Dean Zayas Pereira (October 17, 1938 – February 3, 2022) was a Puerto Rican actor, director, playwright, author, poet, dramatic arts professor, and television show host.
[1] Zayas Pereira's sister helped him secure a spot in a play named La Zapatera Prodigiosa, which had been written by Federico García Lorca, before he turned 11 years old.
He stated that, "College bored me because it wasn't something that I wanted to do," and with that mindset, he began working in the advertising department at a private company in NYC while also performing in Broadway shows.
Eventually, Dean Zayas was hired as a director by Telemundo Puerto Rico, where his directorial debut came with the 1980s telenovela "El Idolo", which starred Venezuelan actor Jose Luis Rodríguez and Cuban-Puerto Rican actress Marilyn Pupo.
His significant academic contributions to the UPR's Drama Department facilitated its remarkable development and encompassed all areas of theatrical discipline, including courses in acting, directing, diction, makeup, stage assistance, as well as theater history and theory.
He also served as director of the University’s Rodante Theatre, representing the UPR and Puerto Rico at various international festivals, including the “Spanish Golden Age Theatre Festival” in El Paso, Texas; Mexico; the Dominican Republic; and Spain, with performances in Santiago de Compostela, Murcia, and Almagro in La Mancha.
The title is derived from an incident that Zayas found humorous, which occurred when he arrived at the Telemundo Puerto Rico parking lot.
Upon observing him inside his vehicle, a celebrity spotter remarked, "ese no es nadie," implying that she considered Zayas to be an inconsequential individual.