’t be more happy as he embarks on another character he needs to becom.
“This show is fabulous and awesome…the creativity is amazing,” Johnny excitedly enthused. “A Lot of it takes place in East L.A. and Boyle Heights and it is set in a supernatural, magical, vigilante world.” He praised Hulu for having the gumption to focus on this Latino themed show and for showing off Latino superheroes. With their hit show East Los High, It’s obvious they see the payoff. “It’s kind of like a comic book, there is a superhero, and that is what Hulu is creating with the direction of Alfonso Gomez-Rajon (Me And Earl And The Dying Girl). Hulu is going against Netflix and Amazon and they are going beyond,” Johnny explained.
Spanish actor, Alex Gonzalez has been tapped to play Gabriel, the hero in Citizen. Augusto Aguilera (Chasing Life) is and Ismael Cruz Cordova who will play the Chris Martinez, a fiercely ambitious cellular phone salesman. Forrest Goodluck fresh off his role as Hawk in The Revenant is also on board, so the casting is solid.
Johnny embrace the career he has worked so hard for and is thankful and is always ready to lend a helping hand and pay it forward. He is known to help a buddy or two prepare to get the role, but he is also always helping the disenfranchised. On holidays you will find him giving back, whether it’s feeding the homeless or supporting veterans or kids from the low income neighborhood. For Johnny good fortunes needs to be paid forward.
Citizen will premiere later this year on Hulu. Johnny has already premiered and he is having a terrific run!
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