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By Michael Lopez

Don't worry, it wasn't any drunken antics that led to Paz de la Huerta leaving Boardwalk Empire, but she is saying goodbye nonetheless. Apparently, the hit HBO show is taking a new direction next year and changing up quite a few cast members.

Paz' Lucy Danziger character made an abrupt exit in the season finale, leaving her newborn with its federal agent baby daddy. Series regulars Dabney Coleman, Aleska Palladino, and Michael Pitt were also written off in the last episode, albeit in a much more violent way.

But don't worry, there will still be plenty of Latino presence on the show next season. Tr3s fave Bobby Cannavale has reportedly joined the cast as a ruthless rival of star Steve Buscemi.

And as for de la Huerta, she's still got plenty of projects lined up in the next few months. According to IMDb, you can catch her alongside Wilmer Valderrama in 2012's The Girl Is In Trouble and in 2013's Inferno: Linda Lovelace biopic.

Are you a fan of Boardwalk Empire? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Boardwalk Empire, Bobby Cannavale, HBO, Paz de la Huerta, Television

By Michael Lopez

Could JWoww and Snooki be more than "just friends?" Though both Jersey Shore stars have denied hooking up, Snooks seems to be very open to the idea, at least according to her latest interview with The Huffington Post.

"I would consider myself bi. I've done stuff with girls before," she said. "But I would never be with a girl because I like... penis. But I've experimented."

It doesn't get more blunt than that. And we're sure that's a relief for Snooki’s current boyfriend Jionni LaValle. She went on to say that she's fully committed to her man and interestingly, didn't address any of those pregnancy rumors.

But Snooks did stir the pot a bit when it came to one of her Jersey co-stars. Keeping with the bisexual topic, the Chilean-born Guidette hinted that Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino may swing both ways.

"[Mike] brings it up," she added. "He'll say, 'People think I'm gay and I don't know what they're talking about… I can't confirm or deny with Mike, but if he was, it would all make sense."

Do you think any of the Jersey Shore stars are hiding in the closet? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Chisme, Jersey Shore, Jionni LaValle, Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino, popnews, Reality shows, Snooki, The Situation

By Michael Lopez

Yes, we love Naya Rivera, but if you ask us, Glee still deserves to have much more of a Latino presence. And that's exactly what they got last night, with a singing and dancing Spanish teacher played by Ricky Martin!

Martin's role as Mr. Martinez definitely got things jumping, especially after his rousing rendition of "Sexy And I Know It." But more importantly, Glee gave Ricky the chance to flex his acting chops. Mr. Livin' La Vida Loca offered up a bit of comedy, some tender moments with Mr. Schu, and even an interesting backstory about his character's life in Ohio.

And don't just take our word for it. Several critics thought Martin knocked it out of the park too.

"As expected, Martin brought his charm, energy and swiveling hips to the proceedings," the Washington Post wrote.

Best of all, there's a very good chance that Mr. Martinez will return. Now hired as a full-time Spanish teacher at McKinley High, let's hope we can see him in a lot more dance numbers to come!

What did you think of Ricky's Glee debut? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, glee, Hot Stuff, Música, Ricky Martin, Television

By Michael Lopez

Puerto Rican-American actor John Ortiz has been making movies for nearly 20 years. And though his face may seem very familiar, he didn't quite break into the big time until recently, with his star making turn on the horse racing series, Luck.

Cast as trainer Turo Escalante, John's been getting quite a bit of praise for his introspective performance. As he told Latina, Turo is a character who's worked hard to get where he's at and has several complicated layers.

"I play a horse trainer who has become the best in the business," he explained. "He is the classic immigrant story…You see a successful Turo at the surface, but as with so many things, something that appears one way on top is different underneath."

If there's one person who can get audiences to see the real Turo, it's Dustin Hoffman. The legendary actor shares several scenes with Ortiz and should be able to bring out a lot of depth as the season progresses.

You can find out yourself by catching new episodes of Luck every Sunday on HBO.

Have you been watching Luck? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Dustin Hoffman, HBO, Horse Racing, John Ortiz, Luck, Television

By Michael Lopez

Throughout 11 wild seasons, Randy Jackson has remained an American Idol constant. And beyond that, he's a music legend, having played on albums by Journey, George Michael, and Mariah Carey. So clearly he knows his stuff and he's got some very interesting things to say about this latest version of Idol.

"I think we're in a great groove now," Jackson told us during an exclusive conference call. "Everyone makes such a fuss about the judges, but it really is the talent. If you don't have the talent…people might want to watch about five minutes then be like 'Okay.' So, I think it's really about that talent and what we get back from these kids."

Randy may have a point, but clearly the fans are entranced by the antics of his cohorts Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler. Though they got a little bit of flack last year for being a bit wet behind the ears, Jackson assured us that there are big changes in store.

"[Jennfer, Steven, and I] talk about everything," he explained. "But this season you may see them be a bit more stern. They may surprise you. This Hollywood week was the toughest we've ever had on the kids."

And according to Randy, tough love is a necessity if you want to succeed in the music business. He went on to offer his philosophies on why criticism is important when prepping singers for a life behind the mic.

"This is a process that gets you ready for the future," he said. "You think Idol’s hard? Wait until you become an artist and you're trying to put a record out. After our show, you jump into the ring and duke it out with Madonna, with Rihanna, with Katie Perry. After this, you're setting yourself up for the competition of life and the competition never ends."

Speaking of competition, Jackson also made sure to speak out about Idol’s big rival in the ratings race, NBC's The Voice. Even though TV's other vocal talent show scored huge post-Super Bowl ratings, Randy isn't worried one bit.

"Listen, Idol is in its eleventh season," he proudly stated. "The Voice [had] huge numbers. I think any show after the Super Bowl will have huge numbers. They've got an original show and I think there's room for everyone out there."

Let's hope Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera, and Cee-Lo Green feel the same way.

What's your favorite reality singing show? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags American Idol, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Exclusive Entrevistas, Jennifer Lopez, Música, Randy Jackson, Reality shows, Steven Tyler, Television, The Voice, Tr3s Exclusives

By Michael Lopez

As we mentioned in our interview with him last month, 2012 is proving to be a HUGE year for John Leguizamo. Not only does he have a flurry of movies coming out, news just broke that he's scored a TV development deal with ABC.

The versatile Colombian-American star will be delving into comedy for his latest small screen adventure. Deadline.com is reporting that his new series will be a single-camera sitcom based on his family life in New York City.

And don't worry Leguizamo fans, John won't just be behind-the-scenes for this project. The Ghetto Klown will be starring in the series as well, which is being produced by entertainment vets David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman.

That's all very exciting news to us. And who knows? If all goes well, the alphabet network may even schedule it on the same night as Modern Family!

Are you looking forward to John's new show? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags ABC, Blogger: Michael Lopez, John Leguizamo, Sitcoms, Television

By Ikam Acosta

Kim Kardashian has been making her rounds around Miami looking for a new location for her clothing store Dash. The original Dash South Florida store location was in Miami Beach.

The Miami Beach Dash first appeared on the Kardashian reality show Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami in 2009, when it was vandalized shortly after its grand opening. The first Dash store opened in 2006 in Calabasas, California and was featured in Keeping Up With the Kardashians. The girls also have another store in New York's SoHo district.

Kim was recently spotted shopping around for a new Miami location along with two of her friends. She also hinted on being Miami-bound in one of her tweets,

"Is Miami ready for us @larsapippen @lala @lorenridinger @JonathanCheban??? Gonna be fun!!!!"

She then tweeted,

"Just looked at some fab new spaces for Dash in Miami! Can't wait for the new Miami Dash store!"

Could this mean there is a new Kardahian reality show in the works? Perhaps next season Kim will be taking Miami all on her own.

Do you think Kim Kardashian is opening Dash for a new show in Miami?

Tags Blogger: Ikam Acosta, Celebrities, Kim Kardashian, Reality shows, Television

By Ikam Acosta

Sexy Latin crooner Ricky Martin has confirmed that he will join the cast of Glee as a Spanish teacher during next Tuesday's episode. The Puerto Rican singer described on Twitter how making the episode was one of his favorite moments of his career.

Ricky will play a Spanish teacher, David Martínez, on next week's Glee episode, airing February 7th on Fox. He will deliver the sassy line,

"Mucho gusto conocerlos. Soy sexy y lo sé. Vamos a bailar."

Martin joins the award-winning show for an episode which highlights some of the show's Hispanic influences, titled "The Spanish Teacher." His performance will also include lines spoken in both English and Spanish, as well as musical lyrics sang in both languages.

Chris Colfer, the actor who plays Kurt on the show, confesses how he has never seen such a frenzy over any other guest star on the show.

"In my three years on Glee, I have never seen anyone who has arrived on the set and has made every single person melt."

Will you be tuning in to watch Ricky Martin as the caliente Spanish teacher on Glee?

Tags Blogger: Ikam Acosta, Celebrities, glee, popnews, Ricky Martin, Television

By Michael Lopez

February has arrived and we couldn’t be more excited. Not only is it the time of love for all of the Valentine's romantics, it's also now become "Characters Unite Month," a 29-day celebration of tolerance and positive change.

USA Network created the effort to help spread the word about causes close to many of their stars' hearts. And they’ve gotten a few Tr3s faves to participate too, with a series of uplifting Public Service Announcements promoting universal respect.

Cuban-American Gina Torres (who currently stars in USA’s Suits) spoke up in a very moving PSA about 9/11. She encourages viewers to remember the heroes of that tragic day and continue the camaraderie that shown between the citizens of New York.

Atlanta Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez will also be appearing on the network in a special entitled, NFL Characters Unite. Joined by fellow football greats Jimmy Graham and Hines Ward, Tony will be speaking out about bullying and sharing stories about his own struggles with the issue while growing up in L.A.

And several other network stars will be addressing issues that Latinos face every day. White Collar’s Sharif Atkins has recorded spots about embracing diversity, Covert Affairs’ Scott Gorham discusses respect for veterans, and In Plain Sight’s Mary McCormack sheds light on the dangers of stereotyping.

But that's only the beginning. Similar to CNN's Heroes, the network will be hosting a Characters Unite Awards banquet honoring everyday people who are making a difference. Last year, USA honored Florida's Jessica Estevez for the diversity workshops she set up in her small town.

And just so you know, there's still time to nominate someone from your community for an award. If you're aware of any local Agentes de Cambio who are making a positive change, pass their information along and you could score them a $5000 grant to continue their work.

Do you feel like there are any Agentes de Cambio in your community? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Agentes De Cambio, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Characters Unite, Gina Torres, Mary McCormack, PSAs, Scott Gorham, Sharif Atkin, Television, Tony Gonzalez, USA Network

By Michael Lopez

Good news Dora The Explorer fans, your favorite junior adventurer is back on Nickelodeon with new episodes and a brand new voice! 11-year-old Fátima Ptacek will now be stepping up to the mic for the iconic role and, judging by her resume, she's more than qualified for the part.

Not only is she a proud Latina, Ptacek (who's part Ecuadorian) is fluent in both Spanish and English. She's also a vet of the small screen, having appeared on shows like Saturday Night Live, A Gifted Man, and Royal Pains.

And, for the record, there will be another Tr3s fave hitting the Explorer trail this week too. Andy Garcia is lending his voice to Friday's episode as the iconic Don Quixote character (and teaching good ol' Boots a few things about the royal knighthood).

You can catch Fátima's (and Andy's) big Dora debut this week on Nickelodeon at 10:00am ET/PT.

Are you excited about Dora's new episodes? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Andy Garcia, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Dora the Explorer, Fátima Ptacek, Hot Stuff, Nickelodeon, Television