Tony Plana (born April 19, 1953 or 1954) is a Cuban-American actor and director. He currently plays Betty Suarez's father, Ignacio Suarez, on the ABC show Ugly Betty.
Plana was born in Havana. His family moved to Miami in 1963. He is a graduate of Loyola Marymount University and was trained in acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, United Kingdom. He has been married to actress Ada Maris since 1988 and they have two children.
While he is known to a broad audience for his roles in feature films and television, Plana is also known for his skills in acting and directing for the stage. He has created and directed a number of productions of the works of Shakespeare for minority audiences and he has been active in both the Los Angeles and New York City theater communities, including leading appearances on Broadway and at New York City's Public Theater. He originated the role of Rudy in the L.A. production of the Luis Valdez play Zoot Suit, going on to play Rudy in the film version as well.
Plana has acted, directed and written for television in series, mini-series, and specials such as Hill Street Blues, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Resurrection Boulevard, Commander in Chief, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, The West Wing, 24, Cagney & Lacey and many others.
Plana has acted in films such as An Officer and a Gentleman, Three Amigos!, Goal!, Lone Star, and others. He is known to PC gamers as the voice of Manny Calavera in the Lucasarts adventure game Grim Fandango.
Plana teaches acting at California State University, Dominguez Hills and Rio Hondo College.
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