Tony Plana

Early life and education

Plana was born in Havana, Cuba. His family moved to Miami in 1960. 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 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, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Resurrection Boulevard, Commander in Chief, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, 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 | Bravo 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 | | |- ! 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
• 1980: Seed of Innocence (uncredited)
• 1980: First Family – White House Gardener
• 1981: Love & Money – National Guard General
• 1981: Circle of Power – Reza Haddad
• 1981: Zoot Suit – Rudy
• 1982: An Officer and a Gentleman – Emiliano De la Serra
• 1983: Valley Girl – Low Rider
• 1983: Nightmares – Father Luis Del Amo (segment "The Benediction")
• 1983: El Norte – Carlos, The Bus Boy
• 1983: Deal of the Century – Chicano Man
• 1985: City Limits – Ramos
• 1985: Latino – Ruben
• 1985: Godzilla 1985 – Goro Maki (voice, uncredited)
• 1986: The Best of Times – Chico
• 1986: Salvador – Major Max
• 1986: Three Amigos – Jefe
• 1987: Disorderlies – Miguel
• 1987: Born in East L.A. – Feo
• 1988: Buy & Cell – Raoul
• 1989: Romero – Father Manuel Morantes
• 1989: What's Up, Hideous Sun Demon – Officer Ignatz
• 1990: Why Me? – Benjy Klopzik
• 1990: The Rookie – Morales
• 1990: Havana – Julio Ramos
• 1991: One Good Cop as Beniamino Rios
• 1991: JFK – Carlos Bringuier
• 1992: Live Wire – Al-Red
• 1993: Red Hot – KGB Investigator
• 1993: Greshnitsa v maske – Le Arden
• 1994: A Million to Juan – Jorge
• 1995: Nixon – Manolo Sanchez
• 1996: Lone Star – Ray
• 1996: Primal Fear – Martinez
• 1996: Down for the Barrio – Cesar
• 1996: Canción desesperada – Patrick
• 1996: The Disappearance of Garcia Lorca – Marcos, Lorca's Friend
• 1997: Santa Fe – Chief Gomez
• 1997: One Eight Seven – Principal Garcia
• 1998: The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit – Victor Medina
• 1998: Shadow of Doubt – Detective Krause
• 1998: Every Dog Has Its Day – The Cop
• 1999: Let the Devil Wear Black – Tall
• 2000: Knockout – Chuck Alvarado
• 2000: Picking Up the Pieces – Usher
• 2001: Vegas, City of Dreams – Captain Martin
• 2002: Half Past Dead – Warden Juan Ruiz 'El Fuego' Escarzaga
• 2005: The Lost City – The Emcee
• 2005: Goal! – Hernan Munez
• 2007: El Muerto – Aparicio
• 2007: Hacia la oscuridad – Carlos Gutierrez
• 2007: Half Past Dead 2 – Warden Juan Ruiz 'El Fuego' Escarzaga
• 2008: AmericanEast – Dez
• 2009: Life Is Hot in Cracktown – Lou
• 2011: America – Tio Poldo
• 2012: The Man Who Shook the Hand of Vicente Fernandez – Dr. Dominguez
• 2013: Pain and Gain – Captain Lopez
• 2013: A Miracle in Spanish Harlem – Mariano
• 2016: America Adrift – William Fernandez
• 2017: Roman J. Israel, Esq. – Jessie Salinas
• 2017: Butterfly Caught – Michael Channis
• 2019: Wasp Network – Luis Posada Carriles
• 2026: Office Romance - TBA

Television

Voice acting

;Video games

• 1998: Grim Fandango – Manuel "Manny" Calavera
• 2017: Ghost Recon Wildlands – El Cardenal ;Other voice roles
• 2003: Cuba Libre – Narrator
• 2003: Hiroshima – Radio play based on the book by John Hersey, adapted by John Valentine

References

References

1. (2009-04-20). "Happy (belated) Birthday, Tony Plana!". www.alloy.com.
2. (2012). "Cubans, an Epic Journey: The Struggle of Exiles for Truth and Freedom". Reedy Press LLC.
3. [https://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800057794/bio Yahoo! Movies biography]
4. "Eastside Stories: The Vision and Legacy of East L.A. Classic Theatre".
5. Berumen, Frank Javier Garcia. (2014-08-22). "Latino Image Makers in Hollywood: Performers, Filmmakers and Films Since the 1960s". McFarland.
6. {{YouTube. YBEfFxnZAWc. Reform Immigration Now clip with Tony Plana
7. {{YouTube. 42kDBuDihuQ&. 2012 LULAC Convention: Tony Plana, Actor introduces the March from Selma to Montgomery Video
8. [http://www.pressacademy.com/satawards/forms/pdf/WinnerListMediaAdvisory.pdf ''The 11th Annual Satellite Awards''] {{webarchive. link. (2011-09-28 . Last accessed January 9, 2007.)
9. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FimWf1OExHI&list=PLEtwdb0nlBAQjL4FR_RGKSU-RBEMCKjS-&index=14 ''The Paper Chase,'' Season 1, Episode 15: "The Man in the Chair" (YouTube)]
10. [https://www.hallmarkmystery.com/meddling-mom/cast/tony-plana '' Hallmark Mystery, Cast Tony Plana '']