Bad article names aside, Michael Pena is one of my favorite actors. I thought he was the best part of Crash, a movie I know a lot of folks disliked. Whether he’s starring in films like that, the excellent film The Lucky Ones, or being hilarious on Eastbound & Down, the guy is awesome. Underused, but awesome.
The Hollywood Reporter has learned that he will be joining the already robust cast of Gangster Squad, due out in 2013, with the likes of Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Anthony Mackie, and Ryan Gosling. For those that don’t know, it’s a crime drama set in the 1940s, focusing on the unit created by the LAPD to combat the East Coast mafia. East side!
According to THR, he’ll be playing “an officer with a Mexican heritage who is eager to prove himself to the squad.” I’ll be looking forward to this, as L.A. Noire has recently reinvigorated my love for everything cop or crime-centric and set in that period. Which admittedly isn’t much these days.