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.

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