Movies:
* The Milagro Beanfield War (1988): This acclaimed film earned Plana an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Supporting Male.
* The Running Man (1987): He played the villainous "Buzz", one of the hunters pursuing Arnold Schwarzenegger's character.
* The Three Amigos (1986): He had a supporting role as "El Guapo," the villainous bandit leader.
* A Better Tomorrow (1986): He starred in the Cantonese-language action film alongside Chow Yun-Fat and Leslie Cheung.
* Young Guns (1988): He played the role of "Diego" in this Western film starring Emilio Estevez.
* The Quick and the Dead (1995): Plana starred in this Western film alongside Sharon Stone and Gene Hackman.
* Selena (1997): He played the role of "Abraham Quintanilla Jr.", Selena's father, in this biographical film about the late Tejano singer.
* The Specialist (1994): He played the villain "Ray" in this action film starring Sylvester Stallone and Sharon Stone.
* The Devil's Advocate (1997): Plana had a supporting role in this supernatural thriller film starring Keanu Reeves and Al Pacino.
Television:
* Miami Vice (1984-1989): Plana had a recurring role as "Manny Ribera," an important character in the series.
* Walker, Texas Ranger (1993-2001): Plana played the role of "Carlos" in this popular television series.
* L.A. Law (1986-1994): He appeared in a recurring role as "Roberto "Bobby" D'Angelo" in this legal drama.
* The Shield (2002-2008): Plana played "Captain David Aceveda," a recurring character in this police drama series.
* The Mentalist (2008-2015): Plana had a recurring role as "Thomas McAllister," a former CBI agent, in this crime procedural series.
* The Closer (2005-2012): He appeared in several episodes as "Detective Gabriel "Gabe" Diaz" in this crime drama series.
* Desperate Housewives (2004-2012): Plana had a recurring role as "Carlos Solis," the husband of "Gabrielle Solis," in this comedy-drama series.
Other projects:
* The Old Man and the Sea (1990): Plana voiced the role of "Manolin" in this animated film.
* The Santa Clause 2 (2002): He played the role of "Santa's Elf" in this holiday film.
This list is by no means exhaustive but highlights some of Emilio Plana's most memorable roles in film and television. He has a long and varied career, demonstrating his talent and versatility as an actor.