Pepe Serna
Known for Acting · 134 credits
- Born
- 1944-07-23 (age 81)
- Place of birth
- Corpus Christi, Texas, USA
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."
Known For
TV Shows (45)
Criminal Minds
2005
as Ruben Garcia
Mannix
1967
Diagnosis: Murder
1993
as Capt. Collins
Miami Vice
1984
as Oswaldo Guzman / Zabado
The A-Team
1983
as Tómas Jefferson
Hill Street Blues
1981
as Raymond Cassiano
Adam-12
1968
as Roger
Knight Rider
1982
as Lupo
Quantum Leap
1989
as Manuel Vega
Simon & Simon
1981
The Rockford Files
1974
as Ray Ochoa
Barney Miller
1975
as Julio Rodriguez
Sliders
1995
as Roberto
Matlock
1986
as Walter Padilla
T. J. Hooker
1982
as Frank Fierro
Cannon
1971
Hunter
1984
as Roberto Sanchez
Lou Grant
1977
Cagney & Lacey
1982
Scarecrow and Mrs. King
1983
The Rookies
1972
Kojak
1973
as Enorio Patias / Rudy Diaz
Baretta
1975
CHiPs
1977
Justice League
2001
as Shifflet (voice)
Police Story
1973
The Greatest American Hero
1981
The Zeta Project
2001
Jesse
1998
as Pappa Vasquez
The Paper Chase
1978
Bronk
1975
The PJs
1999
as Sanchez (voice)
Dimension 404
2017
as Wally Nash
With Love
2021
as Luis Delgado
A Year in the Life
1987
as Carlos
Kingpin
2003
Rafferty
1977
Hell Town
1985
as Enrique
Second Chances
1993
as Salvador Lopez
Hotel Malibu
1994
The Fortunate Pilgrim
1988
as John Colucci
Dudley
1993
as Santana
McNaughton's Daughter
1976
as Ruiz
DEA
1990
Kung Fu
1972
as Los Vidrios
Movies (89)
Scarface
1983
as Angel
Red Dawn
1984
as Aardvark's Father
Downsizing
2017
as Señor Cárdenas
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension
1984
as Reno Nevada
Flamin' Hot
2023
as Abuelito
The Jerk
1979
as Punk #1
The Rookie
1990
as Lt. Ray Garcia
American Me
1992
as Mundo
Johnny Got His Gun
1971
as Jose (uncredited)
The Black Dahlia
2006
as Tomas Dos Santos
Cake
2014
as Nuncio
Shoot Out
1971
as Pepe
Postcards from the Edge
1990
as Raoul
Fandango
1985
as Gas Station Mechanic
Lowriders
2017
as Pepe
Conagher
1991
Daybreak
2000
as Herman Ortiz
The New Centurions
1972
as Young Mexican Man
Caddyshack II
1988
as Carlos
Car Wash
1976
as Chuco
Deal of the Century
1983
as Vardis
Swashbuckler
1976
as Street Entertainer
Jonny's Golden Quest
1993
as Agent Menendez
Out of Bounds
1986
as Murano
Exposed
2003
as Raoul
Bread and Roses
2000
as Restaurateur
The Brave
1997
as Alessandro
A Force of One
1979
as Orlando
The Day of the Locust
1975
as Miguel
Man from Reno
2014
as Paul Del Moral
The Forgotten
1989
as Sgt. Pepe Gutierrez
Only You
1992
as Dock Official
Vice Squad
1982
as Pete Mendez
Inside Moves
1980
as Herrada
The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez
1983
as Romaldo Cortez
The Deadly Tower
1975
as Mano
A Million to Juan
1994
as Mr. Ortiz
Tarantulas: The Deadly Cargo
1977
as Migrant Worker (uncredited)
Ana Maria in Novela Land
2015
as Father Miguel
Green Ghost and the Masters of the Stone
2022
as Rancher
Honeysuckle Rose
1980
as Rooster
The Student Nurses
1970
as Luis
The Three Kings
1987
as Alex Sweetwood
Group Marriage
1973
as Ramon
Picking Up the Pieces
2000
as Florencio
Streets of Justice
1985
as Det. Almos
300 Miles for Stephanie
1981
as Bobby Hernandez
Walk Proud
1979
as Cesar
The Killer Inside Me
1976
as Johnny Lopez
Best Kept Secrets
1984
as Jim Ramos
Deadly Swarm
2003
as Commandante Alvarez
Seguin
1982
as Manuel Flores
City in Fear
1980
as Raymond Zavala
Say a Little Prayer
2024
The Planters
2019
as Jesús
Kill or Be Killed
2016
as Rudy Goebel
Miracle on 34th Street
1973
as Y Leader
The Virgin of Juarez
2006
as Eduardo Morales
Moe
2023
The Princess and the Barrio Boy
2000
as Bum
Luminarias
2000
The Last Angry Man
1974
as Charlie Parelli
Restored Me
2016
as Manny
White Water Rebels
1983
as Harry Cutter
White on Rice
2009
as Professor Berk
Bad Jim
1990
as Virgilio Segura
Heartbreaker
1983
as Loco
The Gun
1974
as Natcho
Latin Dragon
2004
as Hector Sanchez
Break of Dawn
1988
as Hector
Road to Juarez
2015
as Fortunato
Roots of Blood
1979
as Juan
The Streets of L.A.
1979
as Sgt. Castro
In the Flesh
1995
as Harlan Ramirez
Monday Nights at Seven
2016
as Paul
Joe Dancer II: The Monkey Mission
1981
as Vito
The Margarita Man
2019
as Jose Martinez
Superpowerless
2016
as Dr. George Holst
From the Dead
2019
as Rodrigo
Human Error
1988
Land of Milk & Honey
1995
as Danny
The Desperate Miles
1975
as Ruiz
Big Dreams Little Tokyo
2006
as Mr. Gonzalez
Along for the Ride
2001
as Dr. Sanchez
Flavor of Life
2019
Three Years Gone
Under Water: Dive Deep
2016
as Lil' Big Me
Disco Beats
2025
as Lou
Aguruphobia
as Nanak
About 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 side… With 134 credits spanning from 1967 to 2025, Pepe Serna has appeared in 89 films and 45 TV shows.
Fans searching for Pepe Serna movies, Pepe Serna filmography, or the latest projects starring Pepe Serna can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Pepe Serna Movies
- Scarface (1983) — as Angel
- Red Dawn (1984) — as Aardvark's Father
- Downsizing (2017) — as Señor Cárdenas
- The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984) — as Reno Nevada
- Flamin' Hot (2023) — as Abuelito
Where to Watch Pepe Serna Films
Most Pepe Serna movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Pepe Serna, check our movies catalogue and browse page.