Eugenio Derbez to Star in Multi-Cultural Comedy with Latinx Cast

Eugenio Derbez directed, co-wrote, and starred in Instructions Not Included which is considered the most successful Spanish language film in the U.S. and he’s not showing any signs of stopping. He starred in How to be a Latin Lover with Salma Hayek in 2016 and the remake of Overboard tin 2018 o great success and now he’s playing the role of a lover yet again in the upcoming film, The Valet. The Mexican actor, 59,  will play Antonio, the valet who poses as a movie star’s lover to cover up her affair with a married man, Deadline reported. Antonio was accustomed to living under the radar but this affair puts the spotlight on him which allows him to see himself as he truly is.The movie star, Olivia, will be played by Australian actress Samara Weaving (Ready or Not) while Max Greenfield (New Girl) plays her married lover.

The cast also includes Riverdale’s Marisol Nichols and Noemi Gonzalez of East Los High, both of Mexican descent, Mexican actress Carmen Salinas, Diany Rodriguez (Ray Donovan), Armando Hernández, Carlos Santos, Puerto Rican actor Amaury Nolasco (Prison Break) and Alex Fernandez. Puerto Rican reggaeton superstar Lunay, 20, will also make his film acting debut in a supporting role.

“Something is changing in America,” Derbez told Deadline in 2019. “Look at the success of Crazy Rich Asians and Black Panther: that’s America today. There are a lot of people who want to see themselves reflected on screen. Now it’s time for Latinos. There are 58M Latinos in the U.S. so in Hollywood, it’s not about just hiring a Martinez or a Hernandez — screw that — it’s about telling stories that are interesting to different kinds of audiences.”

Through his production company, 3Pas, with producing partner Ben Odell, they’re focused on Latinx audiences with their films including The Valet. In a joint statement they described it as a “multi-generational, multi-cultural comedy in which people from two different worlds discover the humanity in each other.”

Derbez has established himself as a comedy actor in the U.S. since relocating from Mexico City to Los Angeles with film and TV credits including  Dora And The Lost City Of Gold, The Angry Birds Movie 2 and Nickelodeon’s The Casagrandes.

“What struck me most about The Valet is how closely my family resembled Antonio’s family and telling their story was like telling mine. It’s message of unity, seeing each other and human connection, is something the world could use right now and no one does that better than Hulu and Disney+,“ the film’s Director Richard Wong said in a statement.

The Valet will be released on Hulu in summer 2022.