Starring: Desi Arnaz & Wilmer Valderrama

About Starring: Desi Arnaz & Wilmer Valderrama

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.

Publisher

iHeartPodcasts

Category

society & culture · tv & film

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

8 Oct 2025

Latest episode

3 Dec 2025

Latest episodes

11 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   3 Dec 2025

   Episode 10: The First TV Showrunner

   Desi Arnaz refuses to move to New York, gambles his salary for ownership, and—with a little help from cinematographer Karl Freund—turns live comedy into filmed art. Together, he and Lucy invent the three-camera sitcom, syndication, and creative control itself. But as I Love Lucy conquers the world, their marriage unravels behind the scenes. Wilmer draws the parallel to his own journey, reflecting on family, legacy, and gratitude—culminating in his USO Merit Award speech, where he finally understands Desi’s timeless “Thank you, America.” Featuring: Wilmer Valderrama (That ’70s Show, NCIS, Encanto) Topics: I Love Lucy, Desi Arnaz, Lucille Ball, Desilu Productions, invention of the multi-camera sitcom, syndication, television ownership, Karl Freund, immigrant innovation, family legacy, USO, gratitude. 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 (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.

2. 

   26 Nov 2025

   Episode 9: The Pitch That Changed TV

   A nuts-and-bolts look at how shows actually get made, this episode traces the gauntlet from “idea” to “greenlight.” Wilmer relives the high-stakes call that landed him the That ’70s Show pilot while Desi and Lucy face an even steeper climb: convincing CBS—and America—that a Cuban bandleader and a redheaded star could be a married couple on TV. Shut out by execs, they take their case to the only jury that matters: live audiences. A throwback vaudeville act (with help from Pepito the Clown) becomes their proof of concept—an early masterclass in IP, audience testing, and momentum—until William S. Paley finally says yes. Next up: they’ll rewrite the rulebook with multi-camera filming, live-audience comedy, and—most radical of all—ownership. Featuring: Wilmer Valderrama (That ’70s Show, NCIS, Encanto) Topics: TV development & pilots, proof-of-concept/IP, vaudeville roots of sitcoms, Lucy & Desi’s road act, network bias and representation, William S. Paley/CBS, the road to I Love Lucy. 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 (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.

3. 

   19 Nov 2025

   Episode 8: The Bus Crash

   From an Osprey dodging heat-seeking missiles over Fallujah to a tour bus ripped open on an Indiana highway, this episode is all “what if” moments that changed everything. Wilmer Valderrama shares his most intense USO memories, then parallels Desi Arnaz’s own service-era close calls—including the orchestra crash that nearly killed his stand-in and jolted Desi toward a life with Lucy. Their first divorce doesn’t stick, radio becomes the lifeline (hello, Bob Hope writers’ room), and Lucy lands My Favorite Husband—with one condition for TV: “I’ll do it only if Desi plays my husband.” Cue the network skepticism, the accent hand-wringing, and the audacious plan that sets the stage for I Love Lucy. Featuring: Wilmer Valderrama (That ’70s Show, NCIS, Encanto) Topics: USO tours, Fallujah Osprey incident, Desi Arnaz orchestra bus crash, Lucy & Desi first divorce, Bob Hope radio show, My Favorite Husband (radio), radio-to-TV adaptation, network bias against accents, pre–I Love Lucy history, representation in media, Hollywood/TV history. 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 (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.

4. 

   12 Nov 2025

   Episode 7: The Redhead On The Beach

   On a Malibu beach in 1940, Desi Arnaz meets Lucille Ball—and two months later they elope. As their fiery romance collides with wartime America, Desi’s accent keeps him boxed into stereotypes… until World War II reroutes his path: USO tours, a breakout turn in Bataan (1943), and a new reputation as more than a “Latin novelty.” Meanwhile, Lucy’s film career plateaus, pushing both toward the medium that will change everything. In a parallel thread, Wilmer Valderrama reveals how embracing his own accent birthed “Fez” on That ’70s Show—echoing Desi’s lesson that what sets you apart can make you a star. Love, reinvention, and the drumbeat toward television—right up to Lucy and Desi’s first divorce. Featuring: Wilmer Valderrama (That ’70s Show, NCIS, Encanto) Topics: Desi Arnaz, Lucille Ball, Too Many Girls, Malibu elopement, USO tours, Bataan (1943), WWII Hollywood, accent & representation, Wilmer’s “Fez” origin, road to television. 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. Voice Acting by Eddie Mujica, Danielle Koenig, Asher Muldoon, Alejandro Maciel, Jose Leon, Lorena Russi, Jesus Hernandez Blanco, Andy Vargas, Christian Valderrama, and Miguel Salinas Clips from Harold Lloyd Master Seminar with Lucille Ball © 1974, courtesy of the American Film Institute. For more podcasts from iHeart, visit the iHeartRadio app or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.

5. 

   5 Nov 2025

   Episode 6: The Miami Hustle

   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 (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.

6. 

   29 Oct 2025

   Episode 5: The King Of The Conga

   Before Hollywood, there was a ratty Miami warehouse, a $15-a-week canary-cage job, and a teenage Cuban exile who refused to quit. In this episode, Wilmer Valderrama tracks how Desi Arnaz hustled from cleaning bird poop to playing rumba at the Roney Plaza, navigated U.S. immigration by leaving and re-entering for his green card, and caught the eye of bandleader Xavier Cugat—opening the door to New York’s Waldorf Astoria. When a chaotic first gig nearly gets him fired, Desi invents a show-saving spectacle: “La Conga.” One drum, one beat, one line—and a star is born. Featuring: Wilmer Valderrama (That ’70s Show, NCIS, Encanto) Topics: Desi Arnaz, Miami exile, Xavier Cugat, Roney Plaza, green card/asylum, rumba music, conga line origin, immigrant hustle, 1930s Latin music, Desilu origins, Hollywood history, Latinx representation. 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. Voice acting by Eddie Mujica and Andy Vargas. For more podcasts from iHeart, visit the iHeartRadio app or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.

7. 

   22 Oct 2025

   Episode 4: The Bombing Of Havana

   A lone biplane drops homemade bombs over Havana as the 1933 revolution upends Cuba—and the Arnaz family. Desi’s father is jailed, stripped of wealth, and exiled, forcing teenage Desi to start over in Miami with no English, no money, and no roadmap. Wilmer Valderrama traces Desi’s survival sprint: faking English at dinner, getting pummeled in a surprise “yes-okay” boxing exhibition at Saint Leo’s, and cleaning canary cages for $15 a week—where a lesson in American salesmanship (package the experience, not just the product) sparks the mindset that will one day power Desilu. It’s the raw prelude to showbiz: resilience, reinvention, and the immigrant grind. Featuring: Wilmer Valderrama (That ’70s Show, NCIS, Encanto) Topics: Desi Arnaz, 1933 Cuban Revolution, Gerardo Machado, Fulgencio Batista, exile to Miami, Saint Leo College Prep, immigrant English learning, boxing exhibition, canary cage business, American salesmanship, Desilu origins, Hollywood history, Latinx representation. 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. Voice acting by Eddie Mujica, Luke Barr, and Ally Maldonado For more podcasts from iHeart, visit the iHeartRadio app or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.

8. 

   15 Oct 2025

   Episode 3: The Cuban Revolution

   A childhood stage mishap teaches Wilmer Valderrama the mantra that will define this episode—and Desi Arnaz’s life: just keep going. Wilmer draws a parallel between his family’s flight from Venezuela and the night Havana turned on the Arnaz household in 1933. As President Gerardo Machado falls and mobs ransack the family estate, teenaged Desi loses his home, heirlooms, and innocence—but gains the hard-won resilience that will later fuel I Love Lucy and Desilu. It’s the origin of a showman forged by revolution—and a reminder that the show must go on. Featuring: Wilmer Valderrama (That ’70s Show, NCIS, Encanto) Topics: Desi Arnaz, 1933 Cuban Revolution, Gerardo Machado, Fulgencio Batista, Havana, immigrant journeys, resilience, Wilmer Valderrama, Venezuela/Hugo Chávez, I Love Lucy origins, Latinx representation, Hollywood history. 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. Voice Acting by Eddie Mujica, Danielle Koenig, Asher Muldoon, Alejandro Maciel, Jose Leon, Lorena Russi, Jesus Hernandez Blanco, Andy Vargas, Christian Valderrama, and Miguel Salinas For more podcasts from iHeart, visit the iHeartRadio app or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.

9. 

   15 Oct 2025

   Episode 2: The Drink That Helped Create Streaming Syndication

   Before Desi Arnaz reengineered television, he learned a family lesson in Cuba: if you make something great, bottle it—then share it again and again. In this episode, Wilmer Valderrama traces Desi’s roots from Santiago high society and the Bacardí legacy to the brilliant idea that turned I Love Lucy into the blueprint for syndication (and today’s streaming). From filming on 35mm to owning the negatives at Desilu, Desi transformed one-and-done TV into a business that lives forever in reruns. Along the way, Wilmer weaves in his own childhood Zorro dreams, immigrant journey, and why Desi’s vision still powers hits like NCIS. Featuring: Wilmer Valderrama (That ’70s Show, NCIS, Encanto) Topics: Desi Arnaz, Bacardí, Cuba, TV history, I Love Lucy, Desilu, syndication/streaming, immigrant success stories, representation in media, Hollywood business. 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. See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.

10. 

    15 Oct 2025

    Episode 1: The Man Who Invented Hollywood

    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. See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.

11. 

    8 Oct 2025

    Introducing: Starring: Desi Arnaz & Wilmer Valderrama

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Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

8 ratings

Contact Starring: Desi Arnaz & Wilmer Valderrama

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