Festiva's "Hometown Hollywood" profiles track down the big names that have emerged from the Rio Grande Valley, as well as the rising stars who are bound to make us proud in the future.

Hearing "no" in Hollywood is never easy. But it's what Carlos Moreno signed up for when he decided to go to Los Angeles in 1996.

He never expected to get into the business. But in 1991, while attending the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, Moreno took an acting class and has been a performer ever since.

But it's been a hard lesson to learn how to deal with rejection.

"It takes a super human effort to do what we actors do.  You will hear so many no's in tinsel town before you hear the word yes," he said. "This can cause tremendous low self-esteem, which can be a problem because an actor has to be at his best to perform at his best."

But the wise words of his acting teacher Milton Katselas help him get through the hard days.

"(He) would say, ‘Your attitude monitors your talent,'" Moreno said. "If your attitude is down, your work will be not up to par. I've learned to develop a thick skin, and I don't allow anything to penetrate it."

Hometown: San Juan, TX
Where he lives now: Los Angeles since 1996
You've seen him in: Transformers, Delta Farce, Bone Eater, The Unit, and The Eleventh Hour
Where you last saw him: On ER's Christmas special as Mr. Ortiz, a man whose undocumented, pregnant wife is seeking medical treatment.
Where you'll see him next: He's about to work on an independent film project titled The Blue Room and  is  producing a ½ hour sitcom called Pepito's America.

I come back to the Valley... maybe twice a year

Fun fact: Moreno's father is Tejano musician Carlos Moreno, aka Mr. Baby Doll.

My long term goal is... to create film and TV projects that unite the country. "One of the reasons why we haven't seen many Latino shows on network TV is because there are so many different Latinos ... the networks have trouble figuring to whom they can market a show. My belief is to create projects that will bring Latinos together and learn our differences, not divide us," he said.

The person I admire most is... Al Pacino

I would eat garbage to work with... Guillermo del Toro

I wish I had been in the movie... The Godfather

My three favorite movies are: A Street Car Named Desire, Whatever happened to Baby Jane?  and On The Waterfront

What I missed most about the Valley is... Valley lemons!

Behind the scenes: On the set of Transformers, Moreno had a chance to spend some time with late actor/comedian Bernie Mac, whom he calls "a caring, honest man." Moreno most admired Mac for his ability to improvise. While rehearsing a scene at a car dealership for Transformers, Mac suggested to director Michael Bay that Moreno's character, Manny, "speak Spanish fast ... like a machine gun" in one scene.  "Then, he added the line, ‘Don't go Ricky Ricardo on me Manny, find out,'" Moreno remembered. On the set, Mac was a creator, but between scenes, he was simply a man, Moreno said. Mac and Moreno had several chances to talk about acting, and it was these moments that Moreno learned most about the actor. "(I remember) he said, ‘Acting is like tennis, you have to play by hitting the ball. I send it to you and you give it back, baby. That's all it is. Just have fun and don't question yourself just do.'" The actor also talked his love of golf and the healing power of comedy, he said. "His life force was amazing," Moreno said.

Click the links below to read more Hometown Hollywood profiles.

* ENRIQUE CASTILLO: A South Texan who wrote music in Will Smith's new film, Seven Pounds
* VERONICA LOREN: A McAllen actress and singer who's sweeping 2008's indie awards
* LIZ RAMOS: A McAllen dancer who taught Brad Pitt to tango
* ERIC HAHN: A clown at the Nolana IHOP who did stuntwork in 'Platoon,' 'Delta Force'
* MANDO ALVARADO: San Juan actor shared scene with strippers, Doogie Hauser
* RICK DEL CASTILLO: A Brownsville rocker who found a knack for screenwriting
* RAUL CASTILLO: A McHi grad who has acted and studied with Philip Seymour Hoffman
* TANYA SARACHO: A Valley playwright who is hot in Chicago
* DAVID BARRERA: A San Juan native who was in an NYPD Blue episode everybody saw
* MICHAEL RAY ESCAMILLA: A writer, actor, director and producer from Pharr
* MARISA QUINTANILLA: A McAllen Memorial grad who was in Road House 2
* FAUSTO CUEVAS: A Brownsville drummer who has toured with Britney Spears and Stevie Wonder
* GABRIEL PENA: An Edinburg North grad who does Matrix-style stuntwork