Personal Info
Birth date
1944-07-23 (80 Years)
Gender
Male
Known for
Acting
Place of birth
Corpus Christi, Texas, USA
Also known as
-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."
Filmography
Criminal Minds
8.309
Overview:
An elite team of FBI profilers analyze the country's most twisted criminal minds, anticipating their next moves before they strike again. The Behavioral Analysis Unit's most experienced agent is David Rossi, a founding member of the BAU who returns to help the team solve new cases.Diagnosis: Murder
7.071
Overview:
Dr. Mark Sloan is a good-natured, offbeat physician who is called upon to solve murders.Scarecrow and Mrs. King
6.3
Overview:
Scarecrow and Mrs. King is an American television series that aired from October 3, 1983, to May 28, 1987 on CBS. The show stars Kate Jackson and Bruce Boxleitner as divorced housewife Amanda King and top-level "Agency" operative Lee Stetson who begin a strange association, and eventual romance, after encountering one another in a train station.The Rockford Files
7.5
Overview:
Cranky but likable L.A. PI Jim Rockford pulls no punches (but takes plenty of them). An ex-con sent to the slammer for a crime he didn't commit, Rockford takes on cases others don't want, aided by his tough old man, his lawyer girlfriend and some shady associates from his past.Mannix
6.7
Overview:
Mannix is an American television detective series that ran from 1967 through 1975 on CBS. Created by Richard Levinson and William Link and developed by executive producer Bruce Geller, the title character, Joe Mannix, is a private investigator. He is played by Mike Connors. Mannix was the last series produced by Desilu Productions.Sliders
7.6
Overview:
In his basement in San Francisco, boy-genius Quinn Mallory unlocks the doorway to an infinite number of Earths. During a test run, Quinn invites co-worker Wade Welles and his teacher Professor Maximillian Arturo to see his new invention. But an increase in power and an early departure leave all three, plus a washed-up soul singer named Rembrandt "Crying Man" Brown, lost in a parallel world. Now they must "slide" from world to world, not only adapting to their changing surroundings, but also trying to get back to their world. Will they ever make it home?The A-Team
7.5
Overview:
A fictional group of ex-United States Army Special Forces personnel work as soldiers of fortune while on the run from the Army after being branded as war criminals for a "crime they didn't commit."Barney Miller
7.3
Overview:
Barney Miller is an American situation comedy television series set in a New York City police station in Greenwich Village. The series originally was broadcast from January 23, 1975 to May 20, 1982 on ABC. It was created by Danny Arnold and Theodore J. Flicker. Noam Pitlik directed the majority of the episodes.Miami Vice
7.451
Overview:
The story of the Miami Police Department's vice squad and its efforts to end drug trafficking and prostitution, centered on the unlikely partnership of Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs - who first meet when Tubbs is undercover in a drug cartel.Hill Street Blues
7.6
Overview:
A realistic glimpse into the daily lives of the officers and detectives at an urban police station.Knight Rider
7.5
Overview:
Michael Long, an undercover police officer, is shot while investigating a case and left for dead by his assailants. He is rescued by Wilton Knight, a wealthy, dying millionaire and inventor who arranges life-saving surgery, including a new face and a new identity--that of Michael Knight. Michael is then given a special computerized and indestructible car called the Knight Industries Two Thousand (nicknamed KITT), and a mission: apprehend criminals who are beyond the reach of the law. The series depicts Michael's exploits as he and KITT battle the forces of evil on behalf of the Foundation for Law and Government.Lou Grant
7.25
Overview:
The trials of a former television station manager turned newspaper city editor, and his journalist staff.Quantum Leap
8
Overview:
Theorizing that one could time travel within his own lifetime, Dr. Sam Beckett stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator and vanished... He woke to find himself trapped in the past, facing mirror images that were not his own and driven by an unknown force to change history for the better. His only guide on this journey is Al, an observer from his own time, who appears in the form of a hologram that only Sam can see and hear. And so Dr. Beckett finds himself leaping from life to life, striving to put right what once went wrong and hoping each time that his next leap will be the leap home.Cannon
6.5
Overview:
Cannon is a CBS detective television series produced by Quinn Martin which aired from March 26, 1971 to March 3, 1976. The primary protagonist is the title character, private detective Frank Cannon, played by William Conrad. He also appeared on two episodes of Barnaby Jones. Cannon is the first Quinn Martin-produced series to be aired on a network other than ABC. A "revival" television film, The Return of Frank Cannon, was aired on November 1, 1980. In total, there were 124 episodes.Simon & Simon
6.7
Overview:
A.J. Simon is a polished fellow with a taste for classic cars and tailored suits. Rick Simon is his less refined (but still pleasant) older brother who has a taste for cowboy boots and four-wheel drive pickups. The two of them live in San Diego, where they own a private detective agency.T. J. Hooker
6.4
Overview:
Sergeant Thomas Jefferson Hooker is a tough-as-nails veteran police officer with the LCPD who turns his back on a gold badge and goes back to patrolling the streets and training recruits. Along with his young partners in blue, Hooker take on Lake City's toughest criminals.Baretta
6.3
Overview:
Baretta is an American detective television series which ran on ABC from 1975 to 1978. The show was a milder version of a successful 1973–74 ABC series, Toma, starring Tony Musante as chameleon-like, real-life New Jersey police officer David Toma. While popular, Toma received intense criticism at the time for its realistic and frequent depiction of police and criminal violence. When Musante left the series after a single season, the concept was retooled as Baretta, with Robert Blake in the title role.Hunter
7.2
Overview:
Hunter is an American police drama television series created by Frank Lupo, and starring Fred Dryer as Sgt. Rick Hunter and Stepfanie Kramer as Sgt. Dee Dee McCall, which ran on NBC from 1984 to 1991. However, Kramer left after the sixth season to pursue other acting and musical opportunities. In the seventh season, Hunter partnered with two different women officers. The titular character, Sgt. Rick Hunter, was a wily, physically imposing, and often rule-breaking homicide detective with the Los Angeles Police Department. The show's main characters, Hunter and McCall, resolve many of their cases by shooting dead the perpetrators. The show's executive producer during the first season was Stephen J. Cannell, whose company produced the series.Adam-12
7
Overview:
Adam-12 is a television police drama that followed two police officers of the Los Angeles Police Department, Pete Malloy and Jim Reed, as they patrolled the streets of Los Angeles in their patrol unit, 1-Adam-12.The Zeta Project
7.5
Overview:
Follow the futuristic adventures of Zeta, a renegade government-designed robot, and Ro, his 15-year-old streetwise companion.Police Story
6.9
Overview:
Police Story is an anthology television crime drama. The show was the brainchild of author and former policeman Joseph Wambaugh and represented a major step forward in the realistic depiction of police work and violence on network TV. Although it was an anthology, there were certain things that all episodes had in common; for instance, the main character in each episode was a police officer. The setting was always Los Angeles and the characters always worked for some branch of the LAPD. Notwithstanding the anthology format, there were recurring characters. Scott Brady appeared in more than a dozen episodes as "Vinnie," a former cop who, upon retirement, had opened a bar catering to police officers, and who acted as a sort of Greek chorus during the run of the series, commenting on the characters and plots.Kojak
6.996
Overview:
A bald, lollipop sucking police detective with a fiery righteous attitude battles crime in New York City.The Greatest American Hero
7.2
Overview:
The chronicles of teacher Ralph Hinkley's adventures after a group of aliens gives him a red suit that gives him superhuman abilities. Unfortunately, Ralph, who hates wearing the suit, immediately loses its instruction booklet, and thus has to learn how to use its powers by trial and error, often with comical results.The Rookies
6.8
Overview:
The Rookies is an American crime drama series that aired on ABC from 1972 until 1976. It follows the exploits of three rookie police officers working in an unidentified city for the fictitious Southern California Police Department.The PJs
6.8
Overview:
Thurgood Stubbs lives with his wife, Muriel, in the Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs housing project, where he is the superintendent. This animated comedy follows the adventures of the Subbs and their friends, while taking a satirical view of the ups and downs of life in a big-city housing project.Cagney & Lacey
6.9
Overview:
Mary Beth Lacey and Chris Cagney are teamed up as NYPD police detectives. Their opposing personalities (one is tough and the other sensitive) mesh to make this one of the great crime-fighting duos of all time.Justice League
8.2
Overview:
The long-awaited rebirth of the greatest superhero team of all time: Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Hawkgirl, Green Lantern, and Martian Manhunter.Scarface
8.162
Overview:
After getting a green card in exchange for assassinating a Cuban government official, Tony Montana stakes a claim on the drug trade in Miami. Viciously murdering anyone who stands in his way, Tony eventually becomes the biggest drug lord in the state, controlling nearly all the cocaine that comes through Miami. But increased pressure from the police, wars with Colombian drug cartels and his own drug-fueled paranoia serve to fuel the flames of his eventual downfall.Acting
TBAThree Years Gone as Unknown
2024Say a Little Prayer as Unknown
2023Moe as Unknown
2023Flamin' Hot as Abuelito
2022Green Ghost and the Masters of the Stone as Rancher
2021With Love (8 Episodes) as Luis Delgado
2019The Planters as Jesús
2019The Margarita Man as Jose Martinez
2019From the Dead as Rodrigo
2019Flavor of Life as Unknown
2017Downsizing as Señor Cárdenas
2017Lowriders as Pepe
2017Dimension 404 (1 Episode) as Wally Nash
2016Monday Nights at Seven as Paul
2016Under Water: Dive Deep as Lil' Big Me
2016Restored Me as Manny
2016Superpowerless as Dr. George Holst
2016Kill or Be Killed as Rudy Goebel
2015Road to Juarez as Fortunato
2015Ana Maria in Novela Land as Father Miguel
2014Cake as Nuncio
2014Man from Reno as Paul Del Moral
2009White on Rice as Professor Berk
2006The Black Dahlia as Tomas Dos Santos
2006Big Dreams Little Tokyo as Mr. Gonzalez
2005Criminal Minds (1 Episode) as Ruben Garcia
2004Latin Dragon as Hector Sanchez
2003Exposed as Raoul
2003Deadly Swarm as Commandante Alvarez
2003Kingpin (2 Episodes) as Unknown
2001Justice League (2 Episodes) as Shifflet (voice)
2001Along for the Ride as Dr. Sanchez
2001The Zeta Project (1 Episode) as Unknown
2000Daybreak as Herman Ortiz
2000The Princess and the Barrio Boy as Bum
2000Bread and Roses as Restaurateur
2000Picking Up the Pieces as Florencio
2000Luminarias as Unknown
1999The PJs (43 Episodes) as Sanchez (voice)
1998Jesse (1 Episode) as Pappa Vasquez
1997The Brave as Alessandro
1995Land of Milk & Honey as Danny
1995Sliders (1 Episode) as Roberto
1995In the Flesh as Harlan Ramirez
1994Hotel Malibu (6 Episodes) as Unknown
1994A Million to Juan as Mr. Ortiz
1993Second Chances (10 Episodes) as Salvador Lopez
1993Diagnosis: Murder (1 Episode) as Capt. Collins
1993Dudley (1 Episode) as Santana
1993Jonny's Golden Quest as Agent Menendez
1992American Me as Mundo
1992Only You as Dock Official
1991Conagher as Unknown
1990The Rookie as Lt. Ray Garcia
1990Postcards from the Edge as Raoul
1990DEA (13 Episodes) as Unknown
1990Bad Jim as Virgilio Segura
1989The Forgotten as Sgt. Pepe Gutierrez
1989Quantum Leap (1 Episode) as Manuel Vega
1988Break of Dawn as Hector
1988Caddyshack II as Carlos
1988The Fortunate Pilgrim (2 Episodes) as John Colucci
1988Human Error as Unknown
1987The Three Kings as Alex Sweetwood
1987A Year in the Life (1 Episode) as Carlos
1986Out of Bounds as Murano
1985Streets of Justice as Det. Almos
1985Hell Town (1 Episode) as Enrique
1985Fandango as Gas Station Mechanic
1984Hunter (1 Episode) as Roberto Sanchez
1984Miami Vice (2, 1 Episode) as Oswaldo Guzman, Zabado
1984The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension as Reno Nevada
1984Red Dawn as Aardvark's Father
1984Best Kept Secrets as Jim Ramos
1983Scarface as Angel
1983Deal of the Century as Vardis
1983Scarecrow and Mrs. King (1 Episode) as Unknown
1983The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez as Romaldo Cortez
1983Heartbreaker as Loco
1983The A-Team (1 Episode) as Tómas Jefferson
1983White Water Rebels as Harry Cutter
1982Knight Rider (1 Episode) as Lupo
1982Cagney & Lacey (1 Episode) as Unknown
1982T. J. Hooker (1 Episode) as Frank Fierro
1982Seguin as Manuel Flores
1982Vice Squad as Pete Mendez
1981Simon & Simon (1 Episode) as Unknown
1981Joe Dancer II: The Monkey Mission as Vito
1981The Greatest American Hero (1 Episode) as Unknown
1981Hill Street Blues (2 Episodes) as Unknown
1981300 Miles for Stephanie as Bobby Hernandez
1980Inside Moves as Herrada
1980Honeysuckle Rose as Rooster
1980City in Fear as Raymond Zavala
1979The Jerk as Punk #1
1979The Streets of L.A. as Sgt. Castro
1979Walk Proud as Cesar
1979A Force of One as Orlando
1979Roots of Blood as Juan
1978The Paper Chase (1 Episode) as Unknown
1977Tarantulas: The Deadly Cargo as Migrant Worker (uncredited)
1977Lou Grant (1 Episode) as Unknown
1977CHiPs (1 Episode) as Unknown
1977Rafferty (1 Episode) as Unknown
1976Car Wash as Chuco
1976The Killer Inside Me as Johnny Lopez
1976Swashbuckler as Street Entertainer
1975The Deadly Tower as Mano
1975The Day of the Locust as Miguel
1975Bronk (1 Episode) as Unknown
1975The Desperate Miles as Ruiz
1975Barney Miller (1 Episode) as Julio Rodriguez
1975Baretta (2 Episodes) as Unknown
1974The Gun as Natcho
1974The Rockford Files (1 Episode) as Ray Ochoa
1974The Last Angry Man as Charlie Parelli
1973Miracle on 34th Street as Y Leader
1973Kojak (1, 2 Episode) as Enorio Patias, Rudy Diaz
1973Police Story (1 Episode) as Unknown
1973Group Marriage as Ramon
1972Kung Fu (1 Episode) as Los Vidrios
1972The Rookies (1 Episode) as Unknown
1972The New Centurions as Young Mexican Man
1971Cannon (2 Episodes) as Unknown
1971Shoot Out as Pepe
1970The Student Nurses as Luis
1968Adam-12 (1 Episode) as Roger
1967Mannix (1 Episode) as Unknown