1944-07-23 ( 80 years old ) in Corpus Christi, Texas, USA
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."
Movies
Say a Little Prayer
2024-11-21
Moe
2023-06-04
Flamin' Hot
2023-03-11
Green Ghost and the Masters of the Stone
2022-04-29
The Planters
2019-09-23
The Margarita Man
2019-07-31
From the Dead
2019-07-12
Flavor of Life
2019-01-01
Downsizing
2017-12-22
Lowriders
2017-04-28
Monday Nights at Seven
2016-10-08
Under Water: Dive Deep
2016-09-30
Restored Me
2016-09-11
Superpowerless
2016-07-24
Kill or Be Killed
2016-03-01
Road to Juarez
2015-04-24
Ana Maria in Novela Land
2015-02-27
Cake
2014-09-07
Man from Reno
2014-06-15
The Black Dahlia
2006-09-15
Big Dreams Little Tokyo
2006-01-01
Latin Dragon
2004-09-07
Exposed
2003-10-17
Deadly Swarm
2003-09-20
Along for the Ride
2001-02-17
Daybreak
2000-12-19
The Princess and the Barrio Boy
2000-12-08
Bread and Roses
2000-09-14
Picking Up the Pieces
2000-05-26
The Brave
1997-07-30
Land of Milk & Honey
1995-11-04
In the Flesh
1995-01-01
A Million to Juan
1994-05-15
Jonny's Golden Quest
1993-04-04
American Me
1992-03-13
Only You
1992-01-01
Conagher
1991-07-01
The Rookie
1990-12-07
Postcards from the Edge
1990-09-14
Bad Jim
1990-04-25
The Forgotten
1989-04-26
Break of Dawn
1988-12-01
Caddyshack II
1988-07-22
Human Error
1988-01-01
The Three Kings
1987-12-17
Out of Bounds
1986-07-25
Streets of Justice
1985-11-10
Fandango
1985-01-25
Red Dawn
1984-08-10
Best Kept Secrets
1984-03-26
Scarface
1983-12-09
Deal of the Century
1983-11-04
The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez
1983-08-19
White Water Rebels
1983-01-08
Seguin
1982-01-26
Vice Squad
1982-01-22
Joe Dancer II: The Monkey Mission
1981-03-23
300 Miles for Stephanie
1981-01-12
Inside Moves
1980-12-19
Honeysuckle Rose
1980-07-18
City in Fear
1980-03-30
The Jerk
1979-12-14
The Streets of L.A.
1979-11-13
Walk Proud
1979-06-15
A Force of One
1979-06-01
Roots of Blood
1979-05-30
Tarantulas: The Deadly Cargo
1977-12-28
Car Wash
1976-10-22
The Killer Inside Me
1976-10-01
Swashbuckler
1976-07-29
The Deadly Tower
1975-10-18
The Day of the Locust
1975-05-07
The Desperate Miles
1975-03-05
The Gun
1974-11-13
The Last Angry Man
1974-04-16
Miracle on 34th Street
1973-12-14
Group Marriage
1973-03-01
The New Centurions
1972-08-03
Shoot Out
1971-07-02
The Student Nurses
1970-12-02
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