1944-07-23 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."
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Moe | 2023-06-04 | |
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Flamin' Hot | Abuelito | 2023-03-11 |
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Green Ghost and the Masters of the Stone | Rancher | 2022-04-29 |
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From the Dead | Rodrigo | 2019-07-12 |
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The Margarita Man | Jose Martinez | 2019-07-31 |
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Flavor of Life | 2019-01-01 | |
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The Planters | Jesús | 2019-09-23 |
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Downsizing | Señor Cárdenas | 2017-12-22 |
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Under Water: Dive Deep | Lil' Big Me | 2016-09-30 |
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Kill or Be Killed | Rudy Goebel | 2016-03-01 |
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Restored Me | Manny | 2016-09-11 |
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Superpowerless | Dr. George Holst | 2016-07-24 |
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Monday Nights at Seven | Paul | 2016-10-08 |
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Road to Juarez | Fortunato | 2015-04-24 |
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Man from Reno | Paul Del Moral | 2014-06-15 |
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Cake | Nuncio | 2014-09-07 |
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The Black Dahlia | Tomas Dos Santos | 2006-09-15 |
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Big Dreams Little Tokyo | Mr. Gonzalez | 2006-01-01 |
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Latin Dragon | Hector Sanchez | 2004-09-07 |
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Exposed | Raoul | 2003-10-17 |
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Deadly Swarm | Commandante Alvarez | 2003-09-20 |
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Along for the Ride | Dr. Sanchez | 2001-02-17 |
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Picking Up the Pieces | Florencio | 2000-05-26 |
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Daybreak | Herman Ortiz | 2000-12-19 |
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Bread and Roses | Restaurateur | 2000-05-10 |
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The Princess and the Barrio Boy | Bum | 2000-12-08 |
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The Brave | Alessandro | 1997-07-30 |
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A Million to Juan | Mr. Ortiz | 1994-05-15 |
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Jonny's Golden Quest | Agent Menendez | 1993-04-04 |
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American Me | Mundo | 1992-03-13 |
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Only You | Dock Official | 1992-01-01 |
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Bad Jim | Virgilio Segura | 1990-04-25 |
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The Rookie | Lt. Ray Garcia | 1990-12-07 |
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Postcards from the Edge | Raoul | 1990-09-14 |
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The Forgotten | Sgt. Pepe Gutierrez | 1989-04-26 |
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Break of Dawn | Hector | 1988-12-01 |
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Caddyshack II | Carlos | 1988-07-22 |
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Human Error | 1988-01-01 | |
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The Three Kings | Alex Sweetwood | 1987-12-17 |
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Out of Bounds | Murano | 1986-07-25 |
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Fandango | Gas Station Mechanic | 1985-01-25 |
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Streets of Justice | Det. Almos | 1985-11-10 |
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Best Kept Secrets | Jim Ramos | 1984-03-26 |
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The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension | Reno Nevada | 1984-08-15 |
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Red Dawn | Mr. Mondragón | 1984-08-10 |
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White Water Rebels | Harry Cutter | 1983-01-01 |
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The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez | Romaldo Cortez | 1983-08-19 |
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Scarface | Angel | 1983-12-09 |
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Seguin | Manuel Flores | 1982-01-26 |
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Vice Squad | Pete Mendez | 1982-01-22 |
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300 Miles for Stephanie | Bobby Hernandez | 1981-01-12 |
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Joe Dancer II: The Monkey Mission | Vito | 1981-03-23 |
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City in Fear | Raymond Zavala | 1980-03-30 |
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Honeysuckle Rose | Rooster | 1980-07-18 |
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Inside Moves | Herrada | 1980-12-19 |
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The Jerk | Punk #1 | 1979-12-14 |
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A Force of One | Orlando | 1979-06-01 |
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The Streets of L.A. | Sgt. Castro | 1979-11-13 |
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Walk Proud | Cesar | 1979-06-15 |
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Raíces de Sangre | Juan | 1978-02-09 |
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Tarantulas: The Deadly Cargo | Migrant Worker (uncredited) | 1977-12-28 |
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The Killer Inside Me | Johnny Lopez | 1976-10-01 |
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Swashbuckler | Street Entertainer | 1976-07-29 |
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Car Wash | Chuco | 1976-10-22 |
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The Desperate Miles | Ruiz | 1975-03-05 |
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The Day of the Locust | Miguel | 1975-05-07 |
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The Deadly Tower | Mano | 1975-10-18 |
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The Last Angry Man | Charlie Parelli | 1974-04-16 |
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The Gun | Natcho | 1974-11-13 |
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Group Marriage | Ramon | 1973-03-01 |
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Miracle on 34th Street | Y Leader | 1973-12-14 |
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The New Centurions | Young Mexican Man | 1972-08-03 |
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Shoot Out | Pepe | 1971-07-02 |
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The Student Nurses | Luis | 1970-12-02 |
