Pepe Serna
American actor
title: "Pepe Serna" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1944-births", "living-people", "american-male-actors-of-mexican-descent", "american-male-film-actors", "american-male-television-actors", "male-actors-from-texas", "actors-from-corpus-christi,-texas", "20th-century-american-male-actors", "21st-century-american-male-actors"] description: "American actor" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepe_Serna" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary American actor ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox person"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Pepe Serna |
| image | Man from Reno SF 2.jpg |
| image_size | 220 |
| caption | Serna (left) with Ayako Fujitani |
| and Dave Boyle in 2015 | |
| birth_date | |
| birth_place | Corpus Christi, Texas, U.S. |
| occupation | |
| yearsactive | 1970–present |
| spouse | Diane Serna (m. 1969) |
| :: |
| name = Pepe Serna | image = Man from Reno SF 2.jpg | image_size = 220 | caption = Serna (left) with Ayako Fujitani and Dave Boyle in 2015 | birth_date = | birth_place = Corpus Christi, Texas, U.S. | occupation = | yearsactive = 1970–present | spouse = Diane Serna (m. 1969)
Pepe Serna (born July 23, 1944) is an American actor and artist.
Career
Serna's first break in films came in 1970 on the Roger Corman-directed film The Student Nurses. Over the years, Serna has appeared in over 100 films. In the blockbuster comedy The Jerk, he appeared as a lowrider-driving criminal who cons a naive Steve Martin out of money and new tires. Another notable role was in Scarface, directed by Brian De Palma, as Tony Montana's friend Angel Fernandez. Serna played the charismatic guru Nanak in Aguruphobia, which he also co-produced. He has also appeared on stage, including his solo show El Ruco, Chuco, Cholo, Pachuco.
Serna has been honored by the Screen Actors Guild Heritage Achievement Award; the League of United Latin American Citizens, and the Estrella Award for Arts & Culture from the Orange County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Serna played Señor Cárdenas in the film Downsizing.
Personal life
Serna is of Mexican heritage.
Filmography
Television
::data[format=table]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Miracle on 34th Street | Y Leader | Television film |
| 1974 | The Last Angry Man | Charlie Parelli | Television film |
| 1974 | The Gun | Natcho | Television film |
| 1975 | The Desperate Miles | Ruiz | Television film |
| 1975 | The Deadly Tower | Mano | Television film |
| 1975 | Adam-12 | Roger Foster | Episode: "Operation Action" |
| 1976 | The Rockford Files | Ray Ochoa | Episode: "The Oracle Wore a Cashmere Suit" |
| 1977 | Tarantulas: The Deadly Cargo | Illegal Immigrant | Television film; uncredited |
| 1978 | The Paper Chase | Luis Sanchez | Episode: "Voices of Silence" |
| 1979 | The Streets of L.A. | Sergeant Castro | Television film |
| 1980 | City in Fear | Raymond Zavala | Television film |
| 1981 | Three Hundred Miles for Stephanie | Bobby Hernandez | Television film |
| 1981 | The Monkey Mission | Vito | Television film |
| 1982, 1992 | American Playhouse | Manuel Flores, Romaldo Cortez, Marpo | 3 episodes |
| 1983 | Sadat | Atef Sadat | Television film |
| 1983 | White Water Rebels | Harry Cutter | Television film |
| 1984 | T. J. Hooker | Frank Fierro | Episode: "The Snow Game" |
| 1984 | Best Kept Secrets | Jim Ramos | Television film |
| 1985 | Knight Rider | Lupo | Episode: "Knight Sting" |
| 1985 | Streets of Justice | Detective Almos | Television film |
| 1986–1987 | Miami Vice | Zabado, Oswaldo Guzman | 3 Episodes |
| 1987 | The Three Kings | Alex Sweetwood | Television film |
| 1988 | Hunter | Roberto Sanchez | Episode: "Renegade" |
| 1988 | The Fortunate Pilgrim | John Colluci | 3 episodes |
| 1988 | Break of Dawn | Hector | Television film |
| 1989 | The Forgotten | Pepe Guitierrez | Television film |
| 1991 | Conagher | Casuse | Television film |
| 1993–1994 | Second Chances | Salvador Lopez | 6 episodes |
| 1995 | Diagnosis: Murder | Captain Collins | Episode: "A Blast from the Past" |
| 1999–2000 | The PJs | Emilio Sanchez (voice) | 42 episodes |
| 2000 | The Princess & the Barrio Boy | Bum | Television film |
| 2001 | The Zeta Project | Stevedore (voice) | title=Pepe Serna (visual voices guide) |
| 2003 | Kingpin | Jorge Romo | 3 episodes |
| 2003 | Justice League | Shifflet (voice) | Episode: "Hearts and Minds" |
| :: |
Film
::data[format=table]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | The Student Nurses | Luis | |
| 1971 | Red Sky at Morning | Chango Lopez | |
| 1971 | Johnny Got His Gun | Jose | Uncredited |
| 1971 | Shoot Out | Pepe | |
| 1972 | The New Centurions | Mexican Man | |
| 1973 | Group Marriage | Ramon | |
| 1974 | Hangup | Enrique | |
| 1975 | The Day of the Locust | Miguel | |
| 1976 | Swashbuckler | Street Entertainer | |
| 1976 | The Killer Inside Me | Johnny Lopez | |
| 1976 | Car Wash | Chuco | |
| 1978 | Roots of Blood | Juan | |
| 1979 | A Force of One | Orlando | |
| 1979 | Walk Proud | Cesar | |
| 1979 | The Jerk | Punk #1 | |
| 1980 | Honeysuckle Rose | Rooster | |
| 1980 | Inside Moves | Herrada | |
| 1982 | Vice Squad | Pete Mendez | |
| 1983 | Heartbreaker | Loco | |
| 1983 | Deal of the Century | Vardis | |
| 1983 | Scarface | Angel Fernandez | |
| 1984 | The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension | Reno Nevada | |
| 1984 | Red Dawn | Mr. Mondragón | |
| 1985 | Fandango | Gas Station Mechanic | |
| 1985 | Silverado | Scruffy | |
| 1986 | Out of Bounds | Murano | |
| 1988 | Caddyshack II | Carlos | |
| 1990 | Bad Jim | Virgilio Segura | |
| 1990 | Postcards from the Edge | Raoul | |
| 1990 | The Rookie | Raymond Garcia | |
| 1992 | American Me | Mundo | |
| 1992 | Only You | Dock Official | |
| 1994 | A Million to Juan | Mr. Ortiz | |
| 1995 | In the Flesh | Harlan Ramirez | |
| 1996 | Land of Milk and Honey | Danny | |
| 1997 | The Brave | Alessandro | |
| 2000 | Luminarias | Rick | |
| 2000 | Bread and Roses | Restaurateur | |
| 2000 | Picking Up the Pieces | Florencio | |
| 2000 | Along for the Ride | Dr. Sanchez | |
| 2000 | Rapid Transit | Herman Ortiz | |
| 2002 | ''You Got Nothin''' | Carlos | |
| 2003 | Deadly Swarm | Commandante Alvarez | |
| 2003 | Exposed | Raoul | |
| 2003 | Devil's Knight | Hector Rivera | |
| 2004 | Latin Dragon | Hector Sanchez | |
| 2006 | The Virgin of Juarez | Eduardo Morales | |
| 2006 | The Black Dahlia | Tomas Dos Santos | |
| 2006 | Big Dreams Little Tokyo | Mr. Gonzalez | |
| 2008 | Moe | Older Man | |
| 2009 | White on Rice | Professor Berk | |
| 2014 | Man from Reno | Paul Del Moral | |
| 2014 | Cake | Nuncio | |
| 2015 | Ana Maria in Novela Land | Father Miguel | |
| 2015 | Kill or Be Killed | Rudy Goebel | |
| 2015 | Road to Juarez | Fortunato | |
| 2015 | Aguruphobia | Nanak | |
| 2016 | Restored Me | Manny | |
| 2016 | Gino's Wife | Gino | |
| 2016 | Monday Nights at Seven | Paul | |
| 2016 | Superpowerless | George Holst | |
| 2017 | Downsizing | Señor Cárdenas | |
| 2023 | Flamin' Hot | Abuelito | |
| :: |
References
References
- (21 March 2015). "Classic Hollywood: After 45 years, Pepe Serna is finally a leading man". [[Los Angeles Times]].
- "The New York Times". [[Baseline (database).
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_Rj_lkjbV4 ''The Paper Chase," Season 1, Episode 5, "Voices of Silence" (YouTube)'']
- "Pepe Serna (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors.
- Aldrich, Ryland. (March 17, 2015). "Dallas 2015 Full Lineup Released".
- Harvey, Dennis. (August 6, 2016). "Film Review: ''Superpowerless''".
- Freitag, Lee. (May 10, 2024). "''Flamin' Hot'' Cheetos Origin Story Movie Drops a Spicy First Trailer".
- Schaefer, Sandy. (May 10, 2023). "''Flamin' Hot'' Trailer: The Brand Biopic Era Continues With The Story Of Flamin' Hot Cheetos".
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