HBO documentary shines light on TV's Latino stars

MIAMI -- Let's see, leading Hispanic actors on mainstream TV: There's Sofia Vergara's wacky, chess-playing trophy wife on "Modern Family"; the conniving Eva Longoria of "Desperate Housewives"; and supporting actors such as Adam Rodriguez who plays a fingerprint and underwater recovery expert on "CSI Miami."

After that, the list thins considerably.

Stepping into that space is "The Latino List." The new documentary by Vanity Fair contributing photographer Timothy Greenfield-Sanders airs Sept. 28 and 29 on HBO and HBO Latino and features interviews by award-winning broadcast journalist Maria Hinojosa with some of the nation's most successful Latinos. Hinojosa has worked at CNN, NPR and PBS, and elsewhere.

Longoria, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, rapper Armando Christian Perez, aka Pitbull, astronaut Jose Hernandez and actress America Ferrera are just a few of the 15 who made the list.

The interviews are compelling, funny and raw.

Ferrera, the former star of TV's "Ugly Betty," talks about the discrimination she faced both because she is Hispanic and because others felt she isn't Hispanic enough. Hernandez recalls picking cucumbers as a child with his migrant worker parents. John Leguizamo remembers the teacher who inspired him to become an actor by telling him he had the "attention span of a sperm."

Many of the stories touch on the immigrant experience, but themes of family, education and determination will likely resonate far beyond the nation's Latino community.

Greenfield-Sanders hopes the film will spawn sequels.

"There are thousands of people who deserve to be in the film,"he said.