Pepe Serna

Acting July 23, 1944 (82 years old) Corpus Christi, Texas, USA

Biography

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."

Pepe Serna

Biography

Movies 90

Scarface

Downsizing

Flamin' Hot

Red Dawn

The Rookie

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension

Postcards from the Edge

The Black Dahlia

The Jerk

Cake

American Me

Johnny Got His Gun

Car Wash

The Day of the Locust

Shoot Out

A Force of One

Deal of the Century

Tarantulas: The Deadly Cargo

Caddyshack II

The Brave

Bread and Roses

Fandango

Conagher

Out of Bounds

The New Centurions

Honeysuckle Rose

Inside Moves

Swashbuckler

Vice Squad

The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez

The Killer Inside Me

The Deadly Tower

The Virgin of Juarez

Daybreak

Lowriders

Bad Jim

The Princess and the Barrio Boy

Picking Up the Pieces

Jonny's Golden Quest

Miracle on 34th Street

The Planters

A Million to Juan

Ana Maria in Novela Land

300 Miles for Stephanie

White on Rice

Luminarias

Group Marriage

Seguin

Walk Proud

Say a Little Prayer

The Student Nurses

Deadly Swarm

In the Flesh

Green Ghost and the Masters of the Stone

Man from Reno

The Three Kings

The Forgotten

Only You

The Gun

Kill or Be Killed

The Margarita Man

Joe Dancer II: The Monkey Mission

Big Dreams Little Tokyo

Roots of Blood

Road to Juarez

The Last Angry Man

Superpowerless

Break of Dawn

Under Water: Dive Deep

Land of Milk & Honey

Along for the Ride

The Desperate Miles

Latin Dragon

City in Fear

Best Kept Secrets

Exposed

Streets of Justice