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."
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Biography from TMDB.
- July 23, 1944 (82)
- Corpus Christi, Texas, USA
- Actor, also producer
- 85 on MovieCove · 136 credits in all
What are Pepe Serna's films like?
Across their 32 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Morality.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 2 · Wry 1 · Earnest 28
A split, not a type: Light 13 · Serious 12 · Dark 6
A split, not a type: Grounded 18 · Stylized 10 · Heightened 3
Gentle 9 · Charged 14 · Intense 8
Steady 13 · Shifting 15 · Whiplash 3
A split, not a type: Straight-faced 18 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 8
Slow burn 11 · Even-paced 17 · Relentless 3
Casual 19 · Engaged 10 · Full focus 2
A split, not a type: Easy watch 16 · Affecting 9 · Heavy 6
Resolved 24 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 3
Roles they play
- Threshold guardianas Sergeant Castro in The Streets of L.A. (1979)
- Shadowas Cesar in Walk Proud (1979)
- Heraldas Virgilio Segura in Bad Jim (1990)
- Heroas Paul Del Moral in Man from Reno (2014)
- Shapeshifteras Nanak in Aguruphobia (2015)
Moods and endings
- Happy14
- Bittersweet11
- Tragic2
- Ambiguous5
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Pepe Serna's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 49 of their 85 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (30).
- Justice League (2001) · actor · free
- Barney Miller (1975) · actor · free
- Inside Moves (1980) · actor · free
- Miami Vice (1984) · actor · free
- The A-Team (1983) · actor · free
- Sliders (1995) · actor · free
- Fandango (1985) · actor · free
- The Planters (2019) · actor · free
- Say a Little Prayer (2024) · actor · free
- The Greatest American Hero (1981) · actor · free
- Vice Squad (1982) · actor · free
- Red Dawn (1984) · actor · free
- All their movies on Tubi
- Johnny Got His Gun (1971) · actor
- Criminal Minds (2005) · actor
- Man from Reno (2014) · actor
- Mannix (1967) · actor
- Say a Little Prayer (2024) · actor
- The Greatest American Hero (1981) · actor
- Matlock (1986) · actor
- Red Dawn (1984) · actor
- With Love (2021) · actor
- Hunter (1984) · actor
- Green Ghost and the Masters of the Stone (2021) · actor
- CHiPs (1977) · actor
- +3 more
- The Rockford Files (1974) · actor · free
- Inside Moves (1980) · actor · free
- Flamin' Hot (2023) · actor · free
- Fandango (1985) · actor · free
- Say a Little Prayer (2024) · actor · free
- The Greatest American Hero (1981) · actor · free
- The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984) · actor · free
- Kojak (1973) · actor · free
- Knight Rider (1982) · actor · free
- Hunter (1984) · actor · free
- Cagney & Lacey (1981) · actor · free
- A Force of One (1979) · actor · free
- +3 more
- Criminal Minds (2005) · actor · free
- Mannix (1967) · actor · free
- Say a Little Prayer (2024) · actor · free
- The Greatest American Hero (1981) · actor · free
- Matlock (1986) · actor · free
- The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984) · actor · free
- Diagnosis Murder (1993) · actor · free
- Hunter (1984) · actor · free
- Cagney & Lacey (1981) · actor · free
- A Million to Juan (1994) · actor · free
- A Force of One (1979) · actor · free
- Shout! TV, show their 5 titles on Shout! TV
- Sony Pictures Core, show their 2 titles on Sony Pictures Core
- BFI Player, show their title on BFI Player
- Cinemax, show their title on Cinemax
- Howdy, show their title on Howdy
- Lionsgate+, show their title on Lionsgate+
- MovieSphere+, show their title on MovieSphere+
- ViX, show their title on ViX
Subscription and free streaming for Pepe Serna's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
136 credits, 85 with a MovieCove page.
Disco Beats (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)
Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all shows (provisional, few ratings)
Say a Little Prayer(2024)
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Moe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

Flamin' Hot(2023)
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films
With Love(2021)
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all shows
The Planters(2019)
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
The Margarita Man(2019)
Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films
From the Dead(2019)
Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films
Flavor of Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

Downsizing(2017)
Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films
Lowriders(2016)
Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films
Dimension 404(2017)
Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all shows
Monday Nights at Seven (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

Under Water: Dive Deep (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

Restored Me(2016)
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Superpowerless (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

Kill or Be Killed(2015)
Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films
Road to Juarez (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

Ana Maria in Novela Land(2015)
Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films
Aguruphobia(2015)
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Cake(2014)
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
Man from Reno(2014)
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
White on Rice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

The Black Dahlia(2006)
Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films
The Virgin of Juarez(2006)
Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films
Big Dreams Little Tokyo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

Criminal Minds(2005)
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows
Latin Dragon(2004)
Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films
Exposed(2003)
Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films
Deadly Swarm (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

Kingpin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

Justice League(2001)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows
Along for the Ride (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

The Zeta Project(2001)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all shows
Daybreak (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)
Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films
Bread and Roses(2000)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
Picking Up the Pieces(2000)
Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films
Luminarias (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

The PJs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

Jesse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

The Brave(1997)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
Land of Milk & Honey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

Sliders(1995)
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows
In the Flesh(1995)
Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all filmsHotel Malibu (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

A Million to Juan(1994)
Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films
Second Chances (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

Diagnosis Murder(1993)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all shows
Dudley (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

Jonny's Golden Quest(1993)
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
Only You (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

American Me(1992)
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
Conagher(1991)
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
The Rookie(1990)
Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films
Postcards from the Edge(1990)
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all filmsDEA (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

Bad Jim(1990)
Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films
The Forgotten (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

Quantum Leap(1989)
Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows
Break of Dawn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

Caddyshack II(1988)
Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films
The Fortunate Pilgrim (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

Human Error (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

The Three Kings(1987)
Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films
A Year in the Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

Out of Bounds(1986)
Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films
Matlock(1986)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all shows
Streets of Justice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

Hell Town (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

Fandango(1985)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
Hunter(1984)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all shows
Miami Vice(1984)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all shows
Red Dawn(1984)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
Best Kept Secrets (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

Scarface(1983)
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
Deal of the Century(1983)
Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films
Scarecrow and Mrs. King(1983)
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows
The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

Heartbreaker(1983)
Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films
The A-Team(1983)
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all shows
White Water Rebels (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

Knight Rider(1982)
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows
Cagney & Lacey(1981)
Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all shows
T.J. Hooker(1982)
Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all shows
Seguin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

Vice Squad(1982)
Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
American Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

Simon & Simon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

The Monkey Mission(1981)
Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all shows
Hill Street Blues(1981)
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows
300 Miles for Stephanie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

Inside Moves(1980)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
Honeysuckle Rose(1980)
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
City in Fear (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

The Jerk(1979)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
The Streets of L.A.(1979)
Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Walk Proud(1979)
Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films
A Force of One(1979)
Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films
Roots of Blood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

The Paper Chase (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)
Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films
Lou Grant (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

CHiPs(1977)
Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all shows
Rafferty (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

Car Wash(1976)
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
The Killer Inside Me(1976)
Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films
Swashbuckler(1976)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all filmsMcNaughton's Daughter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

The Deadly Tower(1975)
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
The Day of the Locust(1975)
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
Bronk (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

The Desperate Miles (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

Barney Miller(1975)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows
Baretta (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

The Gun (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

The Rockford Files(1974)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows
The Last Angry Man(1974)
Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Miracle on 34th Street(1973)
Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films
Kojak(1973)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all shows
Police Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

Group Marriage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

Kung Fu(1972)
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows
The Rookies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

The New Centurions(1972)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
Cannon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

Johnny Got His Gun(1971)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
Shoot Out(1971)
Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films
The Student Nurses(1970)
Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films
Adam-12(1968)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all shows
Mannix(1967)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all showsThree Years Gone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Career shape
Star power in the 97th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 135 titles, 133 of them dated from 1967 to 2025; peak year 1991.

Biggest box office
Honeysuckle Rose (1980)

Highest rated
American Me (1992)

Most popular right now
Flamin' Hot (2023)
Film career
Peak 1991 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 3 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.
- 1971Screen debut· Shoot Out
- 1992Career best· American Me
Billing
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.
How do Pepe Serna's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 42nd percentile, the median of all 59; across their 31 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 38th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up20
- 50th to 74th25
- 25th to 49th22
- Below 25th18
Shape of the crowd
33 of their 85 titles are Mixed.
- Universally Loved9
- Universally Panned2
- Loved with Detractors2
- Divisive3
- Cult Classic2
- Crowd Pleaser30
- Broadly Agreed4
- Mixed33
Reviewers score the acting 57/100 in their films, across 24 reviewed titles; fans 70, detractors 31. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is Pepe Serna's work okay for kids?
Across up to 7 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs heavier than most films.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.
Who does Pepe Serna work with?
People who share at least 2 of Pepe Serna's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Jerrold Freedman shares the most, 2.
Directors
- Jerrold FreedmanShared titles: The Streets of L.A. (1979), The Last Angry Man (1974)See all 2 shared titles with Jerrold Freedman

Actors
- Dyana OrtelliShared titles: Say a Little Prayer (2024), American Me (1992)See all 2 shared titles with Dyana Ortelli

- Danny TrejoShared titles: Green Ghost and the Masters of the Stone (2021), The Margarita Man (2019)See all 2 shared titles with Danny Trejo

- Ji-Tu CumbukaShared titles: Out of Bounds (1986), Walk Proud (1979)See all 2 shared titles with Ji-Tu Cumbuka

- Keenan WynnShared titles: The Monkey Mission (1981), The Killer Inside Me (1976)See all 2 shared titles with Keenan Wynn

Editors
- John F. LinkShared titles: The Streets of L.A. (1979), The Last Angry Man (1974)See all 2 shared titles with John F. Link
Producers
- Daniel RamosShared titles: Say a Little Prayer (2024), The Margarita Man (2019)See all 2 shared titles with Daniel Ramos

- Edward James OlmosShared titles: Say a Little Prayer (2024), American Me (1992)See all 2 shared titles with Edward James Olmos

- Aaron Lee LopezShared titles: Green Ghost and the Masters of the Stone (2021), The Margarita Man (2019)See all 2 shared titles with Aaron Lee Lopez

- Brandon Lee KeropianShared titles: Green Ghost and the Masters of the Stone (2021), The Margarita Man (2019)See all 2 shared titles with Brandon Lee Keropian





