Rick Najera

Acting

Rick Najera

California born Rick Najera started his artistic career as an actor. He is an award-winning actor-writer-director-producer with credits in film, television, theatre and Broadway. Early in his career, he was inspired and mentored by Oscar-winning actress Whoopi Goldberg, Keenen Ivory Wayans and comedian Cheech Marin. Realizing there were few roles for him to play, he took matters into his own hands and started writing his way into Hollywood, and landed his first big writing gig on In Living Color. Rick Najera is one of three Latinos in the history of Broadway to write and star in his own show. Najera made his Broadway debut in 2005 with his award-winning sketch comedy show, Latinologues (TM), the longest running and only showcase of its kind for Latinos in America. Najera penned the holiday film Nothing Like the Holidays starring Debra Messing, Alfred Molina and John Leguizamo, which won him an Alma Award. He was also honored with two WGA nominations for his writing on MADtv. Najera has been honored twice as 100 Most Influential Latinos in America along with several other awards. Rick Najera's fourth book was released in 2013, Almost White: Forced Confessions of a Latino in Hollywood garnering a press tour and five-star reviews on Amazon.com. Rick Najera is the director of the annual CBS Diversity Sketch Comedy Showcase going on 12 years. Rick Najera is a regular contributor to NPR radio and is also a professional speaker (The World Bank, Google, Harvard Law School, Wellesley College, Stanford, CBS, CNN, Al Jazeera, UCLA and more). He is the writer of the multi-Emmy nominated Hulu original series, East Los High and producer of talk show, Latino Thought Makers.

Acting credits

Pledge This! poster
2.9

At popular South Beach University, filthy rich super-snob Victoria English is the absolute queen of leading Greek student club, Sigma Sigma. In order to achieve her crowning ambition, winning FHM Magazine's annual best sorority, she must recruit atypical 'Sigmies' to fulfill the diversity criteria. Ambitious sycophant pledge Kristen Haas helps her attract 'losers' (too poor, ugly, unfashionable), who are cruelly put through excruciating hazing, without intent to actually enroll them. Gloria, the brightest and most assertive pledge, wins the heart of Derek 'baby Dick', Victoria's ideal, yet constantly abused boyfriend, whose bitch-addiction is cured by this alternative lover. Together they lead the revolt of the not-even-nerds.

Pledge This!

2007

Feliz NaviDAD poster
5.5

David Morales, an Arizona high school principal and single dad, has lost the holiday spirit after also losing his wife a few years ago during the Christmas season. Now, David will do anything to avoid Christmas so he moonlights as a delivery driver during the holidays. But this year David’s 14-year-old daughter, Noel, and his live-in sister, Marissa, are determined to bring the yuletide spirit back to the family and, with a little luck, also help David find love again via online dating. So when Sophie, a witty musician and customer on David’s delivery route, swipes right on him, something magical happens between them.

Feliz NaviDAD

2020

American Lowrider poster
5.0

Lefty-a hard working, light hearted man is looking to make a decent buck. But when a simple bet goes horribly wrong, Lefty is stuck between a rock and gangster who's dead set on collecting his money.

American Lowrider

2013

A Day Without a Mexican poster
5.9

When a mysterious fog surrounds the boundaries of California, there is a communication breakdown and all the Mexicans disappear, affecting the economy and the state stops working missing the Mexican workers and dwellers.

A Day Without a Mexican

2004

National Lampoon's TV: The Movie poster
4.3

A celebration of the ever increasing depravity of television in our society-- it's a channel surfing adventure through the most utterly ridiculous spoofed television programming and commercials.

National Lampoon's TV: The Movie

2006

Red Surf poster
3.2

Remar and Attila are a couple of surfers who also deal drugs to make a living. They are trying to set up a final deal with local drug lord, Calavera, when their friend True Blue is busted by the cops. Blue talks too much in the police station and Calavera is out for revenge because of the betrayal.

Red Surf

1989

Floundering poster
5.0

John Boyz lives close to where they film "Baywatch", but you'd never know it. His life is full of bizarre friends, sweaty sex, pistol wielding gangsters, bungling bureaucrats, police fanatics, revolutionaries, and weirdos. All John wants is a little peace of mind and a little piece of the action, but in "Floundering" it wont come easy.

Floundering

1994

Universal Remote poster
3.7

Charlie Murphy takes the lead for this comedy concerning two best friends sent hurtling through a politically-incorrect television landscape thanks to a magical remote control that redefines the concept of interactive entertainment. Now, with each change of the channel, the shows get more bizarre, leaving hapless knuckleheads Bubba and Leroy scrambling to find a way back into the real world.

Universal Remote

2007

Habla Men poster
5.0

Habla Men will enlighten audiences on what it means to be Latino in the United States through the perspective of a diverse group of Hispanic role models whose personal stories are told straight into the camera. Raw, humorous yet sincere, this series will feature the likes of a handsome sensitive man, a "tough guy" actor, a gay championship boxer, a legendary wrestler, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, and a 6'2 transgendered blond bombshell among others. The personal experiences each of the participants openly disclose will keep viewers not only entertained, but challenge preconceived notions.

Habla Men

2014

Legally Brown poster
NR

Legally Brown brings together for one night the funniest headline comedians who just happen to share one common threat, the color of their skin and their perspective on what that means in a post 911 world. Hosted by Tony Plana (ugly Betty) and starring, Alex Reymundo (Latin Kings of Comedy) Jerry Bednob, (Kumar go to white castle) Cristela Alonzo (Last Comic Standing runner up) Willie Barcena (Comedy Central) Omar Elba (Egyptian Born) and Border Patrol Agent Bubba Gomez (Rick Najera) poke fun at stereo types and the Arizona immigration law and prove that once and for all funny is truly funny no matter what color or religion you are.

Legally Brown

2011

Loco Comedy Jam Volume 1 poster
NR

Stars: Alonzo Bodden, Pablo Francisco, Jeffrey Garcia

Loco Comedy Jam Volume 1

2008

Behind the camera