Based on the 2017 movie How to Be a Latin Lover, Apple TV Plus’ Acapulco follows Maximo, a young man whose dream comes true when gets the job of a lifetime at the hottest resort in his beach-side hometown. He makes it through this journey with the love and support of his best friend Memo, who also lands a job at the flashy Las Colinas hotel. As the series moves toward wrapping up its first season, L.A. Confidential sat down with Fernando Carsa, who plays the enduringly optimistic, confident Memo. Carsa opened up all about his television debut, the greatness of Acapulco and his love for Britney Spears.
When did your journey as an actor begin?
I've known since the age of 3 I wanted to be a performer. Growing up with parents who are actors, my house was always filled with art because my dad is also a painter. My parents, since I was born, raised me with a lot of music around me, so there was always music playing. And they would take me to see dance recitals, plays and concerts and such, so art was always a huge part of my childhood. I think I was exposed to it at such a young age; and I immediately found my calling. From birth until 5, I was really outgoing... I would always be singing in the backyard. I would come back from school and take my uniform off and put on my little Barney boots and I would just sing and dance in the backyard. And that for me was my release.
When I started elementary school, that kind of made me a really shy and anxious child. Unfortunately, my very first professor was kind of abusive to me verbally and that traumatized me a little bit. That's when I built this shell around me...I started having a lot of panic attacks and things like that at a really young age and my parents thought it would be a good idea to help me get out of that shell by taking lessons of acting, singing and dancing. At the age of seven, that's when I started training, per se. And of course I was already in love with the art form of performing, but then training for it really solidified my love for it. That also helped me break out of that shell that was stopping me from pursuing this dream that I've had since the age of 3. And I haven't looked back since.
You moved to the U.S. to continue your training as a teenager. Can you tell us more about your theater program you did through high school?
I do think that one of the institutions that has shaped me the most has been going to Yorba Linda High School.
When I was in Mexico, the theater company that I studied with, you would just get cast, you didn't have to audition when we did the shows they already kind of knew who they were giving the parts out to. So that was a really eye-opening experience to me because I had never really auditioned to get into shows and classes and such. They taught me a lot of discipline. Talent is one thing but work ethic is another. At Yorba Linda High, I learned really important aspects of work ethic that I think definitely have shaped me into the person that I am today and helped me get to the point that I am today.
What was it like studying theater at UCLA?
It was really important to get my bachelor's because, as an immigrant, I came here to make my dreams come true and my parents gave up so much for me to come to this country that the least I can do is actually get my college degree. I knew that I wanted to go to school for theater; that was non-negotiable.
Going to school just keeps you constantly training. You're working and then you have your classes and we're doing shows. You're building up the stamina and you learn so much about yourself as a performer. I can tell you that going to UCLA showed me a lot about what I have to offer in this industry and helped me realize that in order to be able to work in this industry, I needed to accept myself and embrace all the things that I thought were different. In other institutions I was told that my accent, for instance, was going to stop me from working or my size because I was only going to be boxed in a certain type of character, and when I came to UCLA, I came with the mentality that all of those things that made me who I am were weaknesses. They kind of flipped the table and they were like, “No Fernando, this is what makes you unique. Use this to show the world who you are. This is who I am. What makes you different is what makes you special.”
What have you enjoyed most about playing Memo?
Memo is my TV debut and what's so interesting about this character is that everything that was required by casting or everything that makes the character who he is, is every single reason that I was told I would never book anything. Like, “Oh you're plus size, you have to be smaller in order to like be on TV. Oh, you have an accent that's gonna work against you.” I had someone tell me once and I was so theatrical and so big and with my personality that I would never be able to book TV. They were like, “Don't even try to like go into the TV world or film because it's not for you. You're too theatrical.” And what was so special about Memo was that it reassured me that what made me different make me special and that I have a place in this industry, that I have stories to tell. Basically, it shut down all the self doubt that I had for a while. This character made me a stronger person and he taught me to embrace myself. He's written in a way that he carries himself with a lot of pride, not in an obnoxious way, but he thinks he's amazing... He's a go-getter and I needed that in my life. I needed someone to tell me, “You are enough and you're beautiful as you are and you can make your dreams come true being the true, authentic version of yourself.” And Memo was that for me.
And not only that, but also growing up wanting to be an actor, I rarely saw people that look like me. So the fact that with this character, I have the opportunity to inspire other kids to pursue their dream, being 110% themselves, it's pretty important to me just because I didn't have that growing up. And I hope this character becomes that inspiration to other plus-size kids and immigrants and kids in the Latinx community.
What makes Acapulco a great show?
First of all, it’s a really light, feel-good show that we kind of need right now because of what we've been through in the last year and a half. But more than that, at least from my perspective, and this is Fernando speaking, I'm not speaking on behalf of the writers or anyone— What attracted me most about the show is that, in a way, it describes the American Dream experience. You go into this other place and you learn a new language and you work your butt off to go all the way to the top and make sure your family has a better life and you have a better life. It's a universal story that I think speaks to a lot of people not only around the world, but a lot of people in the States. We have a huge immigrant population. I think it's a show about love and making dreams come true and following your goals and accomplishing them. I feel like it's a show that speaks to a lot of people. I can tell you that as someone in the Latinx community, it's very nice to have a show that is not showcasing us as criminals or violent people or it's surrounded by dark themes, but that it’s showcasing that we're people, that we want to work hard for our dreams and our families and such. And the fact that it’s bilingual too; that has a huge weight.
Is there anything else important to know about you?
Honestly, just that I love Britney Spears. I make sure that everyone knows that. If they're gonna remember me, I hope they remember my work as an artist or because of how much I love Britney Spears.
At this point, I'm more concerned about Britney the person, than Britney the artist. I think if she chooses to retire, I'm like, girl you've given us so much, you've given more than you should have had to. She's a human being. She's a very powerful woman. I just hope she's happy. I hope she finds the right people to be around her. But I've always been proud of her because even though us as the audience didn't know what was going on behind the scenes, she's been through a lot. And she's always come out on top in a very gracious and loving way. I admire her more as a human being than I do as an artist because of how strong she is. I'm just excited for her and I just hope she gets to enjoy the life that she's been kept away from.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Photography by: Jessica Castro; Apple TV Plus
