Star power

'ALMA' honors Andy Garcia for movies legacy

By James Garcia

In a strange way, you have to be heartened by the fact that no less than three British tabloids felt utterly compelled to report the "news" that Hollywood bombshell Eva Longoria had donned a head-spinning 10 gowns as host of the 2006 ALMA Awards.

Okay, how could anyone not notice the outfits she wore?

The real news, however, is that the ALMA Awards are back on the air. The show last aired on ABC in 2002, an eternity in TV time.

Thanks to Longoria and company, the show is back and likely to stay. A "live taping" – complete with a few biting jokes and jabs about the ongoing immigration debate – took place at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles last month. (The show will be broadcast June 5.)

Officially known as The NCLR ALMA Awards, it was created in 1995 by Arizona’s own Raul Yzaguirre, former president of the National Council of La Raza. Unfortunately, the show proved a money-loser for the influential, non-profit advocacy organization.

Enter Longoria – arguably the hottest thing on the hottest TV show. The 31-year-old Desperate Housewives co-star had signed on as a co-producer. As ALMA Awards co-executive producer David Chavez points out, a show like this needs "a buzz" to succeed, and Longoria definitely has the industry talking.

Among the celebs Longoria helped corral: Jessica Simpson, Jessica Alba, Desperate Housewives’ co-stars Marcia Cross and Ricardo Antonio Chavira (Longoria’s doting TV hubby) and Michael Douglas, her co-star in the summer thriller The Sentinel.

The nominees were no slouches either. Andy Garcia received the Anthony Quinn Award for Excellence in Motion Pictures. Marc Anthony was honored with the Celia Cruz Award for Excellence in Music. Other big-name nominees included Shakira, Benicio Del Toro, America Ferrera, Jessica Alba, Robert Rodriguez, George Lopez, Michelle Rodriguez, Jimmy Smits and megastar Jennifer Lopez, who only wore one dress the entire night.

While industry insiders say a growing number of Latinos are making headway in Hollywood, NCLR’s President Janet Murguia notes: "There are still many challenges. Despite our growing numbers, Hispanics are still underrepresented in television, and we need to create a sustained presence on the silver screen."

If the show of star power at the reincarnated ALMA Awards is any indication, that presence is bound to grow.

2006 NCLR ALMA AWARDS
June 5 on ABC
Check local listing for time.



This article appears in the June 2006 issue of Latino Perspectives Magazine.

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