Anthony Mendez
Anthony Mendez was an in-demand voice-over artist for countless high-profile companies and advertisements until the producers of "Jane the Virgin" (The CW, 2015-) provided him with a stellar, Emmy-nominated showcase for his comic talents as the series' amusingly suave and occasionally snarky narrator. Born in the Bronx borough of New York City and raised in Washington Heights, he was the son of Dominican immigrants who operated a tombstone manufacturing company. His parents wanted him to take over the business with his three brothers, but Mendez took a different path, studying architecture at the New Jersey Institute of Technology before pursuing a career as a music producer and engineer. Neither interest took root, so he briefly returned to the family business before deciding to try his hand at voice-over work. Like all of the male members of his family, Mendez had a strong, resonant voice, which he believed might lead to a career in voice-over acting. Initially, his strong Dominican/New York accent proved to be a roadblock in landing roles outside of Spanish-speaking or urban roles, but with time and consistent vocal training, Mendez began booking voice-over and promotional work in both Spanish and English for major companies like CNN's Latino in America, which received a News and Documentary Emmy nomination for Outstanding Promotional Announcement - Episodic in 2010. Soon, brands like Miller, Target, MTV, Showtime and numerous film studios and television companies tapped Mendez's talents for their promotional advertising, as did HBO, which hired him as the voice of its weekly Sports Minute program, and animated series like "Elena of Avalor" (Disney Channel, 2015-). In 2015, Mendez was cast as the narrator for "Jane the Virgin," a comedy-drama based on a Venezuelan telenovela; the role - named "Latin Lover Narrator" - soon became a character unto itself, providing tart commentary in additional to recapping the series' dizzying and farcical storylines. His efforts earned Mendez a cult following, as well as two Emmy nominations for Outstanding Narrator in 2015 and 2016.