Home Entertainment Wilmer Valderrama To Play Zorro in New Disney Production

Wilmer Valderrama To Play Zorro in New Disney Production

Wilmer Valderrama BELatina Latinx
Photo courtesy of WV Entertainment.

Who doesn’t remember El Zorro — that masked bandit from the town of Los Angeles in Alta California? Zorro’s adventures are a beautiful part of our childhood for many of us, and he is also one of television’s first heroes.

Now, a Latino will step into the shoes of our childhood hero.

Wilmer Valderrama, the Venezuelan actor best known for his role as Fez on the sitcom “That ’70s Show,” will bring Zorro to life in a new live-action series developed by Disney Branded Television.

Valderrama will play Don Diego de la Vega, a young man who is the only son of Don Alejandro de la Vega, the wealthiest landowner in Spanish California.

As reported by Variety, the series is a reimagining of the Disney-ABC series “Zorro,” starring Guy Williams, which aired in the 1950s. That series also starred Gene Sheldon, George J. Lewis, and Henry Calvin. It aired 78 episodes between 1957 and 1959, with four hour-long episodes in the early 1960s.

“Growing up, Zorro was the one character that made me, as a Latino, feel like I could be a hero,” Valderrama said. “As an adult and a storyteller, I have a responsibility in the stories that I help bring to life. To partner with Gary and Disney to bring Zorro back into the family after 60 years and be a part of the legacy for other children to know they too can be the heroes of their own stories is a dream come true.”

Along with John Gertz of Zorro Productions Inc, Valderrama will also serve as executive producer on the series.

“We’re reimagining this Disney classic as a compelling period piece, set in Pueblo de Los Angeles, but told in a very modern telenovela style – with richly drawn contemporary characters and relationships set against the action, drama, suspense, and humor of the original, iconic Zorro,” said Ayo Davis, president of Disney Branded Television. “Wilmer shares our commitment to reflect the interesting and rich diversity of the human experience, and we look forward to delivering a culturally relevant and entertaining story with definitional characters that will connect with our viewers for generations to come.”

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