Not only is actor/comedian Eugenio Derbez beloved in his home country of Mexico, he has also become a box office name in the U.S. and by extension, the world, recently appearing in the Oscar-winning film CODA.  Next, the world gets to experience his comedic talent in the English-language remake of the French hit The Valet, when it premieres as a  Hulu Original (May 20) in the U.S. and Internationally on Disney+ as a Star Original. Richard Wong is set to direct.

The Valet centers around a movie star Olivia (Samara Weaving) who enlists a parking valet (Derbez) at a Beverly Hills restaurant to pose as her lover to cover-up her relationship with a married billionaire (Max Greenfield). As a valet, hard-working Antonio usually flies under the radar but his ruse with Olivia thrusts him into the spotlight and brings him to see himself more clearly than ever before. “Its message of unity, seeing each other and human connection, is something the world could use right now and no one does that better than Hulu and Disney+,“ said Wong.  

Derbez’s “crossover success” from television and film star in Mexico to the U.S. was sealed when he started appearing in films that were slanted with U.S. Latinos in mind.  One of the first films he made for the U.S. market was Bajo La Misma Luna/Under The Same Moon (2007) which was a Mexico/U.S. co-production written by Lijiah Villalobos and directed by Patricia Riggen.  Derbez had a small but pivotal role in this film, but it was enough for him to realize that he had millions of fans in the U.S. 

Mexican-Americans are 66% of all U.S. Latinos and they are familiar, or their parents are familiar with the show Derbez co-created, co-directed, and starred in, the family sitcom La familia P. Luche, as they watched it on U.S. Spanish language networks.  He realized that there was a substantial audience that would support his content in the U.S.

This notion was put to the test when he produced his first film marketed in the U.S., Instructions Not Included (2013) which he directed, co-wrote, and starred in.  It became the most successful Spanish-language film in the U.S. and worldwide broke numerous box-office records, earning more than $100 million worldwide. $44.4 million of that was earned in the U.S., with the help of the U.S. Latino market with MPAA has noted purchase 26% of all movie tickets.

Derbez produced and starred in a string of films beginning with Instructions Not Included which was followed by How To Be A Latin Lover (2017), and Overboard (2018).  In between producing his films he took on co-starring roles in high-profile studio films like Miracles From Heaven (2016) for Columbia Pictures, Dora and the Lost City of Gold for Paramount, and recently CODA for Apple TV+.  He has solidified his role in the U.S. as an actor that can “carry” a movie, meaning it will make a return on investment at the box office. 

Some would say that Derbez has found a winning formula. The one thing his films have in common is the casting, mixing known general market actors in the U.S. and Mexican actors.  This winning combination has worked for his previous films and it is the same formula in play with The Valet.  Betsy Brandt (Life in Pieces), Marisol Nichols (Riverdale, Criminal Minds), Noemi Gonzalez (Selena: The Series), Carmen Salinas (legendary Mexican actress who recently died), Ravi Patel (Wonder Woman), Tiana Okoye, Diany Rodriguez (The Blacklist), Mexican actor Armando Hernández, Carlos Santos (Gentefied), Amaury Nolasco (Hightown, Prison Break), John Pirucello (Godzilla vs. Kong) and Alex Fernandez (Mayans MC) round out the rest of the cast with Reggaeton superstar Lunay set to make his film acting debut. 

“The Valet is a multi-generational, multicultural comedy in which people from two different worlds discover the humanity in each other, Derbez and his 3Pas production company partner Benjamin Odell said in a joint statement. “ At 3pas studios we tell stories that try to unite us all and we love partnering with Hulu+ and Disney+ to bring this to the largest global audience possible.”

For the most part, in the domestic film world, Derbez has established himself as an actor that can carry, as well as produce a film that delivers box office numbers.  He is now looking to conquer the international market.

The Valet is written by Rob Greenberg & Bob Fisher, the team that penned Derbez’s hit film Overboard, which took in $95 million worldwide. Derbez and Odell’s 3Pas Studios banner is currently producing the television series Acapulco, which recently got picked up for a 2nd season by Apple TV.  

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Honored with individual awards were Will Smith, Jessica Chastain, Troy Kotsur and Ariana DeBose for performances in motion pictures, and Michael Keaton, Kate Winslet, Lee Jung-jae, Jung Ho-yeon, Jason Sudeikis and Jean Smart for performances in television. The Actor® for a motion picture cast performance this year went to “CODA,” and  the Actors® for television drama and comedy ensemble performances went to “Succession” and Ted Lasso.” The Screen Actors Guild Awards originated awards for motion picture cast and by television drama and comedy ensembles.

Awards for for outstanding action performances were presented during the official live pre-show on Red Carpet Live: 28th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards. The stunt ensemble from No Time to Die was honored for motion picture and the stunt ensemble from Squid Game was honored for television.

Kate Winslet and Cate Blanchett presented Helen Mirren with the 57th Life Achievement Award. The SAG Awards continued its traditions of presenting a montage saluting the work of SAG-AFTRA members and a filmed “In Memoriam” tribute honoring the union’s members lost during the past year.

*SAG Awards Eligibility Period: March 1 – December 31, 2021

Here is a full list of the 28th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards® Recipients

The Motion Picture Winners are:

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role

WILL SMITH / Richard Williams – “KING RICHARD”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role

JESSICA CHASTAIN / Tammy Faye Bakker – “THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE”

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role

TROY KOTSUR / Frank Rossi – “CODA”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role

ARIANA DeBOSE / Anita – “WEST SIDE STORY”

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

CODA

EUGENIO DERBEZ / Bernardo Villalobos

DANIEL DURANT / Leo Rossi

EMILIA JONES / Ruby Rossi

TROY KOTSUR / Frank Rossi

MARLEE MATLIN / Jackie Rossi

FERDIA WALSH-PEELO / Miles

The Television Program Winners are:

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series

MICHAEL KEATON / Dr. Samuel Finnix – “DOPESICK”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series

KATE WINSLET / Mare Sheehan – “MARE OF EASTTOWN”

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series

LEE JUNG-JAE / Seong Gi-hun – “SQUID GAME”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series

JUNG HO-YEON / Kang Sae-byeok – “SQUID GAME”

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series

JASON SUDEIKIS / Ted Lasso – “TED LASSO” 

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series

JEAN SMART / Deborah Vance – “HACKS”

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

SUCCESSION

HIAM ABBASS / Marcia Roy

NICHOLAS BRAUN / Greg Hirsch

JULIANA CANFIELD / Jess Jordan

BRIAN COX / Logan Roy

KIERAN CULKIN / Roman Roy

DAGMARA DOMINCZYK / Karolina Novotney

PETER FRIEDMAN / Frank Vernon

JIHAE / Berry Schneider

JUSTINE LUPE / Willa

MATTHEW MACFADYEN / Tom Wambsgans

DASHA NEKRASOVA / Comfrey Pellits

SCOTT NICHOLSON / Colin

DAVID RASCHE / Karl Muller

ALAN RUCK / Connor Roy

J. SMITH-CAMERON / Gerri Kellman

SARAH SNOOK / Shiv Roy

FISHER STEVENS / Hugo Baker

JEREMY STRONG / Kendall Roy

ZOË WINTERS / Kerry Castellabate

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series

TED LASSO

ANNETTE BADLAND / Mae

KOLA BOKINNI / Isaac McAdoo

PHIL DUNSTER / Jamie Tartt

CRISTO FERNÁNDEZ / Dani Rojas

BRETT GOLDSTEIN / Roy Kent

BRENDAN HUNT / Coach Beard

TOHEEB JIMOH / Sam Obisanya

NICK MOHAMMED / Nathan Shelley

SARAH NILES / Dr. Sharon Fieldstone

JASON SUDEIKIS / Ted Lasso

JEREMY SWIFT / Leslie Higgins

JUNO TEMPLE / Keeley Jones

HANNAH WADDINGHAM / Rebecca Welton

The Stunt Ensemble Winners are:

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture

“NO TIME TO DIE”

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama Series

“SQUID GAME”

The 57th Annual SAG Life Achievement Award

Helen Mirren

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DeBose recived the award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role for her role in West Side Story. The honor adds to more than a dozen awards, including a Golden Globe, that the proud Afro-Latina has won for playing Anita in the reimagined version of the musical film by Oscar-winning director Steven Spielberg.

“It’s taken a long time for me to feel comfortable calling myself an actor,” said DeBose, before talking about her background in musical theater. “I really do believe that when you recognize one of us, you recognize all of us.” She said her Anita took a decade to make and that she was proud of the character and expressed gratitude to Spielberg for believing in her talent and her colleague actors. In thanking the musical’s cast and crew, she called WSS a “labor of love” and “beautiful cinematic experience.”

DeBose is also an Academy Award nominee for the same role this year.

For their part, Mexican actors Derbez and Fernandez won their awards as part of ensemble casts the former for a film, the latter for a TV series. It is notable that both actors played characters with Spanish surnames that defy Latino stereotypes.

Derbez received his prize for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture for his role in the indie film CODA. The feature centers on a young woman who is the only hearing person in her deaf family who is torn between going away to college to study music and staying with her deaf parents. The Mexico City-born actor plays Bernardo Villalobos, the music teacher of the central character. The Derbez shared the honor with Daniel Durant, Emilia Jones, Troy Kotsur, Marlee Matlin and Ferdia Walsh-Peelo.

“We’re smiling from ear to ear: Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture,” tweeted Derbez, adding the hashtags #sagawards and #CODAFilm. He concluded with, “My CODA Family!!!”

??

We’re smiling from ear to ear:
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture #sagawards #CODAFilm
My CODA Family!!! pic.twitter.com/bi3hRM6Xs7

— Eugenio Derbez (@EugenioDerbez) February 28, 2022

Fernandez earned his honor for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series for his role in the Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso. The series follows American college football coach Ted Lasso, who heads to London to manage AFC Richmond, a struggling English Premier League soccer team. Guadalajara-born Fernandez plays Dani Rojas, a striker for AFC Richmond. Incidentally, the actor once wanted to be a professional soccer player.

Ay ay ay ay ay Dios mío, ganamos, we won, thank you to everyone watching and supporting us @TedLasso @SAGawards @sagaftra @sagaftraFOUND ???? https://t.co/qjMH6cvGwW pic.twitter.com/VRfsMeh5bF

— Cristo Fernández (@cristofernandez) February 28, 2022

“Ay ay ay ay ay Dios mío, ganamos, we won, thank you to everyone watching and supporting us,” tweeted in Spanglish Fernandez, adding the handles @TedLasso @SAGawards @sagaftra @sagaftraFOUND.

Fernandez shared the prize with Annette Badland, Kola Bokinni, Phil Dunster, Brett Goldstein, Brendan Hunt, Toheeb Jimoh, Nick Mohammed, Sarah Niles, Jason Sudeikis, Jeremy Swift, Juno Temple and Hannah Waddingham.

This is the second award Fernandez has won for Ted Lasso. Last year the series also won best ensemble at the Pena de Prata Awards in Portugal. His role also earned him an Imagen Award nom in 2021.

Other actors honored with individual awards were Will Smith, Jessica Chastain and Troy Kotsur for performances in motion pictures, and Michael Keaton, Kate Winslet, Lee Jung-Jae, Jung Ho-Yeon, Jean Smart and Ted Lasso’s Sudeikis for performances in television. The award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series went to HBO’s Succession.

The stunt ensemble from the James Bond sequel film No Time to Die was honored for motion picture and the stunt ensemble from South Korea’s Squid Game was honored for television.

Actresses Winslet and Cate Blanchett presented the legendary thespian Helen Mirren with the 57th Life Achievement Award.

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CODA, the family drama starring Emilia Jones and Eugenio Derbez, and Jockey’s Clifton Collins Jr. took top awards at the Sundance Film Festival this year.

Under the direction of Sian Heder, CODA took four awards, including the most coveted U.S. Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award. It also won the Directing Award and the Special Jury Award for Ensemble Cast of a dramatic film. 

Sundance, the preeminent independent film fest which usually takes place in Park City, Utah, was held Jan. 8 through Feb. 2 with virtual screenings due to the COVID pandemic and in-person screenings in dozens of American cities where permitted by local health regulations.

Derbez took to social media to share the news about CODA. “!Viva México!” he posted on Twitter responding to congratulatory tweets in Spanish. He also noted in a video post that CODA is a “small independent film produced with a low budget” and “based on true stories.” Derbez praised the professional deaf actors featured in the film, in which Derbez plays the music teacher to a young woman whose parents are deaf. 

CODA was acquired by Apple for $25 million, a record amount paid for a Sundance film. This is Heder’s second full feature. Her first, Tallulah, screened at Sundance two years ago. CODA was produced by the U.S.’s Vendome Pictures and Picture Perfect Federation along with Switzerland’s Pathé Films.

Collins Jr. took home the top acting honor for his starring role in director Clint Bentley’s drama Jockey.   Collins Jr. plays an aging horse jockey dreaming to win one last championship when suddenly his life is unsettled by the arrival of a young man claiming to be his son.

Jockey is the first full feature film by director Clint Bentley, who co-wrote the story with Greg Kwedar and shares producing credits with Kwedar and Nancy Schafer. Brazilian filmmaker Adolpho Veloso did the cinematography. The film was acquired by Sony Pictures Classics for worldwide distribution.

Collins Jr. has also gone by the artistic name of Clifton Gonzalez-Gonzalez in honor of his grandfather Pedro Gonzalez-Gonzalez, a Mexican-American actor from Texas. Collins Jr. is a seasoned actor whose credits include the Oscar-winning films Traffic and Capote and blockbusters like Star Trek and Pacific Rim. His performance in the TV series Thief earned him a Primetime Emmy Award nomination in 2006. He was also guest starred in the episodes ofThe Event and most recently in Westworld.

Other award-winning Latino at Sundance.

Natalia Almada received the Directing Award for U.S. Documentary for Users, which follows a mother who feels she is competing with computers, electronic cribs, and other technologies in raising her son. This is Almada’s second Sundance prize in the same category—the first one was for El General in 2009.

Puerto Rican-born and raised filmmaker Rebecca Adorno shared the Jonathan Oppenheim Editing Award  U.S. Documentary for Homeroom, which centers on teens coming of age at an Oakland high school as part of the class of 2020 in such a traumatic year. Adorno shared the award with her co-producing colleague Kristina Motwani. The doc was directed by Peter Nicks, who also co-produced with Sean Havey.

Early on during the festival, there were other awards that went to Latinos. 

Nicole Salazar took the Amazon Studios Producers Award for Nonfiction for the documentary Philly D.A. which follows a Philadelphia district attorney determined to progressively revolutionize that city’s criminal justice system. The doc is directed by Yoni Brook and Ted Passon.

And the Mexico-USA co-production Hijo de Monarcas (Son of Monarchs) won the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize for portraying a scientist in a major role. It tells the story of a New York-based lepidopterist who, upon his grandmother’s death, returns to his natal Mexican town nestled in the monarch butterfly forests of the state of Michoacan. Directed by French-Venezuelan filmmaker and biologist Alexis Gambis (The Color of Time), the drama stars Tenoch Huerta Mejía (Narcos: Mexico, Tigers Are Not Afraid).

Featured Top Photo: Clifton Collins Jr. the lead actor in Jockey by Clint Bently. (Photo by Adolpho Veloso/Courtesy of Sundance Institute)

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