Manolo Villaverde

Manolo Villaverde (11 August 1936 – 10 January 2026) was a Cuban actor known for his role on the television show ¿Qué Pasa, USA? His character was named Pepe Peña. The cast, Villaverde included, worked hard to not overact. Villaverde and the other cast members were chosen for the show specifically because of their vast experience in theater in both Cuba and the United States.

Background Villaverde was born in Havana on 11 August 1936. He began his acting career on Cuban television in 1958, but immigrated to the United States in 1964, after the rise of Fidel Castro.

Career Villaverde played the character Rafael in Amores y Amorios on 7 August 1966. In 1976, he was cast as Pepe Peña on ¿Qué Pasa, USA?, a sitcom produced for public television in Miami; it ran until 1980, and was the first bilingual American sitcom.

Villaverde died at his home in Daytona Beach, Florida, on 10 January 2026, at the age of 89.

Awards Manolo Villaverde won an Emmy Award for his performance in ¿Qué Pasa, USA? at the 1978 Second Annual regional Emmy Awards. Manolo Villaverde was one of the cast member winners, as well as Ana Margarita Martinez-Casado, and Luis Oquendo.