Cast

Pepe Serna

Acting

Cast

Pepe Serna

Known for

Acting

Born

1944-07-23

From

Corpus Christi, Texas, USA

Biography

Durable Mexican-American actor Pepe Serna has appeared in more than 100 feature films and 300 television shows, but is most recognized for his gritty support performances in a variety of motion pictures, including Scarface (1983) as Al Pacino's ill-fated cocaine partner, as well as the western Silverado (1985) with Kevin Costner, the crime yarn The Rookie (1990) starring Clint Eastwood and Charlie Sheen, and the drama American Me (1992) starring Edward James Olmos. In a career surpassing five decades, Pepe's characters have played on both sides of the law -- from drug peddlers to sheriffs. He was born (and raised) in Corpus Christi, Texas on July 23, 1944, the son of a naval base interpreter for Latin American pilots and a hairdresser. His desires to become an actor happened early in life, moving to Hollywood in 1969 to finally pursue his dreams. He didn't have to wait long to find steady Latino work on film and TV. Making an inauspicious debut in the exploitation film The Student Nurses (1970), Pepe found more "A" quality work after being discovered by producer Hal B. Wallis for the coming-of-age film Tim Belcher starring Richard Thomas and Catherine Burns and the western Shoot Out (1971) starring Gregory Peck. Specializing in urban, streetwise roles, he went on to mix a number of popular films (The New Centurions (1972), The Day of the Locust (1975), Car Wash (1976), A Force of One (1979), Walk Proud (1979), Honeysuckle Rose (1980), Inside Moves (1980), Deal of the Century (1983), Red Dawn (1984), Caddyshack II (1988)) with a slew of popular TV crime dramas such as "Mannix," "Police Story," "Adam-12," "The Rookies," "The Rockford Files," "Baretta," "Kojak," "CHiPs," "Barney Miller," "Scarecrow & Mrs. King," "T.J. Hooker," "Simon & Simon," "Hill Street Blues," "Miami Vice," "Cagney & Lacey" and "Diagnosis Murder." Long married to wife Diane, Pepe is a noted keynote teacher and motivational speaker who tours colleges and universities. His strong sideline as a painter has been met with critical success, having been commissioned quite frequently. His vibrant paintings and one-man stage shows reflect a serious return to his Mexican roots and was the subject of the 2015 short documentary "Life Is Art."

Pepe Serna

Pepe Serna

Biography

Scarface

Downsizing

Red Dawn

Flamin' Hot

The Rookie

The Black Dahlia

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension

American Me

The Jerk

Cake

Postcards from the Edge

Johnny Got His Gun

Bread and Roses

Shoot Out

Picking Up the Pieces

Lowriders

Conagher

Disco Beats

The Day of the Locust

The Student Nurses

Bad Jim

Caddyshack II

Deal of the Century

The Brave

The Deadly Tower

Jonny's Golden Quest

Deadly Swarm

A Million to Juan

Exposed

Car Wash

A Force of One

The New Centurions

Fandango

Under Water: Dive Deep

Vice Squad

Seguin

Ana Maria in Novela Land

Group Marriage

The Planters

Out of Bounds

The Three Kings

The Killer Inside Me

The Margarita Man

Luminarias

The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez

The Virgin of Juarez

City in Fear

Honeysuckle Rose

Latin Dragon

Kill or Be Killed

Inside Moves

Only You

Walk Proud

Say a Little Prayer

Big Dreams Little Tokyo

Miracle on 34th Street

Swashbuckler

Superpowerless

Man from Reno

Streets of Justice

The Streets of L.A.

The Forgotten

Monday Nights at Seven

Three Years Gone

300 Miles for Stephanie

From the Dead

The Last Angry Man

Restored Me

Best Kept Secrets

The Gun

In the Flesh

Tarantulas: The Deadly Cargo

Joe Dancer II: The Monkey Mission

Break of Dawn

The Princess and the Barrio Boy

Green Ghost and the Masters of the Stone

Along for the Ride