Piñero
Encyclopedia
Piñero is a 2001 biopic about the troubled life of Nuyorican
poet
and playwright
Miguel Piñero
, starring Benjamin Bratt
as the titular character. It was written and directed by the Cuban
filmmaker, Leon Ichaso
. It premiered at the Montreal Film Festival on 31 August 2001. It then received a limited theatrical release in the United States on 13 December 2001.
Nuyorican
Nuyorican is a portmanteau of the terms "New York" and "Puerto Rican" and refers to the members or culture of the Puerto Rican diaspora located in or around New York State especially the New York City metropolitan area, or of their descendants...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
Miguel Piñero
Miguel Piñero
Miguel Piñero was a Puerto Rican playwright, actor, and co-founder of the Nuyorican Poets Café. He was a leading member of the Nuyorican literary movement.-Early years:...
, starring Benjamin Bratt
Benjamin Bratt
Benjamin Bratt is an American actor. He is most famous for his role as Rey Curtis on the TV series Law & Order; and his appearances in the movies Blood in Blood Out, Miss Congeniality, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Traffic, and Piñero.-Early life:Bratt was born in San Francisco, California,...
as the titular character. It was written and directed by the Cuban
Cubans
Cubans or Cuban people are the inhabitants or citizens of Cuba. Cuba is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...
filmmaker, Leon Ichaso
Leon Ichaso
-Early life and education:Leon Ichaso was born in Havana August 3, 1948, into a family of well-known writers, journalists and artists. His father, Justo Rodríguez Santos, was one of Cuba's most respected poets and a pioneer in broadcast TV and radio -and his mother Antonia Ichaso had a radio...
. It premiered at the Montreal Film Festival on 31 August 2001. It then received a limited theatrical release in the United States on 13 December 2001.
Cast
- Benjamin BrattBenjamin BrattBenjamin Bratt is an American actor. He is most famous for his role as Rey Curtis on the TV series Law & Order; and his appearances in the movies Blood in Blood Out, Miss Congeniality, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Traffic, and Piñero.-Early life:Bratt was born in San Francisco, California,...
as Miguel Piñero - Talisa SotoTalisa Soto-Early life:Born Miriam Soto in Brooklyn, New York, Soto is the youngest of four children born to an Italian mother and a Canadian father of Puerto Rican descent. Her parents later relocated to Northampton, Massachusetts where Soto and her siblings were raised and educated.-Modeling:At the age of...
as Sugar - Giancarlo EspositoGiancarlo EspositoGiancarlo Giuseppe Alessandro Esposito is a Danish-born American film and television actor and director.-Early life:Esposito was born in Copenhagen, Denmark to an Italian father and African-American mother. His mother was an opera and nightclub singer from Alabama, who once appeared on the same...
as Miguel AlgarinMiguel AlgarínMiguel Algarín , is a Puerto Rican poet, writer, co-founder of the Nuyorican Poets Café, and retired Rutgers University professor of English.-Early years:... - Rita MorenoRita MorenoRita Moreno is a Puerto Rican singer, dancer and actress. She is the only Hispanic and one of the few performers who have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony, and was the second Puerto Rican to win an Academy Award....
as Miguel's mother - Michael IrbyMichael IrbyMichael Clinton Irby is an American film and television actor. He is known for portraying Sergeant First Class Charles Grey in The Unit.-Personal life:...
as Reinaldo PovodReinaldo Povod-Life:Reinaldo Povod, known to his friends as Rei grew up on the Lower East Side.The son of a Puerto Rican mother and a Cuban father of Russian descent. In 1977, his play Cries and Shouts played at the Nuyorican Poets Café, where Mr. Povod was a protege of Miguel Piñero.Bill Hart brought Mr... - Mandy PatinkinMandy PatinkinMandel Bruce "Mandy" Patinkin is an award-winning American actor of stage and screen and a tenor vocalist. He is a noted interpreter of the musical works of Stephen Sondheim, and is best-known for his work in musical theatre, originating iconic roles such as Georges Seurat in Sunday in the Park...
as Joseph PappJoseph PappJoseph Papp was an American theatrical producer and director. Papp established The Public Theater in what had been the Astor Library Building in downtown New York . "The Public," as it is known, has many small theatres within it... - Griffin DunneGriffin Dunne-Personal life:Dunne was born Thomas Griffin Dunne in New York City, New York, the son of Ellen Beatriz Dunne and Dominick Dunne. His mother founded the victims' rights organization Justice for Homicide Victims and his father was a producer, writer, and actor...
as Agent - Ray SantiagoRay SantiagoRaimundo "Ray" Santiago is an American actor. He played Jorge Villalobos in the film Meet the Fockers , and had minor roles in 2005's Dirty Deeds and 2006's Accepted...
as Willie - O.L. Duke as Paul
- Fisher StevensFisher StevensFisher Stevens is an American actor, director and producer. His most recent successes include the 2010 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for his film The Cove and 2008 Independent Spirit Award for Best Documentary Feature for his film Crazy Love...
as Public Theatre Cashier - Tara WilsonTara Wilson (actress)Tara Wilson is a Canadian actress. She starred in minor roles in films like The Butterfly Effect and Everything's Gone Green and had guest appearances in TV series like The L Word, Smallville, and Supernatural....
as Tito's girlfriend - Nelson Vasquez as Tito GoyaTito GoyaTito Goya was a Puerto Rican actor best known for his portrayal of "Cupcakes" in the movie "Short Eyes"....