Carlos Pena, Jr.
| Carlos Pena, Jr. | |
|---|---|
 Pena, Jr. in New York City's Herald Square, August 15, 2010 | |
| Born |
Carlos Roberto Pena, Jr. August 15, 1989 Columbia, Missouri, U.S.[1] |
| Occupation | Actor, dancer, singer-songwriter |
| Height | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) |
| Spouse(s) | Alexa Vega (m. 2014) |
| Musical career | |
| Instruments | Vocals, ukulele, tamborine |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Labels | Columbia |
| Associated acts | Big Time Rush |
Carlos Roberto Pena-Vega[2] (né Pena, born August 15, 1989)[3] is an American actor, singer-songwriter, dancer, and director. He is best known for starring on the Nickelodeon series Big Time Rush as Carlos García in addition to being a member of the band Big Time Rush.
Early life
Carlos Pena, Jr was born on August 15, 1989 in Columbia, Missouri.[1][4] His father is of Spanish and Venezuelan descent, while his mother is of Dominican descent.[5] He was raised in Weston, Florida.[3][6] He attended Sagemont Upper School where he was a cheerleader.[1] He appeared in local productions of Grease and Man of La Mancha.[1] He also had a role in the American Heritage School, where he attended before leaving to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career, production of Titanic. [6][7] During his run in Titanic he fell in love with singing and dancing.[6]
Career
His first acting role was a guest star at age 15 on ER, followed later that year by guest-starring roles on Judging Amy, Summerland, and Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide.[4][6][7][8]
While still in high school, Pena appeared in television commercials for the Super Soaker brand recreational water gun, and his image even appeared on the toy's packaging.[3]
Pena was studying musical theater at the Boston Conservatory when his manager urged him to audition for Big Time Rush.[3] Although he was reluctant to do so, he submitted an audition tape and won the role almost 2 years later.[3] Pena moved to Hollywood in August 2009.
Big Time Rush
Big Time Rush is an American pop boy band that formed in 2009. The band consists of Pena, Kendall Schmidt, James Maslow, and Logan Henderson, all on vocals. Pena co-wrote the song "Oh Yeah" off of the group's first album, BTR. On the second album, he wrote "Invisible" along with Charley Greenberg, Cody Williams, Daniel Andrew Wayne, Jonathan Rotem. As of 2011, the band has released two albums, BTR and Elevate. They recently released their third album, 24/seven. In addition, they embarked on the Summer Break Tour, in support of the album.
Personal life
Pena married actress Alexa Vega on January 4, 2014 in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.[9][10]
Film and TV
| Television/Films | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Show | Role | Notes |
| 2004 | ER | Arlo Escobar | 1 episode |
| 2004–2005 | Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide | King Bee | 3 episodes |
| 2005 | Judging Amy | Diego Valdesera | |
| Summerland | Student | ||
| 2009–2013 | Big Time Rush | Carlos Garcia | Main role |
| 2010 | Big Time Concert | Carlos Garcia | Main role |
| 2011 | Hand aufs Herz | Himself | with the band Big Time Rush, 210.Episode (Hand aufs Herz is a German telenovela on Sixx) |
| 2011 | Nick News | Himself | Episode: "Lies We Tell In Middle School" |
| 2012 | Big Time Movie | Carlos Garcia | Main Role |
| 2012 | How To Rock | Himself | |
| 2012 | Little Birds | Louis | |
| 2012 | Figure It Out | Himself | Episode 2, 11, 12, 22, 23, 30, 38, 41 |
| 2014 | La Vida Robot | Oscar Vasquez | |
Films
- Big Time Christmas Live
- Kids for Character 3
- Eric Christmas
- Little Birds (2011)
- La Vida Robot (2014)
- Big Time Movie
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Jicha, Tom (2007-10-24). "Making More Menudo". Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel.
- ↑ http://www.onenewspage.com/n/Entertainment/7509ak23u/Alexa-Vega-Carlos-Pena-Change-Last-Name.htm
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Rentería, Melissa (2009-11-26). "Plans Change as Pena Lands Co-Starring Role in Nickelodeon's 'Big Time Rush'." Conexión.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Moore, Frazier (2010-01-15). "An Inside Look at a Boy Band on Nick's New Comedy." Associated Press..
- ↑ Hernandez, Lee (2011-02-28) Introducing “Big Time Rush” Star Carlos Pena. latina.com
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Jicha, Tom. "In A Rush" Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel November 28, 2009.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Martin, Denise (2009-11-22). "Child's Play". Los Angeles Times
- ↑ Martin, Denise (2009-11-26). "'Big Time Rush' Is A Little Bit 'Entourage,' A Little Bit 'Monkees'". Boston Globe.
- ↑ Eggenberger, Nicole (2013-06-19). "Alexa Vega Engaged to Carlos Pena, Jr., Congratulated by Ex-Husband - Us Weekly". Usmagazine.com. Retrieved 2013-09-13.
- ↑ "Alexa Vega Engaged to Carlos Pena—See Her Diamond Ring! | E! Online UK". Eonline.com. Retrieved 2013-09-13.
External links
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