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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Say a Little Prayer | 2024-11-21 | |
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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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Flavor of Life | 2019-01-01 | |
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The Planters | Jesús | 2019-09-23 |
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The Margarita Man | Jose Martinez | 2019-07-31 |
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From the Dead | Rodrigo | 2019-07-12 |
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Downsizing | Señor Cárdenas | 2017-12-22 |
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Lowriders | Pepe | 2017-04-28 |
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Under Water: Dive Deep | Lil' Big Me | 2016-09-30 |
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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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Kill or Be Killed | Rudy Goebel | 2016-03-01 |
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Road to Juarez | Fortunato | 2015-04-24 |
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Ana Maria in Novela Land | Father Miguel | 2015-02-27 |
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Cake | Nuncio | 2014-09-07 |
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Man from Reno | Paul Del Moral | 2014-06-15 |
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Big Dreams Little Tokyo | Mr. Gonzalez | 2006-01-01 |
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The Black Dahlia | Tomas Dos Santos | 2006-09-15 |
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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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Bread and Roses | Restaurateur | 2000-09-14 |
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Daybreak | Herman Ortiz | 2000-12-19 |
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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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Land of Milk & Honey | Danny | 1995-11-04 |
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Im Sog des Bösen | Harlan Ramirez | 1995-01-01 |
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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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Only You | Dock Official | 1992-01-01 |
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American Me | Mundo | 1992-03-13 |
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Conagher | 1991-07-01 | |
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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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Human Error | 1988-01-01 | |
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Caddyshack II | Carlos | 1988-07-22 |
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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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Streets of Justice | Det. Almos | 1985-11-10 |
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Fandango | Gas Station Mechanic | 1985-01-25 |
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The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension | Reno Nevada | 1984-08-10 |
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Best Kept Secrets | Jim Ramos | 1984-03-26 |
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Red Dawn | Aardvark's Father | 1984-08-10 |
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Deal of the Century | Vardis | 1983-11-04 |
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The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez | Romaldo Cortez | 1983-08-19 |
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White Water Rebels | Harry Cutter | 1983-01-08 |
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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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Joe Dancer II: The Monkey Mission | Vito | 1981-03-23 |
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300 Miles for Stephanie | Bobby Hernandez | 1981-01-12 |
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Inside Moves | Herrada | 1980-12-19 |
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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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The Streets of L.A. | Sgt. Castro | 1979-11-13 |
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A Force of One | Orlando | 1979-06-01 |
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Raíces de sangre | Juan | 1979-05-30 |
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Walk Proud | Cesar | 1979-06-15 |
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The Jerk | Punk #1 | 1979-12-14 |
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Tarantulas: The Deadly Cargo | Migrant Worker (uncredited) | 1977-12-28 |
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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 Killer Inside Me | Johnny Lopez | 1976-10-01 |
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The Day of the Locust | Miguel | 1975-05-07 |
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The Desperate Miles | Ruiz | 1975-03-05 |
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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 |
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Three Years Gone |
