That 70's Show alum Wilmer Valderrama is an established actor in Hollywood but his struggles as a producer, Latino, and actor still continues.
Wilmer Valderrama shared his experience as a Latino in Hollywood on a panel during the National Association of Independent Latino Producers' (NALIP) annual national conference in Newport Beach, CA. Wilmer spoke on “The Bilingual Bicultural Market is the new Mainstream” panel along with executives from MTV Tr3, Warner Bros., You Tube and renowned journalist Guy Garcia on Friday April 15.
Wilmer Valderrama is not only an actor but a producer in his company, WV Productions. Wilmer produced and hosted MTV's "Yo Momma" (2006) and is currently the producer and voice of Disney Channel's "Handy Mandy". As a producer, the Miami-born actor/producer told attendees of his struggles to sell original content when networks and cable outlets are looking for the next hit reality show. Wilmer added that executives' concern is the bottom dollar, and not whether you're Latino or Asian.
On the acting front, Wilmer Valderrama sees a change in the landscape when it comes to casting Latinos in mainstream shows. He gave an example of a cop drama pilot he shot last year. He was given the opportunity to choose whether he kept his accent for the character, or lose it. He chose to keep his natural accent to make the character real and relatable. Watch the video above for his remarks.
After the panel, Wilmer gratiously talked to many in the audience pitching him show ideas and promoting themselves as actors or writers.
More About NALIP and The New Now Conference:
THE NEW NOW: Defining the Future Together is presented by Time Warner and the National Latino Media Council. The 2010 census has revealed the ascending significance of the bi-lingual, bi-cultural Latino market. Is this the “new mainstream,” as plenary speaker and renowned journalist Guy Garcia has termed it? The conference will look at how Latino filmmakers attract these viewers, how new technologies can access this audience, and how Latino artists can use these striking new demographics to bring resources to their projects.
The National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP) continues to empower Latinos as more mainstream roles are created for and by latinos at their 2011 Conference, “The New Now: Defining the Future Together.”
NALIP’s 2011 honorees include Sofia Vergara of ABC's six-time Emmy award winning series, "Modern Family." Vergara will be presented with the Outstanding Achievement Award. The Lifetime Achievement in Advocacy Award, presented during Friday’s Keynote luncheon, goes to Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico who has worked aggressively to build a high-wage economy for film and television makers, and who has committed political capital to the support of Latino and Native content creators.
THE NEW NOW will feature esteemed academic and industry leaders, including Academy Award®, Emmy Award® and Golden Globe® winners and nominees, executives from Warner Bros., HBO, Sony, Disney/ABC, Turner, MTV Networks, Telemundo, Lifetime, nuvoTV, PBS, Smithsonian Networks, NBC, CBS, Fox, CPB, WETA, LPB, ITVS, KCET, VMe, A&E, CNN, Showtime, WME and more who will lead the weekend’s conference case studies, workshops and sessions. Guilds and unions like SAG, WGA, and AFTRA will examine the craft of artists like Peter Murrieta (“The Clique”), Javier Fuentes-Leon (Undertow), and Sonia Fritz (América). There will be workshops for actors and directors, documentary makers and aspiring television writer/producers; as well as the opportunity to sit at the table with top executives. This will be the Latino media event of 2011!
