Wilmer Valderrama

Wilmer Valderrama
Wilmer Valderrama at opening of Marquee Nightclub in Sydney
Born	Wilmer Eduardo Valderrama (1980-01-30) January 30, 1980 Miami, Florida, United States
Other names	Eduardo Fresco
Occupation	Actor, singer, producer
Years active	1998–present

Wilmer Eduardo Valderrama (/vɑːldəˈrɑːmə/; Spanish: [baldeˈrama]; born January 30, 1980)^[1] is an American actor, singer, producer and television personality, best known for the role of Fez in the sitcom That '70s Show (1998–2006) and Carlos Madrigal in American horror television series From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series (2014–). He was also host of the MTV series Yo Momma (2006–2007), voiced the character of Manny in the children's show Handy Manny (2006–2012) and had recurring roles on Grey's Anatomy, The Ranch and NCIS in 2016.

Valderrama has further performed in several prominent feature films, including Party Monster (2003), Beauty Shop (2005), Fast Food Nation (2006), Unaccompanied Minors (2006), Zoom (2006), Larry Crowne (2011) and The Adderall Diaries (2015). He is set to voice the character of Prince Charming in the upcoming family animated film Charming (2017).^[2]

Early life

Valderrama was born in Miami, Florida,^[3] the son of Sobeida and Balbino A. Valderrama, who owned a farm equipment rental company. When he was 3, they moved to Venezuela and then later moved back to the United States.^[1] He is of Colombian and Venezuelan descent.^[4]

Career

Television and film career

Valderrama got his start performing in numerous plays, including A Midsummer Night's Dream and Rumors. He made his professional debut in a Spanish-language Pacific Bell commercial. At his drama teacher's suggestion, he got an agent and was immediately cast in the CBS miniseries Four Corners and in Omba Mokomba on the Disney Channel. He made his big screen debut starring opposite Freddie Prinze Jr., Brittany Murphy, Matthew Lillard and Jessica Biel in the Warner Brothers film Summer Catch.

Valderrama played Fez on That '70s Show from 1998–2006; he was a senior in high school when the pilot episode was filmed. He also played DJ Keoki in the 2003 film Party Monster alongside Macaulay Culkin, Chloë Sevigny, Wilson Cruz and Seth Green. He produced and hosted the MTV series Yo Momma from 2006 to 2007, and appeared "involuntarily" as many as three times on another MTV mainstay, Punk'd, hosted by fellow That '70s Show alumnus Ashton Kutcher.

In April and May 2003, Valderrama appeared in the Los Angeles Times critic's choice play Blackout, an adaptation of the feature film Drunks,^[5] and on April 4, 2004, starred opposite Anjelica Huston and Ben Kingsley in the Actors' Fund of America one-performance only reading of Sunset Boulevard.^[6] He filmed the short film La torcedura in which he played the lead, and appeared in The Darwin Awards, an independent film directed by Finn Taylor, starring Winona Ryder and Joseph Fiennes.

In animation work, Valderrama voiced Rodrigo in Clifford's Really Big Movie, playing alongside John Ritter, Wayne Brady and Jenna Elfman. He also voices the main character, Manny, in Disney Channel's Handy Manny series for preschoolers (He even starred in a minisode featuring his acting counterpart).^[7] He had a starring role in El Muerto, an indie film directed by Brian Cox and based on the successful comic book created by Javier Hernandez. In January 2007, Valderrama launched his own men's fashion label called "Calavena".^[8]

In 2010, Valderrama guest-starred on Disney Channel's series Wizards of Waverly Place playing the role of Theresa Russo's brother, Ernesto. In 2011, he appeared in three episodes of USA Network's Royal Pains as Eric Kassabian, an art dealer.

In 2012, Valderrama co-hosted Premios Juventud as a superhero on July 19, 2012. In August 2012, he appeared alongside Vanessa Curry and Leighton Meester in house music group Nomads' music video of "Addicted to Love".^[9]

On September 27, 2013, Valderrama won an ALMA Award for Outstanding Social Activism.^[10] By late November 2013, Valderrama had joined the cast of From Dusk till Dawn: The Series.^[11]

On June 16, 2016, it was announced that Valderrama is set to join NCIS in its fourteenth season. He will be a series regular.^[12]

Music career

On May 11, 2011, Valderrama released the song "The Way I Fiesta", which he performed as his alter ego Eduardo Fresco. The video was directed by Akiva Schaffer from the group The Lonely Island. Danny Masterson, Valderrama's co-star from That '70s Show, has a cameo appearance in the video. Valderrama appeared in the 2009 music video for Wisin & Yandel's song "Imagínate". He also appeared in and produced the 2011 video for LMFAO's song "Sexy and I Know It". At the Billboard Latin Music Awards he said that he is making music which he will release in Spanish and English. On July 27, 2012, he had an interview with Latina and said that he is recording tracks and is working with great artists/producers from both the English and the Spanish side. He said he was hoping to release more music in 2013,^[13][14] yet nothing was released. On March 10, 2014, Valderrama revealed that a Salud Part 2 is in the works and that he has his own music coming out towards the end of the summer of 2014.^[15]

Valderrama states music as his first passion on DJ Vice's Electric Taco.^[3]

Other work

Valderrama made a cameo appearance in Omar Cruz's To The Top featuring Frankie J. He also worked with Puerto Rican reggaeton duo Wisin & Yandel on their video for "Imagínate" featuring the rapper T-Pain, as well as on Colombian singer Fanny Lú's video "Tu No Eres Para Mi", where he portrayed her boyfriend. Valderrama appeared on Shane Dawson's YouTube channel on September 1, 2012.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Director

Discography

Singles

Guest appearances

Music videos

As lead artist

As featured artist

Cameo appearances

• Paula DeAnda – "Easy"
• Omar Cruz feat. Frankie J – "To The Top"
• Fanny Lú – "Tu No Eres Para Mi"
• Wisin & Yandel feat. T-Pain – "Imagínate"
• Rob Thomas – "Ever the Same"
• LMFAO - "Sexy and I Know It"
• Jonas Brothers - "First Time"
• Chino & Nacho - "Mi Chica Ideal"
• Demi Lovato feat. Cher Lloyd - "Really Don't Care"
• Fergie - "LA LOVE (la la) feat. YG"^[16]
• Demi Lovato - "Nightingale"

See also

• Celebrities who have been Punk'd
• Famous Colombians
• Famous Venezuelans

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wilmer Valderrama.

• Wilmer Valderrama at the Internet Movie Database