Before Ricky Ricardo became a household name, Desi Arnaz was just a Cuban immigrant with a dream—and the odds stacked against him. In this premiere episode, Wilmer Valderrama dives into the untold story of how Desi went from cleaning bird cages to revolutionizing American television. From I Love Lucy to Star Trek, Desi built the blueprint for modern Hollywood—and opened the door for generations of Latinos to follow.Through rare archival recreations, personal stories, and a powerful connection between Wilmer and Desi’s shared immigrant journeys, this episode redefines what it means to “make it” in America.

Featuring: Wilmer Valderrama (That ’70s Show, NCIS, Encanto)
Topics: Desi Arnaz, TV History, Hollywood, I Love Lucy, Ed Sullivan Show, immigrant success stories, movie history, representation in media. Starring: Desi Arnaz and Wilmer Valderrama is produced by WV Sound in partnership with iHeart’s My Cultura Podcast Network.

Starring: Desi Arnaz and Wilmer Valderrama is produced by WV Sound in partnership with iHeart’s My Cultura Podcast Network.
Starring: Desi Arnaz and Wilmer Valderrama is written by Erick Galindo and narrated by Wilmer Valderrama. It is produced by Sophie Spencer-Zavos and Leo Klemm, with special help from Angel Lopez Galindo.

Executive producers are Wilmer Valderrama and Erick Galindo.

This episode was edited and engineered by Sean Tracy and features original music by Halo Boy and Madison Davenport. Cover art illustration by Lindsey Mound.

For more podcasts from iHeart, visit the iHeartRadio app or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.

Before Ricky Ricardo became a household name, Desi Arnaz was just a Cuban immigrant with a dream&mdash;and the odds stacked against him. In this premiere episode, Wilmer Valderrama dives into the untold story of how Desi went from cleaning bird cages to revolutionizing American television. From I Love Lucy to Star Trek, Desi built the blueprint for modern Hollywood&mdash;and opened the door for generations of Latinos to follow.Through rare archival recreations, personal stories, and a powerful connection between Wilmer and Desi&rsquo;s shared immigrant journeys, this episode redefines what it means to &ldquo;make it&rdquo; in America.
Featuring: Wilmer Valderrama (That &rsquo;70s Show, NCIS, Encanto) Topics: Desi Arnaz, TV History, Hollywood, I Love Lucy, Ed Sullivan Show, immigrant success stories, movie history, representation in media. Starring: Desi Arnaz and Wilmer Valderrama is produced by WV Sound in partnership with iHeart&rsquo;s My Cultura Podcast Network.
Starring: Desi Arnaz and Wilmer Valderrama is produced by WV Sound in partnership with iHeart&rsquo;s My Cultura Podcast Network. Starring: Desi Arnaz and Wilmer Valderrama is written by Erick Galindo and narrated by Wilmer Valderrama. It is produced by Sophie Spencer-Zavos and Leo Klemm, with special help from Angel Lopez Galindo.
Executive producers are Wilmer Valderrama and Erick Galindo.
This episode was edited and engineered by Sean Tracy and features original music by Halo Boy and Madison Davenport. Cover art illustration by Lindsey Mound.
For more podcasts from iHeart, visit the iHeartRadio app or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.

Hollywood has always been aspirational, standing in for the general U.S. population’s values and dreams as radio entertainment led the way to television becoming the dominant media source for families by the 1950’s. Beautiful faces, perfect bodies, glamorous lifestyles, and to no surprise, the folx in the spotlight were white. People of color were represented on screen as highly stereotyped, caricatured versions of white people’s ideas about people of color. So what happened when, in 1951, a hit sitcom revolutionized television? In 1951, “I Love Lucy” premiered and featured a Latino actor - Desi Arnaz - as one of the main characters. How did Desi Arnaz land a role on primetime television? What was the political climate during his rise to fame? And how did Desi pave the way for the future generations of Latinx/e actors and influence the perception of Cubans in America?

 

On “Starring: Desi Arnaz & Wilmer Valderrama,” Wilmer guides listeners through the life of Desi Arnaz, his personal and professional career and his impact on television, culture and the legacy Desi left for Wilmer and many others. Wilmer has credited Desi with inspiring him as an actor and has seen parallels between their careers. Wilmer narrates this weekly 10-episode story of Desi Arnaz all the while weaving his own personal journey throughout. Listen as we explore parallels between the two and come to understand how the subject’s influence propelled the narrator and our culture alike.

Hollywood has always been aspirational, standing in for the general U.S. population&rsquo;s values and dreams as radio entertainment led the way to television becoming the dominant media source for families by the 1950&rsquo;s. Beautiful faces, perfect bodies, glamorous lifestyles, and to no surprise, the folx in the spotlight were white. People of color were represented on screen as highly stereotyped, caricatured versions of white people&rsquo;s ideas about people of color. So what happened when, in 1951, a hit sitcom revolutionized television? In 1951, &ldquo;I Love Lucy&rdquo; premiered and featured a Latino actor - Desi Arnaz - as one of the main characters. How did Desi Arnaz land a role on primetime television? What was the political climate during his rise to fame? And how did Desi pave the way for the future generations of Latinx/e actors and influence the perception of Cubans in America?
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On &ldquo;Starring: Desi Arnaz &amp; Wilmer Valderrama,&rdquo; Wilmer guides listeners through the life of Desi Arnaz, his personal and professional career and his impact on television, culture and the legacy Desi left for Wilmer and many others. Wilmer has credited Desi with inspiring him as an actor and has seen parallels between their careers. Wilmer narrates this weekly 10-episode story of Desi Arnaz all the while weaving his own personal journey throughout. Listen as we explore parallels between the two and come to understand how the subject&rsquo;s influence propelled the narrator and our culture alike.

Starring: Desi Arnaz & Wilmer Valderrama

Episode 1: The Man Who Invented Hollywood

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/e17886b0-ebd2-4d8c-9666-b3770114a477/transcript