José Antonio Plana (born April 19, 1952) is a Cuban-American actor and Theatre director.
Early life and education
Plana was born in
Havana, Cuba.
His family moved to
Miami in 1960.
[ Yahoo! Movies biography] He is a graduate of Loyola Marymount University and was trained in acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.
Career
While known to a broad audience for his roles in feature films and television, Plana is also known for his skills in acting and directing for the stage. In 1995, he founded East L.A. Classic Theatre and over the course of a decade, he created and directed a number of Shakespeare productions for minority audiences.
He has been active in the Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and New York City theater communities, including leading appearances on
Broadway theatre and at New York City's
Public Theater. He originated the role of Rudy in the Los Angeles production of
Luis Valdez's play
Zoot Suit, going on to play Rudy in the film version.
Plana has acted, directed and written for television in series, miniseries, and specials such as Hill Street Blues, , Resurrection Boulevard, Commander in Chief, , The West Wing, 24, and Cagney & Lacey.
Plana has acted in films such as An Officer and a Gentleman, Three Amigos, Goal!, and Lone Star. He is known to PC gamers as the voice of Manny Calavera in the LucasArts 1998 adventure game Grim Fandango. In 2011, Plana guest starred in Desperate Housewives as Gabrielle Solis's abusive stepfather, Alejandro Perez. He also directed Witch's Lament, a Desperate Housewives episode in the show's eighth season. In 2011, he appeared in Body of Proof, in the episode "Helping Hand".
Plana participated in the web series Los Americans (2011), about a middle-class family in Los Angeles.
Plana teaches acting at California State University, Dominguez Hills and Rio Hondo College. In 2012, he served as a judge for the Noor Iranian Film Festival.
Politics
Plana volunteers as a spokesperson for comprehensive immigration reform.
He was the keynote speaker for the 2012 LULAC conference in Coronado Springs Convention Center in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
Awards and nominations
|-
! scope="row" | 1996
|
ALMA Award
| Outstanding Actor in a Feature Film
| For Tony Plana's performance in
Lone Star
|
|
|-
! scope="row" | 2001
|
ALMA Award
| Outstanding Actor in a New Television Series
| For Tony Plana's performance in
Resurrection Blvd.
|
|
|-
! scope="row" | 2002
| ALMA Award
| Outstanding Actor in a Television Series
| For Tony Plana's performance in
Resurrection Blvd.
|
|
|-
! scope="row" | 2006
|
Satellite Awards
| Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries, or Motion Picture Made for Television
| For Tony Plana's role as "Ignacio Suarez" in
Ugly Betty
|
|
[ The 11th Annual Satellite Awards . Last accessed January 9, 2007.]
|-
! scope="row" | 2006
| Screen Actors Guild Awards
| Best Ensemble - Comedy Series
| For Tony Plana's performance in
Ugly Betty
|
|
Filmography
Film
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1978: The Boss' Son – Juan
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1980: Seed of Innocence (uncredited)
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1980: First Family – White House Gardener
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1981: Love & Money – National Guard General
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1981: Circle of Power – Reza Haddad
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1981: Zoot Suit – Rudy
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1982: An Officer and a Gentleman – Emiliano De la Serra
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1983: Valley Girl – Low Rider
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1983: Nightmares – Father Luis Del Amo (segment "The Benediction")
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1983: El Norte – Carlos, The Bus Boy
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1983: Deal of the Century – Chicano Man
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1985: City Limits – Ramos
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1985: Latino – Ruben
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1985: Godzilla 1985 – Goro Maki (voice, uncredited)
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1986: The Best of Times – Chico
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1986: Salvador – Major Max
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1986: Three Amigos – Jefe
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1987: Disorderlies – Miguel
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1987: Born in East L.A. – Feo
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1988: Buy & Cell – Raoul
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1989: Romero – Father Manuel Morantes
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1989: What's Up, Hideous Sun Demon – Officer Ignatz
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1990: Why Me? – Benjy Klopzik
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1990: The Rookie – Morales
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1990: Havana – Julio Ramos
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1991: One Good Cop as Beniamino Rios
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1991: JFK – Carlos Bringuier
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1992: Live Wire – Al-Red
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1993: Red Hot – KGB Investigator
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1993: Greshnitsa v maske – Le Arden
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1994: A Million to Juan – Jorge
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1995: Nixon – Manolo Sanchez
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1996: Lone Star – Ray
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1996: Primal Fear – Martinez
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1996: Down for the Barrio – Cesar
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1996: Canción desesperada – Patrick
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1996: The Disappearance of Garcia Lorca – Marcos, Lorca's Friend
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1997: Santa Fe – Chief Gomez
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1997: One Eight Seven – Principal Garcia
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1998: The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit – Victor Medina
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1998: Shadow of Doubt – Detective Krause
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1998: Every Dog Has Its Day – The Cop
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1999: Let the Devil Wear Black – Tall
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2000: Knockout – Chuck Alvarado
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2000: Picking Up the Pieces – Usher
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2001: Vegas, City of Dreams – Captain Martin
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2002: Half Past Dead – Warden Juan Ruiz 'El Fuego' Escarzaga
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2005: The Lost City – The Emcee
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2005: Goal! – Hernan Munez
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2007: El Muerto – Aparicio
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2007: Hacia la oscuridad – Carlos Gutierrez
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2007: Half Past Dead 2 – Warden Juan Ruiz 'El Fuego' Escarzaga
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2008: AmericanEast – Dez
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2009: Life Is Hot in Cracktown – Lou
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2011: America – Tio Poldo
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2012: The Man Who Shook the Hand of Vicente Fernandez – Dr. Dominguez
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2013: Pain and Gain – Captain Lopez
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2013: A Miracle in Spanish Harlem – Mariano
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2016: America Adrift – William Fernandez
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2017: Roman J. Israel, Esq. – Jessie Salinas
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2017: Butterfly Caught – Michael Channis
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2019: Wasp Network – Luis Posada Carriles
Television
Voice acting
- Video games
- Other voice roles
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2003: Cuba Libre – Narrator
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2003: Hiroshima – Radio play based on the book by John Hersey, adapted by John Valentine
External links
