Wilmer Valderrama
Actor
“I’m thrilled to join the National Hispanic Media Coalition for its first ever Visionary Alliance. I know firsthand the power of storytelling and the impact it can have on someone’s life. This Alliance, alongside the NHMC, has a unique opportunity to build an industry of trust, collaboration and authentically diverse storytellers that helps empower underrepresented communities to bring their ideas to the screen.“
Bio
Actor, producer and activist Wilmer Valderrama has been making audiences laugh, listen and think for Valderrama currently stars in the #1 TV drama NCIS on CBS, and it was recently announced that he is Behind the camera, Valderrama created and produced the MTV series Yo Momma, also serving as the Valderrama is active in several philanthropic agencies. Along with America Ferrara and Ryan Piers Born in Miami and raised in Venezuela from 3 to 13, Valderrama is fluent in Spanish and English. His
nearly two decades. Perhaps most recognized for his role as exchange student ‘Fez’ on the
Emmy-nominated series That 70s Show, the role catapulted him to stardom and garnered numerous
Teen Choice Awards.
developing a live-action “Zorro” series at Disney Branded Television in which he will star and executive
produce. The project both marks the return of Zorro to the Disney family as well as a lifelong dream for
Valderrama to bring this iconic character to life. On the big screen, he was most recently lent his voice to
the hit Academy Award-winning Disney animated film Encanto, which topped the box office and has
become a cultural phenomenon. Other accolades awarded to the film include the National Board of
Review Award for “Best Animated Film,” BAFTA for “Best Animated Film,” NAACP Image Award for
“Outstanding Animated Motion Picture” and Golden Globe for “Best Animated Feature Film” as well as
three Academy Award nominations including “Best Animated Feature.” Other recent animation credits
include Valderrama voicing Thurman Sanchez in the Netflix animated film Dog Gone Trouble, which he
also executive produced, Gaxton in the Academy Award-nominated Disney film Onward, the first Latino
Prince Charming in the animated film Charming for Netflix, and the main character of Disney’s hugely
popular animated children’s show Handy Manny, which introduced preschoolers to Spanish. Other past
credits include appearances in the indie-drama Blast Beat, which premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film
Festival, Netflix’s The Ranch, ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy and Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino’s
television series From Dusk Till Dawn.
host for all three seasons. He and his production company WV Entertainment recently renewed their
first-look deal with CBS TV Studios. The company has multiple projects in development including the
family comedy Mexican Beverly Hills about a working-class Mexican-American family that moves to the
wealthy and heavily Latinx city of Downey, dark comedy Hipster Death Rattle based on the book by Riche
Narvaez, and the WWII drama Patriots From the Barrio based on the book by Dave Gutierrez.
In the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Valderrama was inspired to turn the spotlight on frontline
workers after a grocery store encounter and used his platform to give a voice to those being directly
impacted by pandemic with his IG Live series “6 Feet Apart.” These conversations have since morphed
into his popular podcast with iHeartRadio called “Essential Voices with Wilmer Valderrama.” Produced by
WV Entertainment and Clamor, each episode is broken up into two parts – first an intimate conversation
with a frontline worker and then a roundtable with activists, thought leaders, and celebrities discussing
what each of us can do to help.
William, he co-founded HARNESS, a group dedicated to connecting communities through conversation to
inspire action and power change. In addition, Valderrama serves on the board of Voto Latino and is
co-chair of their artist coalition as well as the spokesperson for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus
Institute (CHCI) and founder of their Ready 2 Lead program, which educates and empowers the Latino
youth. Valderrama is also deeply involved with our military and was recently named a USO Global
Ambassador in support of the organization’s 80th anniversary. He has traveled with the USO a multitude
of times having participated in over 40 shows domestically and internationally. In 2013, Valderrama was
honored with an ALMA Award for Outstanding Social Activism.
family relocated to Los Angeles, where he currently resides.
