Cleto Rodriguez has spent three decades making San Antonio crowds laugh, but his next act is a dramatic one. The longtime stand-up comedian is stepping into his first leading film role in Anxious Mark, a locally produced drama premiering with a red-carpet event at City Base Cinema on September 5.
Formally titled Anxious Mark: Life of Emet, the film follows a stand-up comedian and youth mentor grappling with anxiety, childhood trauma, and family reconciliation after his brother gets pulled into a dangerous debt, according to KSAT. As reported by WOAI, the story centers on themes of acceptance and responsibility within a family, with Rodriguez playing the film's main character. It's a striking pivot for a performer better known for building punchlines than carrying a dramatic arc, but Rodriguez has described the project as his next career move into acting.
The film was co-written and co-directed by San Antonio filmmakers Bert Lopez and Rogelio Cirilo, with Cirilo also serving as director of photography and editor, per the same KSAT report. Both directors are based in San Antonio, and the film was shot entirely on location in the city. Lopez, who serves as executive producer, built a 25-year career in San Antonio independent film and theater that began in high school, when he shot his first project on a borrowed VHS camera, as he told the Daniel Gomez Inspires Show.
A South Texas Cast With National Ties
Anxious Mark features a South Texas local cast starring Rodriguez alongside Jacinto Rodriguez, who appeared in the Paramount series Landman, the station notes. Rounding out the ensemble are JJ Perez, Victor Valdez, Carlos Alcantar, Daniel Gomez, Mário Miranda, and Southside magazine editor April Monterrosa, according to the KSAT report.
Rodriguez launched his stand-up comedy career in San Antonio back in 1995, eventually shifting from adult material to clean, faith-informed observational humor. He has since released comedy specials such as Cleto Is My Real Name on DryBar Comedy and has performed alongside national acts including George Lopez, Gabriel Iglesias, and Wayne Brady, according to LOL San Antonio. Fans can follow his latest updates on his Instagram account, @cleto_rodriguez_comedy.
A Family Legacy Tied to San Antonio
Rodriguez shares his name with his grandfather, Cleto L. Rodríguez, a San Antonio native who served as a U.S. Army Master Sergeant in World War II and became one of Texas's first Hispanic Congressional Medal of Honor recipients, per LOL San Antonio. The elder Rodríguez earned the honor for his actions in Manila in 1945. Offstage, the comedian co-founded Humor for Heroes, a charity that hosts stand-up comedy events to raise funds and support for military personnel, veterans, and their families — an initiative inspired by close family members who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to Humor for Heroes.
Sold-Out Screenings Force an Expansion
Demand for the September 5 premiere has been strong enough that producers expanded the red-carpet screening event across four separate auditoriums at City Base Cinema after initial showtimes sold out, according to Facebook videos shared ahead of the event. The theater, located at 2623 SE Military Drive, is an independently owned multiplex on San Antonio's South Side featuring 4K projection, multiple auditoriums, and dining amenities, and it serves as one of four major cinema venues operating in that part of the city, per Live From The Southside.
After its San Antonio debut, producers plan to submit Anxious Mark to independent film festivals before releasing it on streaming platforms including Amazon Prime Video and Tubi, per the KSAT report. That path is a familiar one for Texas indie filmmakers, who often use a hometown theatrical premiere as a launching pad before pursuing broader digital distribution. For Rodriguez, whose face is already familiar to local audiences from his years on air as a News 4 San Antonio morning show personality, the September 5 premiere marks a rare full-circle moment between his comedy roots and a new chapter on screen.
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