Jose Aleman

Jose Aleman was born in Bogota, Colombia arriving in the United States at the age of six. His mother, single parent, had traveled to the United States in the late 60s. Shortly after his arrival, his mother took him to an open cast call for a CBS television series titled "Popi", starring Hector Elizondo. He made the final calls but was not cast. However, producers at CBS recommended him to an agent, Betty Birbaum, at Associated Talent. She signed him on and soon after he worked on various children's public television shows such as, Infinity Factory, and he guest starred on a PBS television series, Mundo Real. A few years later, he was cast on the ABC soap opera, Ryan's Hope, as Angel Nieves De la Pena. As a first Latin actor to appear on a major network soap opera, he was invited on the Joe Franklin show. That same year, while under contact to ABC, he was cast for a small bit role - Lopez - in Saturday Night Fever. On the first day of shooting in Brooklyn, the crowds overwhelmed the production which was rescheduled. On the second time around to shoot the scene with John Travolta, Diana Hyland (John Travolta's then girlfriend) died of cancer related complications and production was further postponed. By the third attempt at shooting the scene, ABC would not let Jose Aleman shoot again, as he was under contract. Still, John Badham and the producers decided to honor the Paramount contract and to this day he receives residuals from Paramount. Jose Aleman would later get cast on films like Spike from Bensonhurst and Crocodile Dundee II, as small bit gang member roles. He decided to go to law school. He was being typecast. He graduated from CUNY Law School and is now working as a KM support lawyer in an Am Law 100 law firm in NYC. He now lives happily married in Princeton New Jersey with his wife and two children. Coincidentally, the children are also actors (Brandon and Brianna) and are represented by Barbara Coleman at Innovative Artists in New York and Los Angeles.