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.

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