Pepe Serna
Biography
Pepe Serna is a Mexican-American actor born and raised in Corpus Christi, Texas, on July 23, 1944. He is the son of a naval base interpreter. Throughout a career spanning more than five decades, Serna has appeared in more than 100 feature films and 300 television shows, accumulating 135 known acting credits. He is widely recognized for his gritty supporting performances playing characters on both sides of the law, ranging from drug peddlers to sheriffs. His motion picture appearances include Scarface in 1983 as Al Pacino's cocaine partner, the western Silverado in 1985 with Kevin Costner, the crime film The Rookie in 1990 starring Clint Eastwood and Charlie Sheen, and the drama American Me in 1992 starring Edward James Olmos.
Career overview
Pepe Serna is a durable Mexican-American actor whose career has surpassed five decades. Born and raised in Corpus Christi, Texas, on July 23, 1944, he is the son of a naval base interpreter. Throughout his extensive career, Serna has appeared in more than 100 feature films and 300 television shows, accumulating 135 known acting credits on the Movie Database. His characters have portrayed figures on both sides of the law, ranging from drug peddlers to sheriffs.
Serna is most recognized for his gritty supporting performances in a variety of motion pictures. His notable film appearances include the 1983 feature Scarface, where he played Al Pacino's ill-fated cocaine partner. He also appeared in the 1985 western Silverado with Kevin Costner, the 1990 crime yarn The Rookie starring Clint Eastwood and Charlie Sheen, and the 1992 drama American Me starring Edward James Olmos.
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Career timeline
Full Filmography
143 titles- Disco Beats (2025) as Lou
- Say a Little Prayer (2024)
- Flamin' Hot (2023) as Abuelito
- Moe (2023)
- Green Ghost and the Masters of the Stone (2022) as Rancher
- With Love (2021) as Luis Delgado
- The Planters (2019) as Jesús
- The Margarita Man (2019) as Jose Martinez
- From the Dead (2019) as Rodrigo
- From the Dead (2019) Associate Producer
- Flavor of Life (2019)
- Downsizing (2017) as Señor Cárdenas
- Dimension 404 (2017) as Wally Nash
- Lowriders (2017) as Pepe
- Under Water: Dive Deep (2016) as Lil' Big Me
- Kill or Be Killed (2016) as Rudy Goebel
- Kill or Be Killed (2016) Associate Producer
- Superpowerless (2016) as Dr. George Holst
- Monday Nights at Seven (2016) as Paul
- Restored Me (2016) as Manny
- Ana Maria in Novela Land (2015) as Father Miguel
- Road to Juarez (2015) as Fortunato
- Cake (2014) as Nuncio
- Man from Reno (2014) as Paul Del Moral
- White on Rice (2009) as Professor Berk
- The Black Dahlia (2006) as Tomas Dos Santos
- The Virgin of Juarez (2006) as Eduardo Morales
- Big Dreams Little Tokyo (2006) as Mr. Gonzalez
- Criminal Minds (2005) as Ruben Garcia
- Latin Dragon (2004) as Hector Sanchez
- Kingpin (2003)
- Deadly Swarm (2003) as Commandante Alvarez
- Exposed (2003) as Raoul
- Justice League (2001) as Shifflet (voice)
- The Zeta Project (2001)
- Along for the Ride (2001) as Dr. Sanchez
- Bread and Roses (2000) as Restaurateur
- Picking Up the Pieces (2000) as Florencio
- Luminarias (2000)
- Daybreak (2000) as Herman Ortiz
- The Princess and the Barrio Boy (2000) as Bum
- The PJs (1999) as Sanchez (voice)
- Jesse (1998) as Pappa Vasquez
- The Brave (1997) as Alessandro
- Sliders (1995) as Roberto
- In the Flesh (1995) as Harlan Ramirez
- Land of Milk & Honey (1995) as Danny
- A Million to Juan (1994) as Mr. Ortiz
- Hotel Malibu (1994)
- Diagnosis: Murder (1993) as Capt. Collins
- Jonny's Golden Quest (1993) as Agent Menendez
- Second Chances (1993) as Salvador Lopez
- Dudley (1993) as Santana
- American Me (1992) as Mundo
- Only You (1992) as Dock Official
- Conagher (1991)
- The Rookie (1990) as Lt. Ray Garcia
- Postcards from the Edge (1990) as Raoul
- Bad Jim (1990) as Virgilio Segura
- DEA (1990)
- Quantum Leap (1989) as Manuel Vega
- The Forgotten (1989) as Sgt. Pepe Gutierrez
- The Fortunate Pilgrim (1988) as John Colucci
- Caddyshack II (1988) as Carlos
- Break of Dawn (1988) as Hector
- Human Error (1988)
- A Year in the Life (1987) as Carlos
- The Three Kings (1987) as Alex Sweetwood
- Matlock (1986) as Walter Padilla
- Out of Bounds (1986) as Murano
- Hell Town (1985) as Enrique
- Fandango (1985) as Gas Station Mechanic
- Streets of Justice (1985) as Det. Almos
- Miami Vice (1984) as Oswaldo Guzman
- Miami Vice (1984) as Zabado
- Hunter (1984) as Roberto Sanchez
- The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984) as Reno Nevada
- Red Dawn (1984) as Aardvark's Father
- Best Kept Secrets (1984) as Jim Ramos
- The A-Team (1983) as Tómas Jefferson
- Scarface (1983) as Angel
- Scarecrow and Mrs. King (1983)
- Deal of the Century (1983) as Vardis
- The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez (1983) as Romaldo Cortez
- White Water Rebels (1983) as Harry Cutter
- Heartbreaker (1983) as Loco
- American Playhouse (1982) as Manuel Flores
- American Playhouse (1982) as Romaldo Cortez
- American Playhouse (1982) as Hector
- American Playhouse (1982) as Marpo
- T. J. Hooker (1982) as Frank Fierro
- Knight Rider (1982) as Lupo
- Cagney & Lacey (1982)
- Vice Squad (1982) as Pete Mendez
- Seguin (1982) as Manuel Flores
- Hill Street Blues (1981)
- Hill Street Blues (1981) as Raymond Cassiano
- Simon & Simon (1981)
- The Greatest American Hero (1981)
- 300 Miles for Stephanie (1981) as Bobby Hernandez
- Joe Dancer II: The Monkey Mission (1981) as Vito
- Inside Moves (1980) as Herrada
- Honeysuckle Rose (1980) as Rooster
- City in Fear (1980) as Raymond Zavala
- The Jerk (1979) as Punk #1
- A Force of One (1979) as Orlando
- Walk Proud (1979) as Cesar
- The Streets of L.A. (1979) as Sgt. Castro
- Roots of Blood (1979) as Juan
- The Paper Chase (1978)
- Lou Grant (1977)
- CHiPs (1977)
- Rafferty (1977)
- Tarantulas: The Deadly Cargo (1977) as Migrant Worker (uncredited)
- Car Wash (1976) as Chuco
- McNaughton's Daughter (1976) as Ruiz
- Swashbuckler (1976) as Street Entertainer
- The Killer Inside Me (1976) as Johnny Lopez
- Baretta (1975)
- Barney Miller (1975) as Julio Rodriguez
- Bronk (1975)
- The Deadly Tower (1975) as Mano
- The Day of the Locust (1975) as Miguel
- The Desperate Miles (1975) as Ruiz
- The Rockford Files (1974) as Ray Ochoa
- The Gun (1974) as Natcho
- The Last Angry Man (1974) as Charlie Parelli
- Kojak (1973) as Enorio Patias
- Kojak (1973) as Rudy Diaz
- Police Story (1973)
- Group Marriage (1973) as Ramon
- Miracle on 34th Street (1973) as Y Leader
- The Rookies (1972)
- The New Centurions (1972) as Young Mexican Man
- Kung Fu (1972) as Los Vidrios
- Cannon (1971)
- Shoot Out (1971) as Pepe
- Johnny Got His Gun (1971) as Jose (uncredited)
- The Student Nurses (1970) as Luis
- Adam-12 (1968) as Roger
- Mannix (1967)
- Three Years Gone
- Aguruphobia as Nanak
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Pepe Serna best known for?
Pepe Serna is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including Flamin' Hot (2023), Downsizing (2017), Cinderella '80 (1984), Cake (2014).
When and where was Pepe Serna born?
Pepe Serna was born on July 23, 1944 in Corpus Christi, Texas, USA.
How many credits does Pepe Serna have?
Pepe Serna has accumulated over 143 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1967 to 2025.
What is Pepe Serna's background in cinema and television?
Pepe Serna is a Mexican-American actor born and raised in Corpus Christi, Texas, on July 23, 1944. He is the son of a naval base interpreter. Throughout a career spanning more than five decades, Serna has appeared in more than 100 feature films and 300 television shows, accumulating 135 known acting credits. He is wide...