He later took his stage banter, crafted it into a stand-up comedy routine, and booked his first role in the Oscar-nominated film “The Shawshank Redemption.” He’s also appeared on television shows, including “Family Law” and “Strong Medicine.” Don Friesen - Nov. Pete George started his career on stage in 1985 as the guitarist for the band Separate Checks out of Cleveland, Ohio. He has performed alongside comedy’s biggest names, including Gabriel Iglesias, Dave Chappelle, Louis C.K., Russell Peters, Carlos Mencia, Mike Epps, Orlando Jones, Franco Escamilla, El Costeño and Luis de Alba. Villa was the longtime Friday night host of “Refried Fridays” at the Hollywood Improv and was the first Latino host to land the gig. He’s landed appearances and specials on Netflix, MTV, Comedy Central, HBO, Comedy Central Mexico, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Televisa, Galavision and Azteca TV. Richard Villa is a bilingual (English/Spanish) stand-up comedian and actor who draws his comedy routine from life experiences, including growing up Mexican-American in Compton.
