Rodriguez falling for "Ugly Betty"

By Nellie Andreeva

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "Six Feet Under" alum Freddy Rodriguez has joined the cast of ABC's comedy-drama series "Ugly Betty," playing a new love interest for star America Ferrera.

Rodriguez also has been cast in the indie "Bottle Shock," written and to be directed by Randy Miller.

On "Betty," Rodriguez will play Gio, a smart, ambitious, aggressive and lovable blue-collar guy who runs the office sandwich cart and prides himself on making each sandwich a work of art. It won't be long before sparks begin to fly between him and Betty (Ferrera).

The big-screen project "Shock" tells the true story of Chateau Montelena, a small, struggling California vineyard that won a blind taste test in Paris in 1976 to break into the previously French-dominated wine industry. Rodriguez will play a guy gifted with an extraordinary palate who works at the winery.

Rodriguez was nominated for an Emmy in 2001 for his role as Federico Diaz on HBO's "Six Feet Under." On the big screen, he was recently seen in "Bobby," "Harsh Times" and as the male lead in Robert Rodriguez's "Planet Terror" portion of the "Grindhouse" double feature.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter