The LatPak©, a term coined by Latin Heat to identify the bold new crop of fierce Latino talent rising up the Hollywood ranks. They are the actors, directors, producers, and yes even media moguls in the making, who are capitalizing on their celebrity to create a media empire that invites and embraces diversity. They write their own shows, films or web series, produce it, and if need be, use the web to find their audience – to tell the stories Hollywood has chosen to ignore.
They are a new breed of American Latinos – with a strong connection to cultural roots and a solid business savvy. They are not waiting around for Hollywood to give them a role…they are creating their own.
The LatPak© represents a generation of American Latinos who grew up assimilated into the American pop cultural lexicon, yet rarely saw themselves in media or realistically portrayed on screen. The lead roles, the lawyers, the astronauts, the heroes, the princesses, hardly ever resembled them. They are about to change that.
Technology is their strongest ally. Today’s Latino performers and content creators make the movies they want without Hollywood standing in the way with their tired notions about what to write about and who to cast.
Will Hollywood finally take notice? After the success of the limply marketed Instructions Not Included, it would simply be bad business. But things are looking up, that’s for sure.
So who exactly make up the LatPak? Well, it’s an ever-growing posse. But here is a succinct who’s who rundown of the up and coming Latino players taking over showbiz.
(This is a partial list with excerpts of our LatPak© list. For the full list check out the Latin Heat Winter digital magazine by clicking here
Gina Rodriguez – Actress/Producer
“Forthright and formidable, a festival ingénue who deserves to be discussed in the same breath as Elizabeth Olsen and Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence.” Amy Nicholson, L.A. Times on Gina’s performance in Filly Brown
The next big star? The Latina Meryl Streep? (Yeah, we said it!). You are looking at her. She is Gina Rodriguez, and this young lady isn’t just talented, she is smart and outspoken…
Douglas Spain – Actor/Producer/Director
“I felt I could be the producer…to help him [Bryan Ramirez] achieve his vision, not have Hollywood alter it, because they will.”
Douglas Spain’s lead role in Miguel Arteta’s film Star Maps in ’93 would confirm his star potential and earn him a Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Debut Performance. But another prime role like that one would prove elusive, as Hollywood was not writing or casting Latinos…
Mario Lopez – Mini-Mogul
“My creative goals are totally aligned with NUVOtv’s commitment to deliver culturally relevant programming for the English-speaking Latino audience.”
Mario Lopez is a mini-mogul and the “Latino Ryan Seacrest” — by his own design…he wanted [to do] was to focus on hosting gigs and producing thereby building his mini –empire…
Selena Gomez – Actress/Producer/Singer & Songwriter
“I don’t know if I would’ve had the opportunity to be on Wizards of Waverly Place if it weren’t for my heritage.”
She is an actress, singer and songwriter with a net worth of $10 million accumulated in Wizards of Waverly Place and many film and television roles in addition to her singing/songwriting career…
Wilmer Valderrama – Actor/Director/Producer
“[I’m] putting my hands in a little bit of everything right now, … It’s really exciting to stay so busy.”
His social consciousness that lead to producing. He began producing PSAs for them and branched out to producing eco PSAs and short films via his WV Enterprises shingle. In the fall of 2013 he signed a deal with Lionsgate and Televisa to develop his own film and TV projects…
Bryan Ramirez – Writer/Director/Producer
“Your vision is your vision. You have to be able to tell your story the way you want to tell it. It has to look and feel the way you want it to.”
When shopping his Line of Duty script in Hollywood, he said they loved it — however hated first time directors and weren’t going go for Latinos in the leads. So when they offered six-figure deal for the script Ramirez walked away…
Jeremy Ray Valdez – Actor/Producer
“We got our seed money through Kickstarter! We raised over $50,000 in thirty days because people believe in the DREAM Act and in immigration reform.”
Valdez understands that movies can influence change, with that in mind he stars and produced the indie film Dreamer about an All-American college graduate on his…
FOR THE FULL LIST
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