Tony Plana is a renowned actor with a diverse filmography. He has appeared in over 70 feature films, including recent releases such as Pain & Gain, Roman J. Israel, Esquire, Bombshell, and Wasp Network.
In television, Plana has had recurring roles in several shows, including One Day at a Time, Super Store, The Affair, Start Up, The Punisher, Madam Secretary, Lethal Weapon, Colony, Alpha House, Elementary, The Fosters, and The Blacklist.
Plana's notable television projects include his starring role as Ignacio Suarez in ABC's Ugly Betty, for which he received the 2006 Golden Satellite Award, an Imagen Award, and an Alma Award. He also starred in Showtime's Resurrection Boulevard, which was the first series to be produced, written, directed, and starring Latinos, and won an Alma Award for best television series in 2002.
In addition to his acting work, Plana has produced and directed two feature film comedies, A Million to Juan and The Princess and the Barrio Boy. He has also directed several episodes of Nickelodeon's The Brothers Garcia, as well as the season finale of Greetings from Tucson and the Halloween episode of Desperate Housewives.
Plana was the Co-founder and Producing Artistic Director of the East LA Classic Theatre, a group dedicated to serving economically challenged communities through educational outreach programs. He defined the theatre's mission as "educational," with a focus on creating access to classic dramatic literature for young minority audiences.
Plana has also developed an innovative approach to teaching language called Language in Play (LIP),which utilizes the performing arts to impact literacy skills in academically at-risk and bilingual students. This approach has been proven to be more effective in achieving academic advancement and personal growth than traditional methods.
Throughout his career, Plana has received numerous awards and honors, including the Educator of the Year award from Loyola Marymount University, the Cahalan Award from Loyola High School, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Imagen Foundation, and the Raul Julia HOLA Founders Award. He is currently an affiliate faculty member of the Center for Equity for English Learners at Loyola Marymount University School of Education.
