Michael Pena to play Mr Roarke in ‘Fantasy Island’
MICHAEL Pena is set to play the role of Mr. Roarke in ‘Fantasy Island’.
The 42-year- old actor — who previously starred in hits such as ‘Crash’ and ‘Ant-Man’ — has been added to the cast of the film adaptation from director Jeff Wadlow, Deadline reports.
Pena will star in the role that was previously filled by Ricardo Montalban on the ABC TV series.
On the show, the iconic Mr. Roarke served as the overseer of the island who granted the fantasies of its visitors.
The hit series, which launched in 1978, touched on a host of dark themes and the supernatural.
The movie adaptation has been written by the director alongside Chris Roach and Jillian Jacobs.
News of Pena’s casting comes shortly after he claimed that attitudes towards Latino and Latina talent are changing in Hollywood.
Pena initially faced a struggle to establish himself in the movie business, given the lack of opportunities for Latino stars, but he thinks the landscape is slowly changing.
He shared: “The thing is, I started acting about 23 years ago, and it was very tough to get an audition, let alone a part. There are these things called ‘breakdowns’ where they give character descriptions and outline who can audition for them. “I still have some of these, where the first 10 would be caucasian, so only caucasians could audition for them.”
But Pena now feels more optimistic about the movie business.
He said: “It was difficult for me to break through, because nine times out of 10, it was some gangster or whatever. Now, though, I don’t have such a pessimistic viewpoint about it all.
“The way that I’m seeing it, things are changing and becoming better all the time. I’m glad I can be a part of that. I want to keep on changing the status quo. It’s good to want change, but only if you’re willing to be part of that change.”