Rick Najera

California born Rick Najera started his artistic career as an actor He is an awardwinning actorwriterdirectorproducer with credits in film television theatre and Broadway Early in his career he was inspired and mentored by Oscarwinning actress Whoopi Goldberg Keenen Ivory Wayans and comedian Cheech Marin Realizing there were few roles for him to play he took matters into his own hands and started writing his way into Hollywood and landed his first big writing gig on In Living Color Rick Najera is one of three Latinos in the history of Broadway to write and star in his own show Najera made his Broadway debut in 2005 with his awardwinning sketch comedy show Latinologues TM the longest running and only showcase of its kind for Latinos in America Najera penned the holiday film Nothing Like the Holidays starring Debra Messing Alfred Molina and John Leguizamo which won him an Alma Award He was also honored with two WGA nominations for his writing on MADtv Najera has been honored twice as 100 Most Influential Latinos in America along with several other awards Rick Najeras fourth book was released in 2013 Almost White Forced Confessions of a Latino in Hollywood garnering a press tour and fivestar reviews on Amazoncom Rick Najera is the director of the annual CBS Diversity Sketch Comedy Showcase going on 12 years Rick Najera is a regular contributor to NPR radio and is also a professional speaker The World Bank Google Harvard Law School Wellesley College Stanford CBS CNN Al Jazeera UCLA and more He is the writer of the multiEmmy nominated Hulu original series East Los High and producer of talk show Latino Thought Makers