Who Plays Nell’s Father on ABC’s ‘Not Dead Yet’? Tony Plana Is Back on ABC

ABC’s newest sitcom Not Dead Yet is drawing plenty of attention for its high-profile guest cast. The series focuses on an obituary writer named Nell Serrano (played by Jane the Virgin alum Gina Rodriguez) who discovers that she can see ghosts… which means every episode, there’s a new actor for audiences to get excited about.

However, the living characters are pretty cool too.

The show’s seventh episode, “Not Out of the Game Yet,” includes the introduction of Nell’s father when he comes to visit. Eagle-eyed audiences and longtime sitcom fans immediately recognized the actor, who’s a very familiar face, especially to people who love ABC sitcoms.

So who plays Nell’s father on Not Dead Yet and where are some of the many places you’ve seen him before? Keep reading to find out more about this acting icon.

Viewers who were watching ABC from 2006-2010 will know actor Tony Plana from his role as Ignacio Suarez on the network’s award-winning sitcom Ugly Betty. Adapted from the Colombian telenovela Yo soy Betty, la fea, the series was a cult hit that ran for four seasons and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Comedy Series.

Ignacio was Betty’s (America Ferrera) supportive father, who appeared in all four seasons of the show.

While he had an important role to play in the lives of Betty and her sister Hilda, Ignacio’s own stories were just as moving as those of his children.

The series included stories about Ignacio’s immigration status and his quest to become a United States citizen, as well as his finding love again after the death of his wife and Betty’s mother Rosa (who had died prior to the show). Ignacio was a fantastic character, and now Tony is portraying another father figure as Nell’s dad on Not Dead Yet.

Aside from his work on Ugly Betty, Tony’s career is wide-ranging. The Cuban actor/director also appeared opposite Gina Rodriguez in Jane the Virgin Season 1, Episode 4, “Chapter Four” as Father Ortega. While he only guest-starred in that one episode, that makes his guest spot on Not Dead Yet that much sweeter!

On TV, he reunited with America Ferrera when he played her character Amy’s dad Ron Sosa on NBC’s Superstore.

His big-screen credits include Kevin Costner’s 1991 film JFK, portraying Carlos Bringuier, an associate of Lee Harvey Oswald.

Tony has also directed several episodes of television, having stepped behind the camera for Desperate Housewives Season 8, Episode 6, “Witch’s Lament.”

And he recently provided the voice of Kamaljiori in Prime Video’s The Legend of Vox Machina Season 2, proving that he’s a performer of many talents.

But audiences are more likely to recognize him from guest roles in a number of high-profile TV series. Many of his recent roles have been comedies, which is no surprise given his comedic timing and ability to bring a smile to anyone’s face.

Plus, one of his earlier roles was in an episode of one of TV’s best-known comedies of all time: The Golden Girls! In the 1991 episode “The Case of the Libertine Belle,” he played the character Alvarez. Comedy is clearly his forte.

While it’s too early to say if audiences will be seeing Nell’s father again, hopefully he’ll make a reapparance because Tony has developed a knack for playing the comedy dad in a fresh and fun way. And he’s a familiar face that audiences are always excited to see!

Not Dead Yet airs Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. on ABC.