Career
Plana's professional career spans more than five decades across theater, film, and television.
He first gained significant attention through his work with playwright Luis Valdez, originating the role of Rudy in the stage production of Zoot Suit and reprising the character in the 1981 film adaptation.1 The production, which dramatized the wrongful persecution of young Mexican-Americans during the 1940s Zoot Suit riots, launched him into feature films.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s he built a steady film career in character roles: as a Mohawk-sporting flight trainee in An Officer and a Gentleman (1982), as a Mexican bandit in Three Amigos! (1986), and in Oliver Stone's political epics JFK (1991) and Nixon (1995). John Sayles cast him in Lone Star (1996), one of the more critically praised independent films of that decade.3 By the mid-2000s he had appeared in more than 70 feature films.
In television he recurred across a wide range of prestige series, including Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, The West Wing, and 24, before landing his signature television role as Ignacio Suarez, the devoted widower father of the protagonist in Ugly Betty (ABC, 2006-2010). He appeared in 85 episodes over the show's four seasons,1 earning Satellite Award recognition (see below) and considerable affection from audiences for portraying an undocumented immigrant navigating American life with dignity. He also appeared in the Showtime series Resurrection Blvd. (2000-2002), which focused on a Latino boxing family, and directed several of its episodes.3
In voice acting, Plana provided the voice of Manuel "Manny" Calavera, the lead character in the celebrated LucasArts adventure game Grim Fandango (1998), directed by Tim Schafer.4 The game, set in a Land of the Dead inspired by Mexican folklore and film noir, remains one of the most acclaimed point-and-click adventures ever made.
In 1995 Plana founded the East L.A. Classic Theatre, a company dedicated to producing Shakespeare for minority and underserved audiences in Los Angeles.1 He has also taught acting at California State University, Dominguez Hills and Rio Hondo College.1
Awards
Plana won the 2006 Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries, or Television Film for his performance as Ignacio Suarez in Ugly Betty.5 He has received multiple ALMA Award nominations recognizing Latino achievement in entertainment.1
Ghostbusters
Extreme Ghostbusters (1997)
Plana voiced Carl Rivera, Eduardo's older brother and an NYPD officer, in the Extreme Ghostbusters episode "Rage."2 The 1997 animated series was a continuation of The Real Ghostbusters, following a new team of Ghostbusters under the mentorship of Egon Spengler.
Personal Life
Plana has been married to actress Ada Maris since 1988. They have two children.1 Maris is known for her starring roles in the sitcoms Nurses (1991-1994) and The Brothers Garcia (2000-2004).6
