Pepe Serna
Known for Acting · 135 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 (46)
Criminal Minds
2005
as Ruben Garcia
The A-Team
1983
as Tómas Jefferson
Miami Vice
1984
as Oswaldo Guzman / Zabado
Quantum Leap
1989
as Manuel Vega
Diagnosis: Murder
1993
as Capt. Collins
Matlock
1986
as Walter Padilla
Hill Street Blues
1981
as Raymond Cassiano
Hunter
1984
as Roberto Sanchez
Adam-12
1968
as Roger
Mannix
1967
Lou Grant
1977
Knight Rider
1982
as Lupo
The Rockford Files
1974
as Ray Ochoa
T. J. Hooker
1982
as Frank Fierro
Simon & Simon
1981
American Playhouse
1982
as Manuel Flores / Romaldo Cortez / Hector / Marpo
Sliders
1995
as Roberto
Barney Miller
1975
as Julio Rodriguez
Cannon
1971
Cagney & Lacey
1982
Baretta
1975
The Rookies
1972
Scarecrow and Mrs. King
1983
Kojak
1973
as Enorio Patias / Rudy Diaz
Justice League
2001
as Shifflet (voice)
Police Story
1973
The PJs
1999
as Sanchez (voice)
CHiPs
1977
The Zeta Project
2001
The Greatest American Hero
1981
The Paper Chase
1978
Jesse
1998
as Pappa Vasquez
Bronk
1975
With Love
2021
as Luis Delgado
A Year in the Life
1987
as Carlos
Dimension 404
2017
as Wally Nash
Hell Town
1985
as Enrique
Kingpin
2003
The Fortunate Pilgrim
1988
as John Colucci
Rafferty
1977
Second Chances
1993
as Salvador Lopez
DEA
1990
Hotel Malibu
1994
Kung Fu
1972
as Los Vidrios
Dudley
1993
as Santana
McNaughton's Daughter
1976
as Ruiz
Movies (89)
Scarface
1983
as Angel
Downsizing
2017
as Señor Cárdenas
Flamin' Hot
2023
as Abuelito
Red Dawn
1984
as Aardvark's Father
The Black Dahlia
2006
as Tomas Dos Santos
Cake
2014
as Nuncio
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension
1984
as Reno Nevada
The Rookie
1990
as Lt. Ray Garcia
American Me
1992
as Mundo
Bread and Roses
2000
as Restaurateur
The Jerk
1979
as Punk #1
Postcards from the Edge
1990
as Raoul
Lowriders
2017
as Pepe
Jonny's Golden Quest
1993
as Agent Menendez
Shoot Out
1971
as Pepe
Disco Beats
2025
as Lou
The Student Nurses
1970
as Luis
Picking Up the Pieces
2000
as Florencio
Bad Jim
1990
as Virgilio Segura
Deadly Swarm
2003
as Commandante Alvarez
Johnny Got His Gun
1971
as Jose (uncredited)
Under Water: Dive Deep
2016
as Lil' Big Me
The Planters
2019
as Jesús
Group Marriage
1973
as Ramon
Fandango
1985
as Gas Station Mechanic
Deal of the Century
1983
as Vardis
The Margarita Man
2019
as Jose Martinez
Car Wash
1976
as Chuco
The New Centurions
1972
as Young Mexican Man
Exposed
2003
as Raoul
A Million to Juan
1994
as Mr. Ortiz
The Virgin of Juarez
2006
as Eduardo Morales
Seguin
1982
as Manuel Flores
The Day of the Locust
1975
as Miguel
Luminarias
2000
The Deadly Tower
1975
as Mano
The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez
1983
as Romaldo Cortez
Say a Little Prayer
2024
Only You
1992
as Dock Official
Out of Bounds
1986
as Murano
Caddyshack II
1988
as Carlos
Swashbuckler
1976
as Street Entertainer
Latin Dragon
2004
as Hector Sanchez
Conagher
1991
The Streets of L.A.
1979
as Sgt. Castro
A Force of One
1979
as Orlando
Miracle on 34th Street
1973
as Y Leader
Man from Reno
2014
as Paul Del Moral
The Brave
1997
as Alessandro
Honeysuckle Rose
1980
as Rooster
Vice Squad
1982
as Pete Mendez
Streets of Justice
1985
as Det. Almos
Ana Maria in Novela Land
2015
as Father Miguel
Superpowerless
2016
as Dr. George Holst
Inside Moves
1980
as Herrada
The Three Kings
1987
as Alex Sweetwood
The Killer Inside Me
1976
as Johnny Lopez
The Gun
1974
as Natcho
From the Dead
2019
as Rodrigo
Best Kept Secrets
1984
as Jim Ramos
Walk Proud
1979
as Cesar
City in Fear
1980
as Raymond Zavala
Restored Me
2016
as Manny
300 Miles for Stephanie
1981
as Bobby Hernandez
White on Rice
2009
as Professor Berk
The Princess and the Barrio Boy
2000
as Bum
Green Ghost and the Masters of the Stone
2022
as Rancher
Tarantulas: The Deadly Cargo
1977
as Migrant Worker (uncredited)
Monday Nights at Seven
2016
as Paul
Three Years Gone
Big Dreams Little Tokyo
2006
as Mr. Gonzalez
Daybreak
2000
as Herman Ortiz
Along for the Ride
2001
as Dr. Sanchez
In the Flesh
1995
as Harlan Ramirez
The Last Angry Man
1974
as Charlie Parelli
Joe Dancer II: The Monkey Mission
1981
as Vito
The Desperate Miles
1975
as Ruiz
Break of Dawn
1988
as Hector
White Water Rebels
1983
as Harry Cutter
Land of Milk & Honey
1995
as Danny
Kill or Be Killed
2016
as Rudy Goebel
The Forgotten
1989
as Sgt. Pepe Gutierrez
Flavor of Life
2019
Roots of Blood
1979
as Juan
Human Error
1988
Heartbreaker
1983
as Loco
Road to Juarez
2015
as Fortunato
Moe
2023
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 135 credits spanning from 1967 to 2025, Pepe Serna has appeared in 89 films and 46 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
- Downsizing (2017) — as Señor Cárdenas
- Flamin' Hot (2023) — as Abuelito
- Red Dawn (1984) — as Aardvark's Father
- The Black Dahlia (2006) — as Tomas Dos Santos
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.