Exclusive

Rosie Perez and Carlos Ponce Swing Into Lipstick Jungle

Exclusive: Rosie Perez and Carlos Ponce Swing Into Lipstick Jungle

By Kristin Dos Santos Jun 24, 2008 10:25 PMTags
Rosie Perez, Carlos PonceAP Photo, ZumaPress.com

Hey, Andrew McCarthy, don't look now, but a totally hot Latin guy is headed for your girl.

Inside sources reveal that Rosie Perez and Puerto Rican singing sensation Carlos Ponce are coming to NBC’s Lipstick Jungle for multiepisode arcs in the new season, which premieres Sept. 24.

I just got off the bat phone with Lipstick show runner Oliver Goldstick who confirmed the news and revealed inside details on their roles...

NBC

Carlos will play Rodrigo, a contractor and potential love interest for Lindsay Price’s character, Victory Ford (side note: an insider connected to Mario Lopez tells me he was up for the same role), while Rosie is playing Dalia, Lindsay’s passionate new publicist. She's "fiery and fiesty and the hottest publicist on the planet right now,” explains Oliver.

Jean-Paul Aussenard/WireImage.com

Oliver reveals that Rosie’s role was inspired by Salma Hayek, whom he worked with on Ugly Betty. “To Salma, nothing’s unreachable and no one’s untouchable,” Oliver explains.” That’s what I love about her, that can-do approach to everything, and I thought that was a great character to introduce to the show.”

Oliver also first met Rosie on Ugly Betty when she auditioned to play Hilda’s boss (a role which never came to fruition).

Nicole Rivelli/NBC

So does Victory's hot new lover mean McCarthy is on his way out? Definitely not, says Oliver. “He is still very much apart of Victory’s life via the business. Andrew is still a regular on the show, and Rodrigo is basically the opposite of Joe Bennett in every way.”

What’s that I smell? Oh yes, a very spicy love triangle! Yum. 

What do you think of this casting? Post in the comments below.