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topicnews · September 20, 2024

Wilmer Valderrama talks about fez and fatherhood in “An American Story”

Wilmer Valderrama talks about fez and fatherhood in “An American Story”

Wilmer Valderrama may have become famous as a flamboyant foreigner, but he is a proud American.

Valderrama, who broke out in the role of Fez in the nostalgic teen sitcom That ’70s Show, looks back on his incredible journey from Venezuelan immigrant to American TV star in his debut memoir, An American Story: Everyone’s Invited (Harper Select, 245 pages, out now).

The 44-year-old actor landed the role of Fez, an exchange student known for his eccentric accent, at age 18, making him “the only Latino in a leading role on the Fox network” at the time.

“I’m proud that he was so colorless. I’m proud that this character was able to make so many different people from so many different stages of life laugh,” says Valderrama. “Because as a Latino and as a person of color, our dream is to be out there in the world and to be treated equally and accepted as a contributing member of whatever team, company or show we’re on.”

Valderrama didn’t leave his Latin American roots behind when he broke into Hollywood. He says his Venezuelan and Colombian background helped him stand out from his fellow actors and also shaped the characters he played.

“My heritage was my refuge,” says Valderrama. “I never had to be anyone else. I didn’t have to look like anyone else. I didn’t have to sound like anyone else. I just found my voice thanks to my culture.”

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Wilmer Valderrama praises US immigration as a “long-standing tradition”

Valderrama, who was born in Miami, details his early experiences with immigration in “An American Story,” from moving to his family’s native Venezuela at age three to the trials and tribulations of moving to the United States as a teenager without fluent English.

As immigration reform remains a political fixture this election season, Valderrama hopes the U.S. can preserve the “longstanding tradition” of immigration and the opportunities it offers hard-working immigrants.

The “American dream doesn’t happen by accident. It doesn’t happen because somebody gave it to you,” Valderrama says. “The American dream happens because you come here with the sole purpose of contributing and working. And I see the (immigrant) community as a quiet force that still needs to be respected for the contributions they’ve made to this country.”

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Valderrama, a former spokesman for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, says he is encouraged by the increasing number of people of color in prominent leadership positions.

“What we’ve all done in all humility over the last 30, 40 years has broken some of the ice, but more importantly, created a platform broad enough for us to say, ‘Hey, let’s get involved.’ We also want to fix our country,” says Valderrama.

“I hope that immigration will ultimately make this possible. That there are enough reforms that allow new immigrants to see this not just as their home, but as a place that they should absolutely look after and keep beautiful.”

Wilmer Valderrama on how performances in front of US troops inspired his memoirs

Valderrama’s literary debut began as a tribute to his time in the military.

Inspired by a humiliating exchange with a group of soldiers – and diehard “That’s ’70s Show” fans – at an airport, the actor teamed up with the United Service Organizations to perform a touring version of his mid-2000s MTV reality competition series “Yo Momma” for U.S. troops stationed in Germany.

Valderrama’s tour led to a years-long collaboration with the USO. In addition to performing at numerous military bases around the world, Valderrama also became a global ambassador for the military nonprofit organization in 2021.

Valderrama says his memoir, An American Story, began as a “tribute” to the stories of military personnel, although he later realized “how much of my story is fundamentally about being part of that world with them and being so immersed in the actual culture and community.”

“I’ve learned so much about what this country has endured and fought for. And they’re such a great symbol of unity that it makes me a better organizer and helps me create an environment where people are empowered,” Valderrama says. “Other organizations I work with have that philosophy of unity at the forefront.

“It doesn’t matter what party or who you vote for. The truth is that we can all agree on the things we truly love, which are 1.) our country and 2.) the fact that we want the best for it.”

Wilmer Valderrama talks about the impact of fatherhood on his career

Valderrama is used to making art for the little ones.

From 2006 to 2013, he voiced the role of handyman extraordinaire Manny Garcia on Disney Channel’s animated family comedy Handy Manny. The show, which featured Garcia as “the first bilingual character in Disney history at the preschool level,” ran for three seasons and was nominated for a Daytime Emmy in 2009.

“He was this proud Latino business owner. Without him, the city would fall apart,” Valderrama recalls. “He was very, very brave with his Spanglish. And it was very special because I saw children of all ethnicities learning Spanish, and that was such a beautiful thing.”

Valderrama, who has a three-year-old daughter, Nakano, with his fiancée Amanda Pacheco, wants to continue to add variety to children’s programming. Most recently, he played the role of Agustín in the Oscar-winning animated musical “Encanto,” which he says became Nakano’s favorite film when he was a baby.

“I just want to make sure her generation has what some of the others in ‘Handy Manny’ had,” says Valderrama. “And I think it’s comforting to me that Nakano is growing up in a world where one day, when she hears or reads about the times when representation was a problem, she’ll look around and say, ‘I don’t see what the big problem was. Look at how normal this is.'”

Wilmer Valderrama reinterprets the Latin American icon Zorro in a new series

Valderrama has big shoes to fill for one of his next roles.

The actor will star in a television adaptation of the action hero Zorro for Disney+. Zorro – created by pulp writer Johnston McCulley – is a masked vigilante who fights against the oppressive forces of the Spanish colonial power. Over the years, he has been portrayed in numerous films and television series, including the 1998 Oscar-nominated film “The Mask of Zorro,” starring Antonio Banderas.

Valderrama, who also serves as executive producer on the series, says this reimagining of the beloved Latino icon will offer a blend of classic and modern storytelling.

“It will be beautifully rooted in our culture, but in a very special time in this country,” says Valderrama. “And everyone who has ever loved this character, everyone who grew up knowing that he can also be romantic and heroic, that he can have an opinion and fight against the tyranny of corruption, will have an image again.”

Valderrama is working with Emmy-winning “Game of Thrones” producer Bryan Cogman on the reboot, which currently has no release date.

“It’s hilarious, it’s fun, it’s terrifying,” Valderrama says of the show. “Every scene is like something is happening (and) you don’t know what’s coming, so that’s the other part that I think will be really exciting to build up.”

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