The Stars
PETE BUNE (Paul)
Peter Bune made up one fourth of the Long Island/NYC cult TV show The Slack Pack from 1997-2004. Bune edited the first 26 episodes and has co-directed the majority of The Slack Pack’s productions, including his first short, “Bored” (2001). In addition to work on the TV show, Bune co-wrote and directed two feature films – “Lost Suburbia” (2007) and “The Freaks, Nerds, and Romantics” (2009). Currently, Mr. Bune can be seen as one half of the comedic duo PB&J and as a featured actor in the new comedy web series “The Work Jerks”.
ANDREW CASANOVA (Antony)
Andrew Casanova is an aspiring actor whose only dream is to be on the big screen. He has appeared in several stage productions such as West Side Story (Bernardo) and Grease (Sonny LaTierri). “The Work Jerks” is Andrew’s first official film experience. “Now don’t let my incredible Antony raps and swagger fool you either because, surprisingly, I am not signing a record deal or looking into a career as a rap artist. However, I don’t mind the occasional birthday or Bar-Mitzvah.” Currently, Andrew is attending the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts and living in the city to further his acting education and, hopefully, his career.
JAIME FERNANDEZ (James)
Jaime Fernandez has been heavily involved in the New York City comedy circuit for the last ten years. At first a stand-up comedian, Jaime transitioned into acting in both live and filmed sketch comedy as a co-founder of the comedy troupe Room 28. He tested the waters of short and long form film in productions such as “Sandman’s Box,” “Color,” “The Bag,” “Bodega Central,” “Arthouse Film,” and “The Shooter.” He also starred in HBO Latino’s anecdote series Habla Ya! Parte 1 & 2. Most recently, Jaime voiced the character of Armando in “Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony.” Not a stranger to the web, Jaime also played the lead role of Gabriel in the sci-fi/thriller webseries “Linked,” as well as “J” in the on-going comedy series “PB&J.” This time around, Jaime returns to the web in the form he knows best, as a comedic character named James who is the office playboy in The Work Jerks.
JOSE IRIZARRY (Julian Long)
Jose Irizarry is an aspiring artist. Being born and raised in New York City to Puerto Rican parents has introduced Jose to many quirky and interesting characters. “As if growing up in the big city wasn’t difficult enough, having parents with an Old School mentality made things even more challenging. However, this constant clash allowed me to see things with multiple perspectives. I like to observe things and create my own interpretation of them, whether it’s through drawing or acting them out on film. I love to sit and watch people’s natural reactions to the most ordinary situations. People can be so funny without even trying.” Jose Irizarry has appeared in numerous college films and has also worked in last year’s webseries Linked where he played the role of Councilman Brown. Currently, Jose Irizarry is very excited to play the character of Julian Long in the new comedy webseries “The Work Jerks”.
LAUREN J. RIVERA (Lacey)
Before 2006, Lauren J. Rivera’s experience in acting did not include much more than a recurring role as one of the angels in the Nativity Story. Luckily, that took place in grammar school and was not some revival in her later years. It wasn’t until college that Lauren performed improv at a student union talent show. After graduation she starred in the short film “Schizophrenia” in which she portrayed 6 different characters. In the years that followed, Lauren made cameos in the filmed skits of Room 28 and tested her stage skills during a live performance. She has since starred in several short films and played the female lead role in “Linked,” a sci-fi/thriller webseries. Returning to the web yet again, she is set to play the character of Lacey, the normal girl amongst an office of crazy characters in the new comedy webseries “The Work Jerks.”
RACHEL STRAUSS (Diana)
A Brooklyn, NY Native of both Dominican and Jewish-American heritage, Rachel Strauss, the JewMinicana (aka Loca La Boca) has greatly immersed herself within the world of media, including television, film, radio and stage performances. Her unique energy, personality and versatility shines throughout every single one of her performances. She has appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman Show (CBS), The Dave Ramsey Show (Fox) and Good Day NY (Fox). She’s starred in documentaries such as HBO Latino’s “Habla Ya!” and “The Bigger the Hoop” (Linda Nieves-Powell). She’s also starred in comedy troupe, Room 28’s 2008 Holiday comedy show in NYC and served as a full-time commentator on MTV’s FNMTV video show. Casted for the 2009 New York International Latino Film Festival commercial, she also served as a red carpet reporter for the festival. She’s currently involved in a second run of the stage play “Please Hold” (which was featured in The 2009 Ultimate Latina Theater Festival) by playwright Jenny Saldana. Rachel is very excited to have also wrapped the first season of the “The Work Jerks” webseries, starring as the pregnant Diana and looks forward to appearing “less pregnant” next season!
The Guest Stars
JERRY DIAZ (Karate Chris)
As the oldest son to Dominican parents, Jerry Diaz began demonstrating signs of his artistic talent at an early age. As an adult, he decided to give acting a shot, playing two characters in the movie “Juan Bago.” He went on to star in independent films such as “Hood Politics,” “The Jolopeo,” and “The Tickets.” But, it was his stage presence with the comedy troupes Lose Control and Room 28 that would allow Jerry to hone his skills in comedic acting, improvisation, writing and direction. He later joined the cast of “LINKED,” a sci-fi/thriller webseries, where he found he was able to add comedic flair to his character Jason. With such an extensive history in comedy, Jerry seemed the perfect fit to guest star as Karate Chris on the new comedy series “The Work Jerks.” And like many other instances, he easily stole the show.
JASON MARRERO (Jason Long)
Born and raised in Spanish Harlem to Puerto Rican parents, Jason Marrero’s first official acting gig came by way of the comedy webseries “The Work Jerks.” Brought in to play Jason Long, he quickly honed his skill and embodied the character with incredible ease. With the first season wrapped and the character under his belt, Jason looks forward to a season two as well as other opportunities the performance will bring him. Jason is also an aspiring screenplay writer as well and hopes to gain enough experience to someday step behind the camera as a director. His ultimate goal is to help revive the horror genre which he feels has become “stale and predictable”.
The Crew
JAIME FERNANDEZ (Writer & Director)
Jaime Fernandez’s writing career began during his early stand-up comedy days when he was still searching for his comedic voice. He finally reached a point where he learned how to not only write comedy for an audience…but how to write the type of comedy that best suited his comedic persona. When Jaime co-created the comedy sketch group Room 28 he learned how to write for other people. As head writer he would oversee script submissions, and also contributed by penning, directing and starring in recurring sketches for the stage and screen. His writing credits also include co-writing the official 2008 HBO New York International Latino Film Festival commercial which he also starred in. He also co-writes and stars in the comedy web-series PB&J. The Work Jerks is the first web series he has written on his own. Jaime thinks it incorporates the style of humor he has been perfecting since the first day he stepped on a comedy stage. “I like to write stupid comedy for smart people. As for the stupid people…well, they think anything is funny.”
LAUREN J. RIVERA (Executive Producer)
Lauren J. Rivera is used to wearing multiple hats during a production. She was the co-creator, writer, producer, director and lead actress in the sci-fi thriller webseries “Linked,” finalist in the 2009 NATPE NextTV competition. That boot camp of a production left Lauren with an itch to keep the creativity flowing. Working with a bunch of interesting characters at her day job, Lauren was inspired to produce a new series based on cartoonish versions of the co-workers everyone knows and loves to hate, or vice versa. Presenting the premise to comedy writer, Jaime Fernandez, Lauren had no doubt that the final product would be one of the funniest shows to hit the web in recent times. And that is how “The Work Jerks” was born. Since the show wrapped, Lauren has officially started the short form film production company Side Job Productions, LLC with partners Jaime Fernandez and Jonathan Aldebot. With season two requests for both “Linked” and “The Work Jerks,” Lauren and her team plan to bring comedy, thrill, drama and horror in ample supply to the web in 2010.
Jonathan Aldebot, Cinematographer
Henry Bernard, Cinematographer
Jason Morrison, Cinematographer
Paul Natale, Cinematographer
John Cabrera, Sound Editor
Travis Johnides, Color Corrector
Lauren J. Rivera, Editor
Sandra Rodriguez, Show Photographer
