Wilmer Valderrama Celebrates the American Dream in New Memoir

IN American Story: All Invited (September 17, Harper Select), Wilmer Valderrama recounts his rise from humble beginnings as a Venezuelan immigrant who spoke no English when his parents enrolled him at Mulholland High School in Van Nuys, California, to his instant superstardom as the beloved, horny Fez on the series That show from the 70’s; to the 44-year-old Hollywood multidisciplinary actor. For Valderrama, who has played Special Agent Nick Torres on the CBS flagship procedural series since 2016 NCISThis book is a love letter to the immense possibilities of the American Dream.

It’s not exactly a juicy story, though. There’s no mention of past relationships with stars like Demi Lovato (whose song “29” is a reference to their 12-year age difference) and Mandy Moore (whose virginity Valderrama said he deflowered in an infamous 2006 interview with Howard Stern). Nor is there any mention of the fate of his That show from the 70’s co-star and confidante Danny Masterson, sentenced to 30 years to life last September after being found guilty of two counts of rape. Over the past four years, Valderrama has adjusted to life as a family man. In January 2020, he married model Amanda Pacheco, and the following year, he became a father.

Valderrama took a break from his busy work NCIS shooting schedule to answer questions from Hollywood Reporter about the upcoming presidential election, in which immigration is a key issue; his thoughts on Masterson’s conviction and his lifelong dream of returning Zorro to the screen.

Let’s start with your work with immigrants and all the charitable things that you’ve done for people who come to this country, either from dangerous places or just looking for a better life. And too often they come and are pushed down by those who are higher up on the ladder. You’ve been through that yourself. We’re electing the next president. We’ve seen examples of what both candidates will do in the White House on these issues. I wonder what your position is on this election?

VALDERRAMA I appreciate the question. A lot of what this autobiography was really about was humanizing the immigrant experience. I think every time there’s an election, there’s a paraphrasing of our culture. And I thought it was really important to just say, “Hey, this is what immigrants really look like.” Immigrants are our cops. Our lawyers, our nurses, our doctors, our essential workers. They make such important and vital contributions to this country. It’s important that as we enter into these conversations and become hot news stories, we don’t lose sight of our humanity. We call ourselves “200 percent” because we’re 100 percent American and 100 percent Latino. The potential of this moment is to really come together.

You don’t mention your political views in the book. You mention meeting Barack Obama and how exciting it was, and you also mention that you were concerned about the events of 2016, but you never mention Donald Trump by name. I know you’re on a popular show, NCISwhich the whole country is watching, blue and red, and maybe you don’t want to alienate viewers. Because obviously, when it comes to Trump, there are a lot of negative things you can say about the way he talks about immigrants.

VALDERRAMA I mean, look, of course, as you and I know, his words really speak for themselves. When I joined Voto Latino 20 years ago, the goal was to get Latinos interested in the census. My biggest priority was to get Latinos to sign up for the census and make sure that we were counted and that we knew how many of us were here. Imagine now if everyone who was eligible to vote went out and voted. When politics becomes a debate, we lose the humanity in the conversation. The most important part was to motivate my community to come out and vote for their interests and what they think their future should look like. And I’m not here to really tell anyone who to vote for. I think you and I know who I’m going to vote for, but the most important thing for me is to tell our culture that these are their choices as well.

There’s a scene in the book where you experience a charter plane crash that’s averted on your way back from the Super Bowl. You’re with Colin Hanks, Ashton Kutcher, and Danny Masterson, and the plane is shaking and filling with carbon monoxide. Masterson says he can’t feel his limbs. You and Kutcher share an oxygen mask. What can you tell us about that flight and how it changed your life?

VALDERRAMA The first thing I thought about was my sisters, my mom, and my dad. If I ever leave this Earth, will they have everything they need? You wonder what your real fears in life are? Death may be one of them, but leaving your loved ones without everything they need was the most terrifying experience. So I just kept grinding. I went on to become an entrepreneur and started a bunch of companies and really kept working. It’s a great testament to what this country can give you.

Looking at what’s happening in Venezuela right now, opposition leader Edmundo Gonzales just fled to Spain to seek asylum. It’s a very depressing and dark reminder of what’s at stake in the next US election.

VALDERRAMA I feel like every time there’s an election in Venezuela, there’s this one moment of fresh air where it seems like for a second it might open up. And it’s really heartbreaking. I still have family there. People make a few dollars a month. It’s horrible. They’re the largest oil producer in the world. Venezuela should be Dubai. It’s really heartbreaking to see a country imprisoned without freedom.

As one of the most visible and successful Venezuelan expats, do Venezuelans come to you for help? Do they say, “Please Wilmer—come back and save us?”

VALDERRAMA I think that we, as (Venezuelans) who are abroad with a platform, I think our biggest job is to amplify reality. God, I would like to be there. I would like to be on the streets with the people I grew up with. And the biggest problem is that there is no entry point for any of us. So much is blocked. I try very hard to make sure the world doesn’t forget what’s really going on. I get messages from my fellow Venezuelans who say, “Please tell the world.” So that’s what we’re trying to do.

I want to ask about yours That show from the 70’s co-star Danny Masterson, who was found guilty of rape. Ashton and Mila Kunis, also your castmates on the show, faced criticism for writing character letters to Danny that came out during the trial. How do you feel about that?

VALDERRAMA Well, look — I totally understand why you have to ask that question. I definitely do. But with respect, I want to take this time to really talk about the book that I’m really excited about. And that I worked so hard to get people to read. I mean, the book is really about my family and my immigrant story and my parents’ sacrifice.

Have Scientologists ever courted you?

VALDERRAMA Again, I focus on talking about my parents and my sacrifice. I have nothing to add.

In terms of your personal life, you’ve had a lot of high-profile relationships with other celebrities, and I noticed you didn’t mention them in the book. Is there a reason you didn’t?

VALDERRAMA I didn’t set out to write a memoir. My book was supposed to be a book about service. I traveled with the USO for many years, from when I was about 20. It’s really just a thank you to America for giving me a future that I probably never could have had in my own country.

I saw the headlines from season 22 NCIS coming up that you announced something that worried fans. So what exactly did you announce and what are they worried about?

VALDERRAMA I think they’re always worried. The fans are so passionate NCIS. I would say that in Season 22, the contribution of these writers to the show is simply invaluable. We are having a lot more fun with our characters’ personal journeys. This season will be a little more humorous, definitely more emotional for our main characters and maybe — maybe — will be in serious danger.

So you’re not going anywhere.

VALDERRAMA Yes, no. I’m fine. I’m in season.

There’s a section at the end of the book where you discuss a business lunch with Disney Entertainment co-chairman Dana Walden, where you convince her to force Disney to reacquire the rights to Zorro as the main vehicle for you.

VALDERRAMA In the early ’60s, there was a rights dispute between ABC and Walt Disney (which were separate companies at the time). The rights eventually went back to the original owners of the Zorro books. When I talked to Disney, they were incredibly inspiring. And after 60 years, we were able to get the rights back and start creating a new legacy for the character. And that’s in development now.

I must admit that I love Zorro.

VALDERRAMA Me too. Zorro was the direct inspiration for Bob Kane’s creation of Batman. Bruce Wayne was leaving the cinema with his parents when they were murdered – and the film they had just seen was Zorro Mask.

We need a brutal version of Zorro in the style of Christopher Nolan.

VALDERRAMA That would be so cool. But (TV’s Zorro) Guy Williams had this effortless lightness, so we’ll try to make sure that humor is there, too.

The interview has been edited for length and clarity.