Acting
Pepe Serna
EN, ES cinema · 90 credits
Born
23 July 1944 (age 82)
Birthplace
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."
Known for
Filmography
Cuento de Navidad
as Sr. Ebenezer Scrooge
Moe
Actor
Flamin' Hot
as Abuelito
The Planters
as Jesús
The Margarita Man
as Jose Martinez
From the Dead
as Rodrigo, Associate Producer
Lowriders
as Pepe
Downsizing
as Señor Cárdenas
Kill or Be Killed
as Rudy Goebel, Associate Producer
Superpowerless
as Dr. George Holst
Under Water: Dive Deep
as Lil' Big Me
Restored Me
as Manny
Road to Juarez
as Fortunato
Ana Maria in Novela Land
as Father Miguel
Aguruphobia
as Nanak, Co-Producer
Man from Reno
as Paul Del Moral
Cake
as Nuncio
White on Rice
as Professor Berk
The Black Dahlia
as Dos Santos
Big Dreams Little Tokyo
as Mr. Gonzalez
The Virgin of Juarez
as Eduardo Morales
Latin Dragon
as Hector Sanchez
Exposed
as Raoul
Deadly Swarm
as Commandante Alvarez
Along for the Ride
as Dr. Sanchez
Bread and Roses
as Restaurateur
Daybreak
as Herman Ortiz
Picking Up the Pieces
as Florencio
The Brave
as Alessandro
In the Flesh
as Harlan Ramirez
Land of Milk & Honey
as Danny
A Million to Juan
as Mr. Ortiz
Jonny's Golden Quest
as Agent Menendez (voice)
Only You
as Dock Official
American Me
as Mundo
Conagher
Actor
Bad Jim
as Virgilio Segura
The Rookie
as Lt. Ray Garcia
The Forgotten
as Sgt. Pepe Gutierrez
Caddyshack II
as Carlos
Break of Dawn
as Hector
The Three Kings
as Alex Sweetwood
Out of Bounds
as Murano
Fandango
as Gas Station Mechanic
Streets of Justice
as Det. Almos
Red Dawn
as Aardvark's Father
Best Kept Secrets
as Jim Ramos
Scarface
as Angel
Deal of the Century
as Vardis
The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez
as Romaldo Cortez
White Water Rebels
as Harry Cutter
Heartbreaker
as Loco
Vice Squad
as Pete Mendez
Seguin
as Manuel Flores
300 Miles for Stephanie
as Bobby Hernandez
Inside Moves
as Herrada
Honeysuckle Rose
as Rooster
City in Fear
as Raymond Zavala
A Force of One
as Orlando
The Jerk
as Punk #1
Walk Proud
as Cesar
The Streets of L.A.
as Sgt. Castro
Roots of Blood
as Juan
Tarantulas: The Deadly Cargo
as Migrant Worker (uncredited)
The Killer Inside Me
as Johnny Lopez
Car Wash
as Chuco
Swashbuckler
as Street Entertainer
The Day of the Locust
as Miguel
The Deadly Tower
as Mano
The Gun
as Natcho
The Last Angry Man
as Charlie Parelli
Miracle on 34th Street
as Y Leader
Group Marriage
as Ramon
The New Centurions
as Young Mexican Man
Shoot Out
as Pepe
Johnny Got His Gun
as Jose (uncredited)
