
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."

Scarface
as Angel

Downsizing
as Señor Cárdenas

Red Dawn
as Aardvark's Father

Flamin' Hot
as Abuelito

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension
as Reno Nevada

The Jerk
as Punk #1

American Me
as Mundo

The Black Dahlia
as Tomas Dos Santos

The Rookie
as Lt. Ray Garcia

Cake
as Nuncio

Fandango
as Gas Station Mechanic

Car Wash
as Chuco

Shoot Out
as Pepe

Johnny Got His Gun
as Jose (uncredited)

Jonny's Golden Quest
as Agent Menendez

Postcards from the Edge
as Raoul

Lowriders
as Pepe

Exposed
as Raoul

The Forgotten
as Sgt. Pepe Gutierrez

Conagher

Daybreak
as Herman Ortiz

Swashbuckler
as Street Entertainer

Caddyshack II
as Carlos

The New Centurions
as Young Mexican Man

Inside Moves
as Herrada

Bread and Roses
as Restaurateur

A Force of One
as Orlando

Deal of the Century
as Vardis

The Day of the Locust
as Miguel

The Brave
as Alessandro

Seguin
as Manuel Flores

The Student Nurses
as Luis

Ana Maria in Novela Land
as Father Miguel

Vice Squad
as Pete Mendez

Honeysuckle Rose
as Rooster

The Killer Inside Me
as Johnny Lopez

Out of Bounds
as Murano

Man from Reno
as Paul Del Moral

Only You
as Dock Official

Deadly Swarm
as Commandante Alvarez

Green Ghost and the Masters of the Stone
as Rancher

A Million to Juan
as Mr. Ortiz

The Deadly Tower
as Mano

The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez
as Romaldo Cortez

Group Marriage
as Ramon

The Three Kings
as Alex Sweetwood

Walk Proud
as Cesar

The Planters
as Jesús

Picking Up the Pieces
as Florencio

Miracle on 34th Street
as Y Leader

Say a Little Prayer

Bad Jim
as Virgilio Segura

Tarantulas: The Deadly Cargo
as Migrant Worker (uncredited)

Kill or Be Killed
as Rudy Goebel

White on Rice
as Professor Berk

300 Miles for Stephanie
as Bobby Hernandez

Moe

The Margarita Man
as Jose Martinez

Streets of Justice
as Det. Almos

The Last Angry Man
as Charlie Parelli

Luminarias

Best Kept Secrets
as Jim Ramos

Restored Me
as Manny

City in Fear
as Raymond Zavala

Heartbreaker
as Loco

The Virgin of Juarez
as Eduardo Morales

The Gun
as Natcho

Latin Dragon
as Hector Sanchez

In the Flesh
as Harlan Ramirez

Joe Dancer II: The Monkey Mission
as Vito

The Princess and the Barrio Boy
as Bum

White Water Rebels
as Harry Cutter

Human Error

Roots of Blood
as Juan

Superpowerless
as Dr. George Holst

Land of Milk & Honey
as Danny

Monday Nights at Seven
as Paul

The Desperate Miles
as Ruiz

Flavor of Life

The Streets of L.A.
as Sgt. Castro

Road to Juarez
as Fortunato

Three Years Gone

Under Water: Dive Deep
as Lil' Big Me

Big Dreams Little Tokyo
as Mr. Gonzalez

From the Dead
as Rodrigo

Break of Dawn
as Hector

Along for the Ride
as Dr. Sanchez

Disco Beats
as Lou

Aguruphobia
as Nanak