Chilean actors—and Hispanic actors in general—like Pedro Pascal have greatly impacted the entertainment industry over the last decades.
Their hard work and unparalleled talent have reached the big screens of Hollywood, accessing almost all the world’s audiences.
Pedro Pascal, in particular, has gained international recognition for his latest roles in movies and shows such as The Mandalorian, Kingsman, Game of Thrones, Wonder Woman, and The Last of Us.
His charisma and ease of playing memorable characters make us talk about him.
But why is it important that Latino actors such as Pedro Pascal reach and succeed in Hollywood? Easy. Representation.
In the last years, we have experienced enormous changes as spectators, like racial and gender diversity in the movies and series casts.
Or as we see it, an equal opportunity of showcasing everybody’s talents.
But also an opportunity to connect with all types of audiences, especially minorities, who have been historically underrepresented.
As you can see, Hispanic representation has grown immensely, and with this, the spread of the Spanish language in media.
The Spanish language has become one of the basic tools needed to succeed at a job, school, or life.
Being bilingual is crucial in a world where every language we learn means opening new doors of opportunities.
Spanish is the third most spoken language in the world—right after Hindi and Mandarin—and has almost 500 million speakers around the world.
Imagine communicating with 500 million people just by learning a new language!
Read ahead to find out more about Hispanic actors and learn tips to speak Spanish right from the beginning.
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1. Pedro Pascal
This Chilean actor doesn’t need an introduction.
With over 40 productions under his belt and worldwide acclaim, Pedro Pascal has managed to get to people’s hearts by playing The Mandalorian, Oberyn Martell in Game of Thrones, and beloved Joel Miller from The Last of Us.
Pedro Pascal is a member of the LAByrinth Theater Company and has received the Back Stage Garland Award and the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award.
Most of Pedro Pascal’s work is in the line of sci-fi, drama, thrillers, action, and crime, which has generated the actor a mysterious halo around him.
He is considered a leader of the new generation of Hispanic actors, specifically Chilean actors in Hollywood, that are here to stay.
The fact that Pedro Pascal is a hot topic doesn’t only denote acknowledgment but acceptance. This is a great help on the path toward diversity and equal opportunity.
2. Sofía Vergara
Beautiful, talented, funny, and smart. Colombian actress has the whole package!
You might know her for Modern Family, but she has been part of 25 films and 31 TV shows.
Her role as Gloria from Modern Family has earned her 24 nominations and 9 awards, including Emmys, Golden Globes, and People’s Choice Awards.
She started her career in the 90s as a show host for Univisión. Today, her popularity has helped her reach the 100 most powerful women Forbes list.
Sofía Vergara is a beloved Hispanic celebrity not only due to her relevance, talent, and achievements but also because she has embraced and spread Latino culture in Modern Family.
She showcased the warmth, love, and sense of family that characterizes Latinos.
3. Eugenio Derbez
Mexican comedian Eugenio Derbez is best known for being charismatic, funny, and very clever.
He started off in Mexico in the beloved coed show Cachún Cachún Ra Ra!
Born in a family of iconic personalities, he was destined to become a star. And even though Eugenio is widely recognized for his hard work as an actor, in Mexico, he is praised for his wit.
He used to host his own shows where Derbez invented and played many different characters for plenty of sketches, making the country laugh for years.
Today, people around the world recognize him for his role in the Oscar-winning film Coda, Instructions Not Included, Geostorm, and Overboard, among many others.
He has hosted endless shows and is a big part of Mexican pop culture to this day.
4. Ana de Armas
If you’ve watched any movie with Cuban-Spanish actress Ana de Armas in it, you haven’t forgotten about her.
She was Marylin Monroe in Blonde and played the most important role in the iconic movie Knives Out, where she shared credits with Daniel Craig for the second time after No Time to Die. That’s right. She starred in a James Bond film.
She has been nominated 13 times and has won 6 awards. This is proof of her talent as a drama actress.
According to an interview, Ana de Armas acted a bit strange on set in her first Hollywood movie. The reason behind it? She learned all of her lines by ear without knowing any English! But she managed to pretend she did to get the role.
This story speaks about her character but also the hard-working and tenacious background of Latinos.
5. Diego Luna
Actor, producer, director, and activist Diego Luna has had a couple of viral moments thanks to the funny things he says during late-show interviews.
His career started in Mexican telenovelas, but Diego began his way to Hollywood with roles in The Terminal, Rogue One: Star Wars, Elysium, Flatliners, John Malkovich’s play El buen canario, and even a Katy Perry’s music video.
He was one of the first Mexican actors to jump to Hollywood, along with Gael García Bernal.
In Mexico, people see him as a representation icon with natural talent that grew up in an artistic environment, as his parents were scenographers.
6. Jenna Ortega
Another Latino actress that is a hot topic on the internet is Jenna Ortega.
Of Puerto Rican and Mexican descent, Jenna has a great career ahead… and she’s only 20 years old!
You have probably seen her in Jane the Virgin, You, Stuck in the Middle, Scream, and of course, Wednesday as the weird, awkward kid of Catherine Zeta-Jones and Luis Guzmán under the direction of Tim Burton.
Funny enough, Wednesday is also of Mexican descent, and not only that but Aztec descendant, as you can tell by the gift she receives from Morticia: an Aztec medal.
Many people didn’t notice this or that she listened to traditional music from Oaxaca, Mexico, but this was huge for Mexicans, Latinos, and Hispanics!
When you’re an underrepresented minority, watching a classic American show with music in Spanish can be very meaningful. It gives more sense of community to those who need it and highlights the importance of looking at other cultures.
7. Rita Moreno
Puerto Rican legend Rita Moreno was among the first Hispanic actors on the American screen.
She acts, sings, and dances in The King and I, Singin’ in the Rain, and West Side Story. Rita is part of the Triple Crown of Acting, meaning she has won Tonys, Emmys, and Academy Awards.
Her 70-year-long career has made her the voice of the Hispanic community while facing racial and gender discrimination from the entertainment industry.
Instead of becoming voiceless and on the margins, she realized she could pave the way for the upcoming Latino Hollywood stars…and she did.
Rita Moreno is someone to look up to and living proof of the audacity, tenacity, courage, talent, ambition, and mindfulness of Latino immigrants in showbiz.
Learn more about her here: 15 Fabulous Lessons I Learned From Puerto Rican Actress Rita Moreno.
8. Esai Morales
Of Puerto Rican descent, Esai Morales has been part of the American screen for a long time.
He appeared in the classic La Bamba, Criminal Minds, From Dusk Till Dawn, and Titans, and was an iconic villain in Ozark.
His skills have often made us believe he is the good and bad guy. But Esai’s charisma always draws us back to him and his roles.
9. Zoe Saldaña
Dominican and Puerto Rican Zoe Saldaña has been a pirate of the Caribbean, a communications official of the 2250s in Star Trek, beautiful Neytiri from Avatar, and the superhero Gamora from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Could you aspire to more as a Hollywood actress?
Her movies have made over 11 billion dollars worldwide. Zoe is the only actress in 4 of the six highest-grossing movies ever. 42 nominations and 9 awards.
Wow! Top representation for the Hispanic community!
10. Stephanie Beatriz
Bolivian, Colombian, and Argentinian Stephanie Beatriz is the actress that won our hearts in the award-winning comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
This strong, violent, but funny character opposes the submissive and tender—but not for a long time—sister of Sofía Vergara in Modern Family.
Watching her work means experiencing the opposite of the Latino personality. If you have kids, you have definitely listened to her voice in Encanto as Maribel Madrigal and Gertie in Ice Age.
11. Wilmer Valderrama
This actor of Venezuelan and Colombian descent made us laugh on multiple occasions in That 70s Show and its comeback: That 90s Show.
But you have also seen him work in Grey’s Anatomy, The Ranch, From Dusk Till Dawn, NCIS, and more.
He has hosted shows and awards, and many of his roles showcase the charismatic, loving, awkward Latino many identified with.
12. Gabriel Iglesias
Mexican comedian Gabriel Iglesias has won everybody’s hearts with his jokes and unique storytelling craft.
He sold out in Madison Square Garden and has appeared in TV shows and movies like Modern Family, Magic Mike, Space Jam, and his own show Mr. Iglesias.
In this last one, a show for kids, he talks about the Latinx community, minorities, diversity, respect, and protecting others while revealing the true lives of immigrants in the US and the victims of many types of discrimination.
13. Benjamin Bratt
Peruvian actor Benjamin Bratt gained recognition for his roles as Dr. Jake Reilly in Private Practice, the cop Eric Matthews of Miss Congeniality, and as a fun but unreliable dad in Modern Family.
If you like crime shows, you’ve seen him in Law & Order, but he also produced a highly acclaimed film about the civil rights activists Dolores Huerta.
Multifaceted Benjamin Bratt is also the voice of Ernesto de la Cruz in the iconic Mexican movie Coco, which played a massive role in international representation.
It denotes the many forms and shapes of Mexican culture, traditions, arts, and history.
Benefits of Being Bilingual
Pedro Pascal is at the top of the world right now. His place in the industry serves as an example of what hard work can do.
His rise, along with the others on this list, talks about Latino representation and gives more importance to Spanish, which you can hear almost everywhere.
Speaking Spanish is a tough task. But it isn’t. In the age of the internet, we must benefit from all the tools it provides us to maximize our learning and accelerate our journey.
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Want to learn more about Hispanic and Latin American culture? Check these out!
- Pedro Pascal and Other Hispanic Actors Making Waves in the Industry
- 10 Things Latino Immigrant Parents Want You to Know
- 2 Controversial Hispanic Parenting Styles: What They Can Teach Us
- 13 Hilarious Latino Dad Jokes
- Forget the Easter Bunny: Easter Traditions in Latin America
- 8 Places to Learn Spanish in Costa Rica
- Languages in Spain: How Many Languages Are Spoken in Spain?
- What’s the Difference Between Hispanic and Latino?
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