Pepe Serna
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."
134 acting credits
Acting · 134
Criminal Minds
2005
Mannix
1967
Diagnosis: Murder
1993
The A-Team
1983
Miami Vice
1984
Hill Street Blues
1981
Knight Rider
1982
Adam-12
1968
Quantum Leap
1989
The Rockford Files
1974
Barney Miller
1975
Hunter
1984
T. J. Hooker
1982
Matlock
1986
Simon & Simon
1981
Sliders
1995
Cagney & Lacey
1982
Cannon
1971
The Rookies
1972
Kojak
1973
Scarecrow and Mrs. King
1983
CHiPs
1977
Baretta
1975
Lou Grant
1977
Scarface
1983
Justice League
2001
Police Story
1973
The Greatest American Hero
1981
Jesse
1998
The PJs
1999
The Zeta Project
2001
Bronk
1975
The Paper Chase
1978
Downsizing
2017
Dimension 404
2017
With Love
2021
Kingpin
2003
A Year in the Life
1987
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension
1984
Flamin' Hot
2023
The Rookie
1990
Postcards from the Edge
1990
Red Dawn
1984
Rafferty
1977
The Jerk
1979
Hell Town
1985
American Me
1992
The Black Dahlia
2006
Hotel Malibu
1994
Cake
2014
The Fortunate Pilgrim
1988
Shoot Out
1971
Second Chances
1993
Dudley
1993
Johnny Got His Gun
1971
The New Centurions
1972
Deal of the Century
1983
McNaughton's Daughter
1976
DEA
1990
Car Wash
1976
The Day of the Locust
1975
Conagher
1991
The Brave
1997
Out of Bounds
1986
Swashbuckler
1976
The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez
1983
Kung Fu
1972
A Force of One
1979
Caddyshack II
1988
Fandango
1985
Man from Reno
2014
Bread and Roses
2000
Lowriders
2017
The Forgotten
1989
Inside Moves
1980
Tarantulas: The Deadly Cargo
1977
The Three Kings
1987
Picking Up the Pieces
2000
The Deadly Tower
1975
Green Ghost and the Masters of the Stone
2022
The Killer Inside Me
1976
Exposed
2003
Jonny's Golden Quest
1993
Ana Maria in Novela Land
2015
Vice Squad
1982
City in Fear
1980
Honeysuckle Rose
1980
Group Marriage
1973
Bad Jim
1990
Only You
1992
The Streets of L.A.
1979
Best Kept Secrets
1984
The Virgin of Juarez
2006
The Student Nurses
1970
Daybreak
2000
Walk Proud
1979
Seguin
1982
The Planters
2019
Miracle on 34th Street
1973
A Million to Juan
1994
From the Dead
2019
Streets of Justice
1985
Heartbreaker
1983
Latin Dragon
2004
Kill or Be Killed
2016
The Princess and the Barrio Boy
2000
Say a Little Prayer
2024
300 Miles for Stephanie
1981
Moe
2023
The Gun
1974
Restored Me
2016
Joe Dancer II: The Monkey Mission
1981
Luminarias
2000
The Desperate Miles
1975
In the Flesh
1995
The Margarita Man
2019
White on Rice
2009
Deadly Swarm
2003
Big Dreams Little Tokyo
2006
Land of Milk & Honey
1995
White Water Rebels
1983
Superpowerless
2016
Along for the Ride
2001
The Last Angry Man
1974
Roots of Blood
1979
Human Error
1988
Monday Nights at Seven
2016
Under Water: Dive Deep
2016
Road to Juarez
2015
Flavor of Life
2019
Break of Dawn
1988
Three Years Gone
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Disco Beats
2025
Aguruphobia
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