Eugenio Derbez

Episode notes

Photo: Courtesy of Apple TV +

Eugenio Derbez has arguably earned the title of most successful comedy actor in Latin America. He’s starred in dozens of movies, was first on the call sheet for five hit TV shows and has created and written several others. He’s the voice of Donkey in the Spanish language Shrek movies.

Eugenio Derbez could not go out in public in Mexico City without getting mobbed because, y’know, that’s what it’s like to be the most successful comedy actor in Latin America.

Then, in 2013 he wrote, starred in and directed his biggest movie yet: Instructions Not Included. The film opened the door for Eugenio to break through in the U.S. He went on to star in movies like How To Be a Latin Lover in 2017, Overboard in 2018, and the Best Picture winning CODA in 2021. These days you can catch Eugenio in the show Acapulco, which is entering its fourth and final season on Apple TV +. 

We chat with Eugenio about the last season of Acapulco. He also talks with us about how he made the jump from being a movie star in Mexico to a movie star here in the United States. Plus, he tells us why he thought it made sense for him to voice donkey in the Spanish language version of Shrek.