Taylor Zakhar Perez Fan

TheWrap’s first-ever Latino Power List celebrates the trailblazers who are making change across entertainment and media, spanning actors, directors, writers, executives, dealmakers, journalists and up-and-comers who are setting the blueprint for future generations of Latino talent to bring their skills to the Hollywood landscape.

“Anytime any Latino is recognized for their work it’s a great feeling,” said cover subject Eva Longoria, the director, producer and actress who is focused on expanding the universe of Latino stories through her work and her production company. “The whole point of doing what I do — whether it’s directing or producing — is to amplify the voices of the Latino community.”

The Up-and-Comers

Taylor Zakhar Perez (Actor) – Before Taylor Zakhar Perez took on the mantle of Alex Claremont-Diaz in the Greg Berlanti-produced film adaptation of Casey McQuiston’s “Red, White & Royal Blue,” he brought another beloved fictional character to life — Marco from the second and third “Kissing Booth” films on Netflix. As an avid baseball player, Perez first felt represented on screen watching “The Sandlot” and “Angels in the Outfield.” “Both roles were played by Mike Vitar, I thought we kind of looked alike. I wasn’t even thinking of being an actor at that point in my life, but for some reason that’s who popped into mind first,” he told TheWrap. “I loved ‘The Sandlot,’ boys being boys, kids on the verge of adulthood… the culture that brought them together was baseball and that bonded them no matter where they came from. It still gets me.” Perez’s TV credits include the first season of “Minx,” six episodes of “Embeds” and one episode of “Scandal.” In 2015, the pendulum swung towards “Latin is hot” for Hollywood and Perez, but he still found some in casting rooms who thought he didn’t look “Latin enough.” “It was almost laughable that I was now being removed from a casting pool of people with the same heritage as me,” he recalled. “But it didn’t deter me, it just made me work harder and smarter to become ‘undeniable,’ as my coach used to say.” — Dessi Gomez