Tony Plana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tony Plana
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Plana in 2019
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| Born |
José Antonio Plana
April 19, 1952 Havana, Cuba
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| Citizenship | American |
| Alma mater | Loyola Marymount University |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1974–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Ada Maris
(m. 1988) |
| Children | 2 |
Tony Plana, whose full name is José Antonio Plana, is an actor and director from Cuba and America. He was born on April 19, 1952. Many people know him for playing Ignacio Suarez, the father of Betty Suarez, in the TV show Ugly Betty. He also voiced a character named Manuel "Manny" Calavera in the video game Grim Fandango.
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Tony Plana's Early Life and Education
Tony Plana was born in Havana, Cuba. His family moved to Miami, Florida, in 1960 when he was young. He went to Loyola Marymount University for his college education. After that, he studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, England.
Tony Plana's Acting and Directing Career
While many people know Tony Plana from movies and TV shows, he is also very talented in acting and directing for the stage. The stage means live theater plays.
Theater Work and Directing
In 1995, Tony Plana started a theater group called East L.A. Classic Theatre. For ten years, he created and directed many plays by William Shakespeare. These plays were made for audiences from different backgrounds. He has worked in theaters in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and New York City. He even performed in plays on Broadway, which is a very famous theater area in New York. He was the first actor to play the role of Rudy in the Los Angeles play Zoot Suit. He later played the same character in the movie version.
Television Roles and Directing
Tony Plana has acted, directed, and written for many TV shows. Some of the popular shows he has been in include Hill Street Blues, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and The West Wing. He also appeared in 24 and Cagney & Lacey.
In 2011, he was a guest star in Desperate Housewives. He played Alejandro Perez, who was Gabrielle Solis's stepfather. Tony Plana also directed an episode of Desperate Housewives called Witch's Lament. In the same year, he appeared in an episode of Body of Proof called "Helping Hand".
He also took part in a web series called Los Americans in 2011. This series was about a regular family living in Los Angeles.
Teaching and Other Activities
Tony Plana shares his acting knowledge by teaching at California State University, Dominguez Hills and Rio Hondo College. In 2012, he was a judge for the Noor Iranian Film Festival.
Tony Plana's Awards and Nominations
Tony Plana has been recognized for his acting with several awards and nominations.
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Bravo Award | Outstanding Actor in a Feature Film | For Tony Plana's performance in Lone Star | Nominated | |
| 2001 | ALMA Award | Outstanding Actor in a New Television Series | For Tony Plana's performance in Resurrection Blvd. | Nominated | |
| 2002 | ALMA Award | Outstanding Actor in a Television Series | For Tony Plana's performance in Resurrection Blvd. | Nominated | |
| 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 | Won | |
| 2006 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Best Ensemble - Comedy Series | For Tony Plana's performance in Ugly Betty | Nominated |
Tony Plana's Film Roles
Tony Plana has acted in many movies throughout his career. Here are some of them:
- 1982: An Officer and a Gentleman – Emiliano De la Serra
- 1983: El Norte – Carlos, The Bus Boy
- 1986: Three Amigos – Jefe
- 1989: Romero – Father Manuel Morantes
- 1990: Havana – Julio Ramos
- 1991: JFK – Carlos Bringuier
- 1995: Nixon – Manolo Sanchez
- 1996: Lone Star – Ray
- 1996: Primal Fear – Martinez
- 1998: The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit – Victor Medina
- 2005: Goal! – Hernan Munez
- 2013: Pain and Gain – Captain Lopez
- 2017: Roman J. Israel, Esq. – Jessie Salinas
- 2019: Wasp Network – Luis Posada Carriles
Tony Plana's Television Roles
Tony Plana has appeared in many television series and movies.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | What's Happening!! | Amid | 1 episode | |
| 1984, 1988 | Miami Vice | Ernesto Guerrero / Cinco | 2 episodes | |
| 1991 | Seinfeld | Manny | Episode: "The Apartment" (S2.E5) | |
| 1993–1994 | Bakersfield, P.D. | Luke Ramirez | 17 episodes | |
| 1994 | Star Trek: Deep Space Nine | Amaros | Episode: "The Maquis" Parts 1 & 2 (S2.E20-21) | |
| 2004 | 24 | Omar | 5 episodes | |
| 2005 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Elindio Zapata | 1 episode | |
| 2006–2010 | Ugly Betty | Ignacio Suarez | 85 episodes | |
| 2011 | Desperate Housewives | Alejandro Perez | 5 episodes | |
| 2013 | Psych | Pablo Nuñez | Episode: "No Country for Two Old Men" (S7.E4) | |
| 2014 | Jane the Virgin | Father Ortega | 1 episode | |
| 2015–2017 | The Fosters | Victor Gutierrez | 6 episodes | |
| 2016 | The Young Pope | Carlos García | 3 episodes | |
| 2017–2019 | One Day at a Time | Berto | 4 episodes | |
| 2017–2019 | The Punisher | Rafael Hernandez | 8 episodes | |
| 2018 | Mayans M.C. | Devante Cano | 7 episodes, FX TV | |
| 2023 | The Legend of Vox Machina | Kamaljiori (voice) | 1 episode |
Tony Plana's Voice Acting Roles
Tony Plana has also lent his voice to characters in video games and other projects.
Video Games
- 1998: Grim Fandango – Manuel "Manny" Calavera
- 2017: Ghost Recon Wildlands – El Cardenal
Other Voice Roles
- 2003: Cuba Libre – Narrator
- 2003: Hiroshima – A radio play based on the book by John Hersey
See also
In Spanish: Tony Plana para niños
