
Pepe Serna
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."
Acting (86 movies)

Scarface
1983

Fandango
1985

The Day of the Locust
1975

A Force of One
1979

The Jerk
1979

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension
1984

The Forgotten
1989

The Brave
1997

The Black Dahlia
2006

Exposed
2003

The Killer Inside Me
1976

Car Wash
1976

Vice Squad
1982

Caddyshack II
1988

Big Dreams Little Tokyo
2006

Latin Dragon
2004

Only You
1992

The Deadly Tower
1975

Walk Proud
1979

Bad Jim
1990

Green Ghost and the Masters of the Stone
2022

Moe
2023

Jonny's Golden Quest
1993

Bread and Roses
2000

The Desperate Miles
1975

Shoot Out
1971

Postcards from the Edge
1990

Along for the Ride
2001

The Streets of L.A.
1979

Man from Reno
2014

The New Centurions
1972

The Gun
1974

Road to Juarez
2015

Seguin
1982

Miracle on 34th Street
1973

Tarantulas: The Deadly Cargo
1981

Daybreak
2000

Out of Bounds
1986

Picking Up the Pieces
2000

Joe Dancer II: The Monkey Mission
1981

Flamin' Hot
2023

Deal of the Century
1983

Lowriders
2017

Kill or Be Killed
2016

Group Marriage
1973

In the Flesh
1995

Superpowerless
2016

Conagher
1991

Downsizing
2017

Red Dawn
1984

Roots of Blood
1979

Cake
2014

The Princess and the Barrio Boy
2000

Deadly Swarm
2003

Inside Moves
1980

Swashbuckler
1976

Best Kept Secrets
1984

The Rookie
1990

Honeysuckle Rose
1980

City in Fear
1980

Break of Dawn
1988

The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez
1983

300 Miles for Stephanie
1981

Under Water: Dive Deep
2016

Flavor of Life
2019

The Planters
2019

Human Error
1988

Restored Me
2016

American Me
1992

Monday Nights at Seven
2016

The Margarita Man
2019

The Student Nurses
1970

The Three Kings
1987

White Water Rebels
1983

Streets of Justice
1985

A Million to Juan
1994

From the Dead
2019

The Last Angry Man
1974

Say a Little Prayer
2024

Ana Maria in Novela Land
2015

Land of Milk & Honey
1995

Heartbreaker
1983

Luminarias
2000

White on Rice
2009

Johnny Got His Gun
1971

The Virgin of Juarez
2006
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