Rick Najera is multi-hyphenated artist, entertainer, entrepreneur and award-winning actor-writer-director-producer with credits in film, television, theatre and Broadway. He is one of the most powerful voices in the Latino world today, and honored twice as ‘100 Most Influential Latinos in America’ by Hispanic Business Magazine.

Most recently Najera penned the feature film Nothing like the Holidays starring John Leguizamo, Debra Messing, Alfred Molina, Freddy Rodriguez, Luis Guzman and Jay Hernandez currently in theatres nationwide. His writing/acting credits also include his critically acclaimed award-winning comedy, LATINOLOGUES™ which toured four months on Broadway, his latest comedic stage plays Sweet 15 Quinceañera and DADDY DIARIES, and groundbreaking television comedies such as MAD TV and In Living Color. Najera is undeniably one of the most sought after comedic talents in the industry today as well as one of the most creative executives in the industry.

As one of the few Latinos in history to have his own show reach Broadway, Najera made his Broadway debut in 2005 with his self-written and created, award-winning sketch comedy show, LATINOLOGUES™. The show dazzled on Broadway at the historic and beautiful Helen Hayes Theatre on W. 44^th Street for a four-month run (137 performances with an extension), a historical achievement for a Latino-oriented show. Najera’s show on Broadway was directed by the legendary comedian, Cheech Marin and paved the way for others to follow such as the Tony-award-winning musical, In the Heights. While on Broadway, Najera joined Broadway’s brightest, most influential and well-loved personalities when his caricature was placed on Sardi’s exclusive Wall of Fame in midtown Manhattan

Nearly 100 different guest actors have performed in LATINOLOGUES throughout its 15 years of performances and touring the U.S., making it the longest running and only showcase in America for Latinos of its kind. International celebrities and well-known comedians and actors seek out Najera to perform in his show, such as Eugenio Derbez, Jamie Camile, Odalys Garcia, Fernando Carrillo, Cynthia Klitbo as well as those from the U.S. (Christian de la Fuente, Mario Lopez, Erik Estrada). It’s his use of both worlds, Spanish-dominant and English-dominant that has made him one of the most sought after, innovative Latino artists of his time.

Najera’s latest comedic stage play, “Sweet 15 – Quinceañera is already another theatrical success with standing ovations and sold out houses. A full production of this play recently made its world premier at San Diego REPertory Theatre. “I love theater,” says Najera “because I learn about a national audience better than any Nielsen report”. He will also perform his latest comedic creation, DADDY DIARIES, a Latino-style fatherhood comedy at San Diego REPertory Theatre.

As a director, Najera has been honored to directed the last four consecutive years of the Annual CBS Multicultural Sketch comedy showcase, working with new comedic talent and seen by hundreds of casting agents. Najera has also directed his Latinologues showcase for the last 15 years.

On the corporate entertainment side, Najera has been able to bring his savvy business sense to entertainment, creating vibrant, culturally aware and popular programming to television. Currently, Najera is co-creator of the newly developed internet animation site, KartoonTV.com and Content Strategist for internet-based Latin entertainment and social network, Mio.TV, developing sketch comedy programming. Previously at LATV Networks, a national bilingual television network, Najera rose from Director of Programming to Vice President of Development, and was responsible for creating new original content. In the past nearly three years at LATV networks, he created, developed and executive produced four new cutting edge comedies ‘L.A.T.N. (Latino Ahora Today Now) ‘The Homies Hip-Hop Show’ (18 episodes), ‘Ceasar and Chuy’(co-creator), ( 26 episodes) and Mas Comedy. L.A.T.N. is a half hour sketch comedy news program hosted by Najera himself, while ‘The Homies Hip-Hop Show’ is a half-hour sketch comedy and hip-hop show using the internationally popular two-inch ‘Homies’ figurines, and was the first nationally syndicated Latino stop-motion animation series on LATV. ‘Ceasar and Chuy’ is a half-hour series based on two animated characters that provide comedy relief to a host of today’s popular videos, with Najera playing the voice of ‘Chuy’. Mas Comedy is a half-hour compilation of Latino stand-up comedians and entertaining comedy sketches. Najera lends writing and vocal talents to the series and has led efforts in creating a new genre for this network. During his term, LATV has grown to 26 markets as well as Puerto Rico. Najera brought original animation and stop motion as well as comedy and political satire for the first time to that network.

As a professional Writers Guild of America (WGA) scribe, Najera has been nominated for several WGA awards including Best Writing for a Comedy/Variety Television Series for his writing on Fox’s MAD TV. Najera has written four pilots for the major industry networks and numerous animated pilots and series for Disney, Televisa, CBS, LATV, Mio.TV, KartoonTV.com and Nuyorican Productions.

Najera has authored numerous plays including, Latin’s Anonymous, Peculiar People, A Quiet Love, The Pain of the Macho, Latinologues™, Sweet 15 - Quinceañera and most recently DADDY DIARIES. Three of his plays are compiled into his book, ‘Pain of the Macho’ which is required reading in several universities.

Rick Najera has also been involved in many charitable organizations giving back to the community: collecting toys for children for Latino Family Institute, hosting the San Diego Teen Producers Project Fundraiser, performing at Latino Family Book Fair, speaking at colleges, elementary schools, health care clinics and mentoring kids of all ages for the last 20 years. Najera is a true advocate for education, reading, writing and the arts.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION:

• ‘Jerry Lester Award’ for Theatrical Performance (Sweet 15) 2008
• ‘Hispanic Pioneer of America’ - Discovery Channel en Español (2006)
• ‘Top 10 Celebrities to Watch’, San Diego Latino Film Festival (2006)
• ‘Father of the Year’ – Telemundo, Miami (2006)
• ‘100 Most Influential Latinos in America’ - HISPANIC Business Magazine (2005)
• Writers Guild of America (WGA) Award Nomination, Television Writing Achievement for Outstanding Script in a Comedy / Variety Series (2004)
• Image Award, Best Live Theatrical Production, Rick Najera’s LATINOLOGUES™ (2004)
• Writers Guild of America (WGA) Award Nomination, Television Writing Achievement for Outstanding Script in a Comedy / Variety Series (2003)
• ALMA (American Latino Media Arts) Award Nominee, Best Writer for a Television Drama, ABC
• Nosotros Golden Eagle Award, Best Writer, Latino Laugh Festival for Showtime
• ‘50 Most Influential in Hollywood’ – VARIETY
• 100 Most Influential Latinos in America’ - HISPANIC Business Magazine (1996)

Rick Najera has been celebrated, honored and featured in publications such as Hollywood Reporter, Variety, Hispanic Magazine, San Diego Magazine, Hispanic Business, Latino Future Magazine, Latino Leaders Magazine, Latina Magazine, Bello, Latin Style, Latin Heat, Sister Cities, Hispanic Outlook and on television shows such as A&E’s Breakfast with the Arts, PBS’s Life and Times, NBC’s Hispanics Today, Univision’s Aqui y Ahora, Despierta America, Escandalo TV, Primer Impacto, El Gordo y La Flaca, LATV, Mun2, Perfect Image TV, American Latino among others.

For more information on Rick Najera visit www.ricknajera.com.

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