November 5, 2025 • 27 mins
As Wilmer Valderrama’s family hits rock bottom in 1997 Los Angeles, a pilot audition forces him to confront the “accent barrier.” In Desi Arnaz’s parallel story, a $39-a-week rumba gig explodes into a full-blown craze: La Conga. The Miami hustle jumps to Times Square, debutantes line up, and soon Rodgers & Hart (with director George Abbott) tap Desi for their new Broadway musical Too Many Girls. Along the way: a green-card run, a star-making nightclub residency, a whirlwind romance with “Freckles,” and a near-fatal run-in with her jealous husband. It’s the episode where Desi becomes a NYC phenomenon—and the road to Hollywood opens.
Featuring: Wilmer Valderrama (That ’70s Show, NCIS, Encanto)
Topics: Desi Arnaz, La Conga nightclub, conga line craze, Rodgers & Hart, George Abbott, Too Many Girls (Broadway), New York nightlife, immigrant hustle, green card era, 1930s Latin music, accent in Hollywood casting, 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 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.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
In the spring of nineteen ninety seven, my family hit
rock bottom financially. I had just turned eighteen and was
finishing my junior year of high school. I had been
held back a grade when I came from Venezuela to
(00:24):
the US.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
No Biggie, just another role with the punches scenario. That's
the life of an immigrant, you know.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
But as I was entering adulthood, I'm thinking about my
upcoming senior year, and I had a lot of my
mind right like was this acting thing really going to
work out?
Speaker 2 (00:42):
What was my life going to be?
Speaker 1 (00:44):
And ultimately, you know, thinking about how it would contribute
with my family.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
How can I help them get to where we need
to be.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
We were so behind a rent that getting evicted and
ending up without a place to live was a real possibility.
Then I got a call from my agent who was
sending me on an audition for a TV pilot called
Teenage Wasteland. I didn't know too much about it, but
I knew I couldn't bother my father for a ride.
(01:14):
Gus was so expensive as it was, my dad having
trouble paying the bills, but still he decided to continue
to invest into his delusional dream of mine of continuing
to audition for television things.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
So he took me to studious City.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
I vowed to give this pilot audition a mile, just
like everything else. But after you've been auditioning for a
few years without much success, you learned that well not
to get your hopes up. Even when I did well,
One casting director called me incredible, another said, oh man,
he's so free and fun, and another said he.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Came in extremely admitted and prepared.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
Still another said he's phenomenal, but no offers came despite
my talent. Every single casting agent highlighted one big problem.
This kid has an accent. The initial audition for Teenage
Wasteline was packed. It seemed that every teenage actor in
(02:23):
Los Angeles was auditioning.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
For this one.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
I recognized a few faces, a kid I knew from
a mighty morphin Power Rangers, another friend who had done
some morning shows, but almost everybody was unknown for this pilot.
The casting agents wanted fresh faces. Well, I was waiting
top of my food and going over my lines. I
(02:47):
noticed this toll skinny kid that walked in, and he
made himself very comfortable and not only walked into the
room like he owned the place, But he opened a
fridge and grabbed a bottle of water and began to
drink it.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
For me.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
Where I came from, you ask permission to take somebody else's,
you know, stuff, But for some reason he felt kind
of familiar. Something about his actions just felt odd to me.
That's not his water, that's not his fridge. That is
so respectful, I thought. But you have to keep in
mind that, you know, I come from a place where
(03:22):
an adult walks into the room, no matter how old
you are, you stand up, say ma'am, sirt and you
open the door, and you're the last one to walk through.
So all of it kind of felt to me like
this guy is definitely not getting the part. Little did
I know that this actor had already auditioned multiple times
actually and landed one of the leading roles. And you
(03:44):
know what that happens. Sometimes sometimes you'll show up for
a role and you'll be pair up with somebody who's
just seeing partner. Sometimes you'll know them, sometimes you won't
know them. Sometimes you have something in common and sometimes
you don't. And that's the thing about the process, right,
(04:08):
But there's also a big sense of competing with each other, right,
A little bit of competition in the sense that you're
like sprinters at the starting line, everybody filling the nerves,
all waiting for the starter pistol to crack. Truly, everybody
is scared out of their minds.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
I know I was that day.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
At least the role I was auditioning for was to
play this foreign exchange student. So maybe I could use
my accent, maybe I could use other things that.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
Would mask my nerves.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
But even that, I mean, people without accents seemed to
always get the role, even if the role was for
a character that has an accent. The history of accents,
especially Latino accents, in Hollywood is interesting, to say the least.
An agent once sent me in his office and broke
it down when he came to commercials, TV shows, and movies.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
In the nineteen nineties.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
For Latino actors were already scares, but for one with
an accent, he was particularly unheard of. May Lopez had
played ac Slater in the hit TV show Saved by
the Bell, and he spoke in English flawlessly. Wilson Crewe
played Richard Asquez in My So Called Life. He also
spoke perfect English. Jimmy Smith had a breakout role playing
(05:22):
Victor Cifuentez in La Law, but he also spoke perfect English.
The legendary Ricardo Montalban had an accent and was a
big star with Fantasy Island. And as great as Montalban was,
my agent explained, even with his iconic voice, you know,
he still had to really lose his accent. And now
(05:43):
that I think of it, there hadn't been a household
name with an accent like mine since well Derns. You know,
I hadn't really thought too hard into the Crns's story.
Years later, when someone gave me his memoir to read,
(06:03):
I started to think deeply about it. You know this
his life was similar to mine in a lot of ways,
but the most obvious one seems to be we are
both leading Latino man with noticeable accents. The truth is,
our accents are less about who we are and more
about where we came from. We come from a culture
(06:24):
that values our work, bravery.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
Boldness, joy.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
Our accents are like the beat in Ascelia Cruz song
that tells you.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
It's time to move.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
The biggest thing we had in common when reading his
memoir for the first time is that DESI and I
used our culture to win in my case, I was
toying with the idea of leaning into my accent for
the foreign exchange student character I was auditioning for in
Teenage Wasteland. More on that on the next episode. In
(07:03):
Dessie's case, he had lined his way into his first
big gig, claiming to have Miami's only typical Cuban band,
which in reality was just a bunch of white guys
in Cuban costumes. Desi's mom made, but that lie cut
him in the door, and when he was caught, Dessi
pivoted to play in a conga drum to try and
(07:25):
save the show.
Speaker 5 (07:26):
You know, I have always called the conga my dance
of desperation. After that first time that night, we had
to do the conga line at least once in every set.
And about a week later, the conga line had really
caught on. You couldn't get into the club. I mean,
it was jammed every night.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
The conga became such a hit that it opened the
doors for Dessi to go from a tiny, made up
typical Cuban band in Miami to plane to sold out
crowds of celebrities in one of New York City's had
its clubs you're listening to Star Sorry, the real life
story of the Latin immigrant who basically invented the modern
Hollywood system. But first he has to avoid getting thrown
(08:08):
out of a ten story window by a jealous husband
who well had good reason to be jealous. The conga
(08:39):
is a simple and infectious song and dance. We talked
a little about the conga before, but I want to
get into it a bit more, just so you understand
how revolutionary it was when Desi introduced it to American
nightclub audiences.
Speaker 6 (08:57):
The dance is rooted in Afro Cuban culture, are particularly
associated with Cuba's carnival celebrations. Its origins traced back to
African rhythms and traditions brought to the Caribbean by enslaved
people from West and Central Africa. In Cuba, it evolved
through a blend of African and Spanish influences, developing a
distinct syncopated rhythm that became a core feature of Cuban music. Traditionally,
(09:20):
the conga dance was performed in long processions called camparsa
during festivals, where people dance in lines or circles to
the beat of conga drums. Moroccas and other percussion instruments.
It was basically like a living, breathing party anthem that
anyone could easily pick up and become a part of.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
Here's how you dance to conga. It's a line or
a chain. So jump in and line out behind the
last person, the last link of the chain, and put
your hands on their shoulders or waist.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
Then follow the rhythm.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
Step forward with your left foot on the first beat,
Now the right foot.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
On the second bead, now left foot.
Speaker 1 (09:58):
You know what, Actually, just YouTube it, but make sure
you are moving forward with the line. It's like a
fun match. The conga line can turn weave or even
moving circles as long as everyone keeps up with the beat.
The beauty of the conga line is that it's adaptable
and playful.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
You don't have to know how.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
To dance to walk around and enjoy that connective, kinetic
and chemistry driven moment that you share that night.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
As the line moves, you can add your own style.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
I don't know, maybe you can kick your little hip out,
or maybe you sway your little booty, or you know,
you add an extra little step, But the basic rhythm
is the key. Just keep everyone together, then you have America.
In the nineteen thirties, it was the top decad in America.
Due to the Great Depression. People were looking for ways
(10:50):
to escape the hardships of daily life and embrace fun
and lighthearted activities. The Conga, with his upbeat rhythm and
communal interactive experience, was the perfect joyful break from the
routine and the toughness of the Great Depression. You gave
people a sense of togetherness, allowing people to forget their worries,
(11:15):
even if only for a night.
Speaker 5 (11:18):
The Conga line became a national dance grace and soon
afterward an international one. It changed my life.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
In nineteen thirty seven, Desi was offered a two week
residency at a brand new nightclub named after the craze
he helped start.
Speaker 5 (11:40):
Okay, Ladies and gentlemen, Welcome to La Gunga. Who's ready
to dance A.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
La Cunga wasn't just any nightclub, it was the spot.
Lacunga was located on Broadway, right in the heart of Manhattan,
New York Times Square, and he was packed with people
from all walks of life looking for something fresh and
something exciting. Dessie delivered that and more. Night after night
(12:10):
he'd stand on that stage and pour his heart into
every performance, working the conga drums, lighting up the place
with his energy. Dessi didn't just play for an audience,
He made them a part of the act.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
This is how he remembered it in his memoir.
Speaker 5 (12:31):
So Joe E. Lewis was appearing at the Continental around
the corner from us. He visited La Coonga, where he
told me, hey, kid, yeah, you're doing great. You really
started something different. No. One night we had a real
big group guard. As we got into the street, I
got a little you know, carried away and chanted, hey,
(12:51):
let's go see Joe. Let's go see Joe. And there
we went, oh around the corner into the Continent, just
as he was on the floor during his midnight show.
We all went around him a couple of times, and
the second time around Joe joined the end of the line,
and we cong got all the way back to our club,
(13:13):
Oh Mine.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
People flocked to see this charismatic Cuban who brought the
rhythm and soul of Abana straight into the heart of
Manhattan in a few short months. Dessie wasn't just another
musician in New York. He was the one everyone was
talking about. The whole city wanted that Latin sound, that
(13:37):
infectious energy.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
All kinds of people came to see DESI.
Speaker 5 (13:42):
The number one debutante in New York was this, said
Brenda Fraser, and she came to La Conga to see. Well,
you know what in the hell all this noise was about.
Her group used to stay on the East Side as
such places as the Store Club, twenty one, Versailles and
El Morocco. You know, when Brenda came to La Conga,
(14:02):
they all followed her. She was the leader, and wherever
she went, all the other debutants and their escorts went
as well. As Dorothy Kilgallan said in her column, La
Conga was the first nightclub that brought the East Side
of New York all the way over to the West side.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
It wasn't just New York City lead debutants who would
comp out at Laconga this He also made friends with
New York's number one madam at that time, the infamous Polyadler.
Speaker 5 (14:38):
Polly Adler's House of Ill Repute was actually a really
elegant place. The large living room was done in shades
of red and white and furnished in luxurious seventeenth century
French style. These high ceilings supported a large Maria Teresa chandelier.
The bedroom's main features were al tracking sized beds, you know,
(15:02):
with beautifully designed headboards. These large antique mirrors were hung
in strategic places, lit by candlelight only and scented with
the fragrance of different fresh flowers, which complimented each occupant.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
These girls who worked for.
Speaker 5 (15:20):
Polly looked as good as elegant and were just as
refined as the society girls. Polly also helped me a
hell of a lot by instructing all of her girls
to take the men to La Conga whenever possible. Strange
that my first best two girlfriends in New York came
from pulls apart. You have a Brenda Fraser, the number
(15:40):
one debutante, and then Polly Adler, the number one madam.
Together they brought all kinds of people to La Conga.
Speaker 1 (16:00):
The King of the party attitude that drove Desi was
on full display during his first run at Laconga. It's
a part of what made people from all over want
to be there every single night, and as his fame.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
Grew, so did the crowds.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
Until one night, someone unexpected was sitting in the audience.
Speaker 5 (16:19):
Well, here's the thing. I didn't know many motion picture
or theater people, but quite a few of them they
come to Laconga This one night, after I'd finished the
first show, Mario called me into the office and said, Hey,
do you know who wants to talk to you.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
Dessey's time in New York wouldn't be all moonlight nights
and packed clubs. The city was tough and competitive, a
place where only the strongest survived. And Dessi was about
to find out what happens when you mess with a
married man's wife, and that is after the Break. It's
(17:23):
nineteen thirty eight on Broadway, and two Broadway legends, Richard
Rogers and Lawrence Hart as in Rogers and Heart, are
working on their next big musical, comedy, Too Many Girls.
He's got a hell of a script by the legendary
screenwriter George Marion Junior. But there's one problem. One of
the male leads and Too Many Girls is a guy
(17:45):
American artist is wearing really used to seeing. Here's how
Desi recalls the moment in his memoir.
Speaker 5 (17:52):
So one of the characters in the story is this
Latin boy eighteen or nineteen you know, who is supposed
to be the best football player ever to come out
of Latin America. So anyone playing the role should be
able to handle comedy but also sing and dance. At
that time, the Latin type they were describing was not
exactly easy to find in this country. Today there are
(18:15):
quite a few of them, and much better than I was.
The only ones who were known then were the romantic
you know, Valentino types and the George Rath types, or
the other extreme you have the Crispin Martin Lacey Mexican character,
or the Leo Carrios.
Speaker 1 (18:32):
So, Dick Rogers and Larry Hart are tolling away at
the music for the show, wondering if we will ever
get made without the right Latin actor. Suddenly Larry hears
some music playing outside the window. It sounds like Latin jazz,
and he has this epiphany about a knight at Lacunga.
So he and Dick called George Marion and they all
(18:53):
rush over to the club for a chance to speak
to the charismatic band leader.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
He saw that night.
Speaker 7 (19:00):
You at Laconga in Miami.
Speaker 5 (19:04):
Oh, mister Hart, I I didn't even know you were there.
Speaker 7 (19:07):
I know you didn't see me, but I saw you
and I watched you. I told Dick and George about you.
Can you act?
Speaker 5 (19:15):
Well? You know, I don't know. I did a couple
of parts in school plays when I was in Cuba,
and I used to be on the debating team. I
can also recite Lamarcha triunfalde Ruben Dario, What the hell
is that? Yav yenell Cortejo, yav yen el cortejo. Yeah,
say oh jen Los Claus Clarinus. That was my piece
(19:36):
the Resistance. I started doing it when I was twelve.
Speaker 7 (19:40):
What do you think, Dick, George.
Speaker 5 (19:42):
I'm a fast learner and I work hard. Hey, I'll
try anything.
Speaker 7 (19:46):
Relaxed, kid, don't get too excited. We have to bring
mister Rabbit over here to take a look at you.
Speaker 4 (19:51):
And who is that?
Speaker 7 (19:53):
George Abbott is one of the top directors of the
New York Stage. He also happens to be the man
who is going to direct this show if we can have.
Speaker 5 (20:00):
A cast it.
Speaker 7 (20:02):
You really don't know anything about the New York Theater,
do you?
Speaker 1 (20:05):
No?
Speaker 4 (20:05):
I don't, sorry.
Speaker 1 (20:12):
According to Dessi, the director George Abbott came by that
night and joined the Conga line. A couple of additions later,
and Dessi had landed his first acting role in a
big Broadway musical.
Speaker 5 (20:30):
Hey, I found out what beanies mean?
Speaker 4 (20:32):
What?
Speaker 5 (20:33):
Well, all the girls who wear beanies are virgins.
Speaker 1 (20:45):
Even though his parents got divorced, that year, nineteen thirty
nine was a huge year for Dessi. He was the
premier musical act in Manhattan's Hottest Club and a star
of Broadway's Hottest play. And then he fell in love
for the first time.
Speaker 5 (21:06):
I was having a very lovely and serious romance with
the most astonishing woman I had ever met. Her love,
her tenderness, her disposition, It was unbelievable. There isn't any
doubt she was my first real love.
Speaker 1 (21:22):
Deasy refers to this woman only as Freckles.
Speaker 5 (21:26):
I had met her this one night at Laconga when
she came in with Brenda Fraser and Peter Arnold.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
Quick backstory.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
Brenda and Peter were part of a group of intellectuals
and artists primarily from the Lower East Side of New York,
so Freckles was part of this clique.
Speaker 5 (21:45):
That night, when I met Freckles, I knew the meaning
of Larry Hart's lyric. I took one look at you.
That's all I meant to do, and then my heart
stood still. She was a jewel, a rare, unique find.
We had the happy be his most wonderful relationship.
Speaker 1 (22:03):
What Desi means by happiest and most wonderful relationship is
that Freckles didn't hassle him about being unfaithful or partying
til late at night.
Speaker 5 (22:13):
Freckles, she had these understanding and patience, you know, to
put up with me, which I'm sure, okay, was an
a CEC job at times. She never nagged, she never argued.
Even when she knew I had been out with another
girl during a short weekend. We call it a detour,
she pretended to not know and would never even bother
(22:33):
me about it.
Speaker 1 (22:35):
This is probably because Freckles was also married. She was
apparently a celebrity dancer who was in a toxic relationship
with another famous celebrity dancer who was violent towards her
and very jealous. He had apparently beaten Freckles up and
also beat up man who even tried to flirt with her.
(22:55):
This did not stop DESI from pursuing her.
Speaker 5 (22:59):
This one night, Freckles and I were going to her
apartment at the Pierre to have some breakfast after I
finished work. He was about four point thirty in the morning,
and we found her husband waiting for us in the lobby.
He got into the elevator with us. He turned to
the bell boy and said, son, I want you to
meet my wife, and this is her lover.
Speaker 2 (23:24):
They all arrive at the apartment and Dessie is pissed.
Speaker 5 (23:28):
What the hell are you here for?
Speaker 4 (23:30):
I want to talk to you.
Speaker 5 (23:31):
Okay, fine, as soon as I take her to her apartment,
I'll be back.
Speaker 2 (23:36):
Deess. He walks Freckles to her apartment. She's freaking out.
Speaker 5 (23:39):
Doessy listened, Please be careful.
Speaker 4 (23:42):
I know he only looks mean, but he's really dangerous.
Speaker 5 (23:45):
Tranquila, Darling. I can take care of myself.
Speaker 4 (23:48):
Just be on your guard every second.
Speaker 5 (23:50):
I've seen that crazy look in his eyes before, baby, baby.
Speaker 4 (23:53):
Okay, Okay, I'll be careful, hey, I promise.
Speaker 1 (23:57):
Dessy kisses her goodbye and heads back down stairs, where
she finds Freckles's husband putting on some leather gloves that
he tries to de escalate the situation.
Speaker 4 (24:06):
Look, my friend, I don't want to hurt you.
Speaker 1 (24:08):
But it's too late. The main swings are dassi. He
dugs and grabs Freckles's husband by the neck.
Speaker 4 (24:14):
Hey, stop struggling this guy.
Speaker 5 (24:17):
Hey, you want to talk, Let's talk. Look, Hey, I'm
not going to fight you.
Speaker 4 (24:22):
Okay, let me go, but not here.
Speaker 2 (24:26):
Come to my apartment does He thinks about it and
lets him go.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
He doesn't want to make any more of a scene,
so he follows the man six blocks to the seventeenth
floor of a luxury high rise. It's very nice, has
a gray view of the city.
Speaker 2 (24:44):
He looks out at his view and size. It's beautiful.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
He motions Dessi to come over and take a look,
but as he doesn't budge, something's off.
Speaker 5 (24:55):
We are standing here in the middle of the winter,
and all of a sudden and you open this window.
You're letting in the wind and the snow, just so
I can take a look at the view.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
I just wanted you to see this beautiful.
Speaker 5 (25:10):
Yeah, I know it's beautiful. Now close the fucking window
before we freezed too that.
Speaker 1 (25:16):
Dessie nearly died over Freckles. He really was in love
with her.
Speaker 2 (25:21):
It seems.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
Thankfully he was able to convince her husband to let
her go for once and for all.
Speaker 2 (25:29):
Just in time.
Speaker 1 (25:29):
Too A big Hollywood studio was going to make Too
Many Girls into a film, and Dessi was offered one
of the lead roles.
Speaker 2 (25:38):
Dessie never fancied himself much.
Speaker 1 (25:40):
Of an actor and he loved his life playing laconga
and partying every night, but Frankas convinced him to take
the part.
Speaker 2 (25:49):
Hollywood would be a nice place to start over.
Speaker 1 (25:58):
Dessi took off on a ross country road trip to
California with his assistant. Freckles were joined by train a
few weeks later, but Desi was about to start in
his first big Hollywood comedy and in comedy Timing's kind
of everything, Freckles showed up to Hollywood a few days
after Desi made his co star on the movie version
(26:19):
of Too Many Girls.
Speaker 5 (26:21):
So she had just finished a scene with Miss O'Hara
in which they had been in this big fight. Oh,
she looked like a two dollar whore who had been
badly beaten by her pimp, with her hair all over
her face and a black eye, and.
Speaker 4 (26:33):
She was dressed in a cheap costume. And after she left,
I asked.
Speaker 5 (26:37):
Mister Rabbit, who the hell was that he answered, that's
the girl who's gonna play Marcy's part, that's Lucille Ball.
Speaker 1 (26:48):
And that Yep, you guessed it. On the next episode
of starring starring Desi Arnazy, Wilmer vo Durama is produced
by WV Sound in partnership with Iheartmichael Duda podcast Network,
starring Dessi r Nast and Wilmer Valderama is written by
(27:09):
Eric Galindo and narrated by me Wilma Valderama. It is
produced by Sophie Spencer Savos and Leo Klem, with special
help from Anhel Lopez Galindo. Our executive producers are myself
and Eric Galindo. This episode was edited and engineered by
Sean Tracy and features original music by Halo Boy and
(27:29):
Madison Devenport. Our cover illustration is by Lindsey Mount. For
more podcasts from iHeart, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.
In the spring of nineteen ninety seven, my family hit
rock bottom financially. I had just turned eighteen and was
finishing my junior year of high school. I had been
held back a grade when I came from Venezuela to
(00:24):
the US.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
No Biggie, just another role with the punches scenario. That's
the life of an immigrant, you know.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
But as I was entering adulthood, I'm thinking about my
upcoming senior year, and I had a lot of my
mind right like was this acting thing really going to
work out?
Speaker 2 (00:42):
What was my life going to be?
Speaker 1 (00:44):
And ultimately, you know, thinking about how it would contribute
with my family.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
How can I help them get to where we need
to be.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
We were so behind a rent that getting evicted and
ending up without a place to live was a real possibility.
Then I got a call from my agent who was
sending me on an audition for a TV pilot called
Teenage Wasteland. I didn't know too much about it, but
I knew I couldn't bother my father for a ride.
(01:14):
Gus was so expensive as it was, my dad having
trouble paying the bills, but still he decided to continue
to invest into his delusional dream of mine of continuing
to audition for television things.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
So he took me to studious City.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
I vowed to give this pilot audition a mile, just
like everything else. But after you've been auditioning for a
few years without much success, you learned that well not
to get your hopes up. Even when I did well,
One casting director called me incredible, another said, oh man,
he's so free and fun, and another said he.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Came in extremely admitted and prepared.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
Still another said he's phenomenal, but no offers came despite
my talent. Every single casting agent highlighted one big problem.
This kid has an accent. The initial audition for Teenage
Wasteline was packed. It seemed that every teenage actor in
(02:23):
Los Angeles was auditioning.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
For this one.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
I recognized a few faces, a kid I knew from
a mighty morphin Power Rangers, another friend who had done
some morning shows, but almost everybody was unknown for this pilot.
The casting agents wanted fresh faces. Well, I was waiting
top of my food and going over my lines. I
(02:47):
noticed this toll skinny kid that walked in, and he
made himself very comfortable and not only walked into the
room like he owned the place, But he opened a
fridge and grabbed a bottle of water and began to
drink it.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
For me.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
Where I came from, you ask permission to take somebody else's,
you know, stuff, But for some reason he felt kind
of familiar. Something about his actions just felt odd to me.
That's not his water, that's not his fridge. That is
so respectful, I thought. But you have to keep in
mind that, you know, I come from a place where
(03:22):
an adult walks into the room, no matter how old
you are, you stand up, say ma'am, sirt and you
open the door, and you're the last one to walk through.
So all of it kind of felt to me like
this guy is definitely not getting the part. Little did
I know that this actor had already auditioned multiple times
actually and landed one of the leading roles. And you
(03:44):
know what that happens. Sometimes sometimes you'll show up for
a role and you'll be pair up with somebody who's
just seeing partner. Sometimes you'll know them, sometimes you won't
know them. Sometimes you have something in common and sometimes
you don't. And that's the thing about the process, right,
(04:08):
But there's also a big sense of competing with each other, right,
A little bit of competition in the sense that you're
like sprinters at the starting line, everybody filling the nerves,
all waiting for the starter pistol to crack. Truly, everybody
is scared out of their minds.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
I know I was that day.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
At least the role I was auditioning for was to
play this foreign exchange student. So maybe I could use
my accent, maybe I could use other things that.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
Would mask my nerves.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
But even that, I mean, people without accents seemed to
always get the role, even if the role was for
a character that has an accent. The history of accents,
especially Latino accents, in Hollywood is interesting, to say the least.
An agent once sent me in his office and broke
it down when he came to commercials, TV shows, and movies.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
In the nineteen nineties.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
For Latino actors were already scares, but for one with
an accent, he was particularly unheard of. May Lopez had
played ac Slater in the hit TV show Saved by
the Bell, and he spoke in English flawlessly. Wilson Crewe
played Richard Asquez in My So Called Life. He also
spoke perfect English. Jimmy Smith had a breakout role playing
(05:22):
Victor Cifuentez in La Law, but he also spoke perfect English.
The legendary Ricardo Montalban had an accent and was a
big star with Fantasy Island. And as great as Montalban was,
my agent explained, even with his iconic voice, you know,
he still had to really lose his accent. And now
(05:43):
that I think of it, there hadn't been a household
name with an accent like mine since well Derns. You know,
I hadn't really thought too hard into the Crns's story.
Years later, when someone gave me his memoir to read,
(06:03):
I started to think deeply about it. You know this
his life was similar to mine in a lot of ways,
but the most obvious one seems to be we are
both leading Latino man with noticeable accents. The truth is,
our accents are less about who we are and more
about where we came from. We come from a culture
(06:24):
that values our work, bravery.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
Boldness, joy.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
Our accents are like the beat in Ascelia Cruz song
that tells you.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
It's time to move.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
The biggest thing we had in common when reading his
memoir for the first time is that DESI and I
used our culture to win in my case, I was
toying with the idea of leaning into my accent for
the foreign exchange student character I was auditioning for in
Teenage Wasteland. More on that on the next episode. In
(07:03):
Dessie's case, he had lined his way into his first
big gig, claiming to have Miami's only typical Cuban band,
which in reality was just a bunch of white guys
in Cuban costumes. Desi's mom made, but that lie cut
him in the door, and when he was caught, Dessi
pivoted to play in a conga drum to try and
(07:25):
save the show.
Speaker 5 (07:26):
You know, I have always called the conga my dance
of desperation. After that first time that night, we had
to do the conga line at least once in every set.
And about a week later, the conga line had really
caught on. You couldn't get into the club. I mean,
it was jammed every night.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
The conga became such a hit that it opened the
doors for Dessi to go from a tiny, made up
typical Cuban band in Miami to plane to sold out
crowds of celebrities in one of New York City's had
its clubs you're listening to Star Sorry, the real life
story of the Latin immigrant who basically invented the modern
Hollywood system. But first he has to avoid getting thrown
(08:08):
out of a ten story window by a jealous husband
who well had good reason to be jealous. The conga
(08:39):
is a simple and infectious song and dance. We talked
a little about the conga before, but I want to
get into it a bit more, just so you understand
how revolutionary it was when Desi introduced it to American
nightclub audiences.
Speaker 6 (08:57):
The dance is rooted in Afro Cuban culture, are particularly
associated with Cuba's carnival celebrations. Its origins traced back to
African rhythms and traditions brought to the Caribbean by enslaved
people from West and Central Africa. In Cuba, it evolved
through a blend of African and Spanish influences, developing a
distinct syncopated rhythm that became a core feature of Cuban music. Traditionally,
(09:20):
the conga dance was performed in long processions called camparsa
during festivals, where people dance in lines or circles to
the beat of conga drums. Moroccas and other percussion instruments.
It was basically like a living, breathing party anthem that
anyone could easily pick up and become a part of.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
Here's how you dance to conga. It's a line or
a chain. So jump in and line out behind the
last person, the last link of the chain, and put
your hands on their shoulders or waist.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
Then follow the rhythm.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
Step forward with your left foot on the first beat,
Now the right foot.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
On the second bead, now left foot.
Speaker 1 (09:58):
You know what, Actually, just YouTube it, but make sure
you are moving forward with the line. It's like a
fun match. The conga line can turn weave or even
moving circles as long as everyone keeps up with the beat.
The beauty of the conga line is that it's adaptable
and playful.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
You don't have to know how.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
To dance to walk around and enjoy that connective, kinetic
and chemistry driven moment that you share that night.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
As the line moves, you can add your own style.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
I don't know, maybe you can kick your little hip out,
or maybe you sway your little booty, or you know,
you add an extra little step, But the basic rhythm
is the key. Just keep everyone together, then you have America.
In the nineteen thirties, it was the top decad in America.
Due to the Great Depression. People were looking for ways
(10:50):
to escape the hardships of daily life and embrace fun
and lighthearted activities. The Conga, with his upbeat rhythm and
communal interactive experience, was the perfect joyful break from the
routine and the toughness of the Great Depression. You gave
people a sense of togetherness, allowing people to forget their worries,
(11:15):
even if only for a night.
Speaker 5 (11:18):
The Conga line became a national dance grace and soon
afterward an international one. It changed my life.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
In nineteen thirty seven, Desi was offered a two week
residency at a brand new nightclub named after the craze
he helped start.
Speaker 5 (11:40):
Okay, Ladies and gentlemen, Welcome to La Gunga. Who's ready
to dance A.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
La Cunga wasn't just any nightclub, it was the spot.
Lacunga was located on Broadway, right in the heart of Manhattan,
New York Times Square, and he was packed with people
from all walks of life looking for something fresh and
something exciting. Dessie delivered that and more. Night after night
(12:10):
he'd stand on that stage and pour his heart into
every performance, working the conga drums, lighting up the place
with his energy. Dessi didn't just play for an audience,
He made them a part of the act.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
This is how he remembered it in his memoir.
Speaker 5 (12:31):
So Joe E. Lewis was appearing at the Continental around
the corner from us. He visited La Coonga, where he
told me, hey, kid, yeah, you're doing great. You really
started something different. No. One night we had a real
big group guard. As we got into the street, I
got a little you know, carried away and chanted, hey,
(12:51):
let's go see Joe. Let's go see Joe. And there
we went, oh around the corner into the Continent, just
as he was on the floor during his midnight show.
We all went around him a couple of times, and
the second time around Joe joined the end of the line,
and we cong got all the way back to our club,
(13:13):
Oh Mine.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
People flocked to see this charismatic Cuban who brought the
rhythm and soul of Abana straight into the heart of
Manhattan in a few short months. Dessie wasn't just another
musician in New York. He was the one everyone was
talking about. The whole city wanted that Latin sound, that
(13:37):
infectious energy.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
All kinds of people came to see DESI.
Speaker 5 (13:42):
The number one debutante in New York was this, said
Brenda Fraser, and she came to La Conga to see. Well,
you know what in the hell all this noise was about.
Her group used to stay on the East Side as
such places as the Store Club, twenty one, Versailles and
El Morocco. You know, when Brenda came to La Conga,
(14:02):
they all followed her. She was the leader, and wherever
she went, all the other debutants and their escorts went
as well. As Dorothy Kilgallan said in her column, La
Conga was the first nightclub that brought the East Side
of New York all the way over to the West side.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
It wasn't just New York City lead debutants who would
comp out at Laconga this He also made friends with
New York's number one madam at that time, the infamous Polyadler.
Speaker 5 (14:38):
Polly Adler's House of Ill Repute was actually a really
elegant place. The large living room was done in shades
of red and white and furnished in luxurious seventeenth century
French style. These high ceilings supported a large Maria Teresa chandelier.
The bedroom's main features were al tracking sized beds, you know,
(15:02):
with beautifully designed headboards. These large antique mirrors were hung
in strategic places, lit by candlelight only and scented with
the fragrance of different fresh flowers, which complimented each occupant.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
These girls who worked for.
Speaker 5 (15:20):
Polly looked as good as elegant and were just as
refined as the society girls. Polly also helped me a
hell of a lot by instructing all of her girls
to take the men to La Conga whenever possible. Strange
that my first best two girlfriends in New York came
from pulls apart. You have a Brenda Fraser, the number
(15:40):
one debutante, and then Polly Adler, the number one madam.
Together they brought all kinds of people to La Conga.
Speaker 1 (16:00):
The King of the party attitude that drove Desi was
on full display during his first run at Laconga. It's
a part of what made people from all over want
to be there every single night, and as his fame.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
Grew, so did the crowds.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
Until one night, someone unexpected was sitting in the audience.
Speaker 5 (16:19):
Well, here's the thing. I didn't know many motion picture
or theater people, but quite a few of them they
come to Laconga This one night, after I'd finished the
first show, Mario called me into the office and said, Hey,
do you know who wants to talk to you.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
Dessey's time in New York wouldn't be all moonlight nights
and packed clubs. The city was tough and competitive, a
place where only the strongest survived. And Dessi was about
to find out what happens when you mess with a
married man's wife, and that is after the Break. It's
(17:23):
nineteen thirty eight on Broadway, and two Broadway legends, Richard
Rogers and Lawrence Hart as in Rogers and Heart, are
working on their next big musical, comedy, Too Many Girls.
He's got a hell of a script by the legendary
screenwriter George Marion Junior. But there's one problem. One of
the male leads and Too Many Girls is a guy
(17:45):
American artist is wearing really used to seeing. Here's how
Desi recalls the moment in his memoir.
Speaker 5 (17:52):
So one of the characters in the story is this
Latin boy eighteen or nineteen you know, who is supposed
to be the best football player ever to come out
of Latin America. So anyone playing the role should be
able to handle comedy but also sing and dance. At
that time, the Latin type they were describing was not
exactly easy to find in this country. Today there are
(18:15):
quite a few of them, and much better than I was.
The only ones who were known then were the romantic
you know, Valentino types and the George Rath types, or
the other extreme you have the Crispin Martin Lacey Mexican character,
or the Leo Carrios.
Speaker 1 (18:32):
So, Dick Rogers and Larry Hart are tolling away at
the music for the show, wondering if we will ever
get made without the right Latin actor. Suddenly Larry hears
some music playing outside the window. It sounds like Latin jazz,
and he has this epiphany about a knight at Lacunga.
So he and Dick called George Marion and they all
(18:53):
rush over to the club for a chance to speak
to the charismatic band leader.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
He saw that night.
Speaker 7 (19:00):
You at Laconga in Miami.
Speaker 5 (19:04):
Oh, mister Hart, I I didn't even know you were there.
Speaker 7 (19:07):
I know you didn't see me, but I saw you
and I watched you. I told Dick and George about you.
Can you act?
Speaker 5 (19:15):
Well? You know, I don't know. I did a couple
of parts in school plays when I was in Cuba,
and I used to be on the debating team. I
can also recite Lamarcha triunfalde Ruben Dario, What the hell
is that? Yav yenell Cortejo, yav yen el cortejo. Yeah,
say oh jen Los Claus Clarinus. That was my piece
(19:36):
the Resistance. I started doing it when I was twelve.
Speaker 7 (19:40):
What do you think, Dick, George.
Speaker 5 (19:42):
I'm a fast learner and I work hard. Hey, I'll
try anything.
Speaker 7 (19:46):
Relaxed, kid, don't get too excited. We have to bring
mister Rabbit over here to take a look at you.
Speaker 4 (19:51):
And who is that?
Speaker 7 (19:53):
George Abbott is one of the top directors of the
New York Stage. He also happens to be the man
who is going to direct this show if we can have.
Speaker 5 (20:00):
A cast it.
Speaker 7 (20:02):
You really don't know anything about the New York Theater,
do you?
Speaker 1 (20:05):
No?
Speaker 4 (20:05):
I don't, sorry.
Speaker 1 (20:12):
According to Dessi, the director George Abbott came by that
night and joined the Conga line. A couple of additions later,
and Dessi had landed his first acting role in a
big Broadway musical.
Speaker 5 (20:30):
Hey, I found out what beanies mean?
Speaker 4 (20:32):
What?
Speaker 5 (20:33):
Well, all the girls who wear beanies are virgins.
Speaker 1 (20:45):
Even though his parents got divorced, that year, nineteen thirty
nine was a huge year for Dessi. He was the
premier musical act in Manhattan's Hottest Club and a star
of Broadway's Hottest play. And then he fell in love
for the first time.
Speaker 5 (21:06):
I was having a very lovely and serious romance with
the most astonishing woman I had ever met. Her love,
her tenderness, her disposition, It was unbelievable. There isn't any
doubt she was my first real love.
Speaker 1 (21:22):
Deasy refers to this woman only as Freckles.
Speaker 5 (21:26):
I had met her this one night at Laconga when
she came in with Brenda Fraser and Peter Arnold.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
Quick backstory.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
Brenda and Peter were part of a group of intellectuals
and artists primarily from the Lower East Side of New York,
so Freckles was part of this clique.
Speaker 5 (21:45):
That night, when I met Freckles, I knew the meaning
of Larry Hart's lyric. I took one look at you.
That's all I meant to do, and then my heart
stood still. She was a jewel, a rare, unique find.
We had the happy be his most wonderful relationship.
Speaker 1 (22:03):
What Desi means by happiest and most wonderful relationship is
that Freckles didn't hassle him about being unfaithful or partying
til late at night.
Speaker 5 (22:13):
Freckles, she had these understanding and patience, you know, to
put up with me, which I'm sure, okay, was an
a CEC job at times. She never nagged, she never argued.
Even when she knew I had been out with another
girl during a short weekend. We call it a detour,
she pretended to not know and would never even bother
(22:33):
me about it.
Speaker 1 (22:35):
This is probably because Freckles was also married. She was
apparently a celebrity dancer who was in a toxic relationship
with another famous celebrity dancer who was violent towards her
and very jealous. He had apparently beaten Freckles up and
also beat up man who even tried to flirt with her.
(22:55):
This did not stop DESI from pursuing her.
Speaker 5 (22:59):
This one night, Freckles and I were going to her
apartment at the Pierre to have some breakfast after I
finished work. He was about four point thirty in the morning,
and we found her husband waiting for us in the lobby.
He got into the elevator with us. He turned to
the bell boy and said, son, I want you to
meet my wife, and this is her lover.
Speaker 2 (23:24):
They all arrive at the apartment and Dessie is pissed.
Speaker 5 (23:28):
What the hell are you here for?
Speaker 4 (23:30):
I want to talk to you.
Speaker 5 (23:31):
Okay, fine, as soon as I take her to her apartment,
I'll be back.
Speaker 2 (23:36):
Deess. He walks Freckles to her apartment. She's freaking out.
Speaker 5 (23:39):
Doessy listened, Please be careful.
Speaker 4 (23:42):
I know he only looks mean, but he's really dangerous.
Speaker 5 (23:45):
Tranquila, Darling. I can take care of myself.
Speaker 4 (23:48):
Just be on your guard every second.
Speaker 5 (23:50):
I've seen that crazy look in his eyes before, baby, baby.
Speaker 4 (23:53):
Okay, Okay, I'll be careful, hey, I promise.
Speaker 1 (23:57):
Dessy kisses her goodbye and heads back down stairs, where
she finds Freckles's husband putting on some leather gloves that
he tries to de escalate the situation.
Speaker 4 (24:06):
Look, my friend, I don't want to hurt you.
Speaker 1 (24:08):
But it's too late. The main swings are dassi. He
dugs and grabs Freckles's husband by the neck.
Speaker 4 (24:14):
Hey, stop struggling this guy.
Speaker 5 (24:17):
Hey, you want to talk, Let's talk. Look, Hey, I'm
not going to fight you.
Speaker 4 (24:22):
Okay, let me go, but not here.
Speaker 2 (24:26):
Come to my apartment does He thinks about it and
lets him go.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
He doesn't want to make any more of a scene,
so he follows the man six blocks to the seventeenth
floor of a luxury high rise. It's very nice, has
a gray view of the city.
Speaker 2 (24:44):
He looks out at his view and size. It's beautiful.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
He motions Dessi to come over and take a look,
but as he doesn't budge, something's off.
Speaker 5 (24:55):
We are standing here in the middle of the winter,
and all of a sudden and you open this window.
You're letting in the wind and the snow, just so
I can take a look at the view.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
I just wanted you to see this beautiful.
Speaker 5 (25:10):
Yeah, I know it's beautiful. Now close the fucking window
before we freezed too that.
Speaker 1 (25:16):
Dessie nearly died over Freckles. He really was in love
with her.
Speaker 2 (25:21):
It seems.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
Thankfully he was able to convince her husband to let
her go for once and for all.
Speaker 2 (25:29):
Just in time.
Speaker 1 (25:29):
Too A big Hollywood studio was going to make Too
Many Girls into a film, and Dessi was offered one
of the lead roles.
Speaker 2 (25:38):
Dessie never fancied himself much.
Speaker 1 (25:40):
Of an actor and he loved his life playing laconga
and partying every night, but Frankas convinced him to take
the part.
Speaker 2 (25:49):
Hollywood would be a nice place to start over.
Speaker 1 (25:58):
Dessi took off on a ross country road trip to
California with his assistant. Freckles were joined by train a
few weeks later, but Desi was about to start in
his first big Hollywood comedy and in comedy Timing's kind
of everything, Freckles showed up to Hollywood a few days
after Desi made his co star on the movie version
(26:19):
of Too Many Girls.
Speaker 5 (26:21):
So she had just finished a scene with Miss O'Hara
in which they had been in this big fight. Oh,
she looked like a two dollar whore who had been
badly beaten by her pimp, with her hair all over
her face and a black eye, and.
Speaker 4 (26:33):
She was dressed in a cheap costume. And after she left,
I asked.
Speaker 5 (26:37):
Mister Rabbit, who the hell was that he answered, that's
the girl who's gonna play Marcy's part, that's Lucille Ball.
Speaker 1 (26:48):
And that Yep, you guessed it. On the next episode
of starring starring Desi Arnazy, Wilmer vo Durama is produced
by WV Sound in partnership with Iheartmichael Duda podcast Network,
starring Dessi r Nast and Wilmer Valderama is written by
(27:09):
Eric Galindo and narrated by me Wilma Valderama. It is
produced by Sophie Spencer Savos and Leo Klem, with special
help from Anhel Lopez Galindo. Our executive producers are myself
and Eric Galindo. This episode was edited and engineered by
Sean Tracy and features original music by Halo Boy and
(27:29):
Madison Devenport. Our cover illustration is by Lindsey Mount. For
more podcasts from iHeart, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.
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