Fernando Carsa, star of the Apple TV+ series Acapulco, recently discussed his experience playing two different characters and working with two casts across different timelines on the show. He also shared his thoughts on his character’s development, his working relationship with co-star Carolina Moreno, and the show’s final season.

Interview with Fernando Carsa on Season 4 of “Acapulco”

The series skillfully weaves together two timelines. In the present, a successful Mexican businessman recounts to his nephew the formative years he spent in 1980s Acapulco, where he landed his dream job at the hottest resort in town.

In season four, present-day Máximo, played by Eugenio Derbez, works tirelessly to restore Las Colinas to its former glory before a grand reopening. Meanwhile, back in 1986, a competitor snatched the number one spot in Acapulco’s annual ranking of “Best Hotels.” Young Máximo, played by Enrique Arrizon, will go to any length to reclaim the top spot and secure Las Colinas’s future. Memo (Fernando Carsa) is the best friend of the main character, Máximo. Fernando Carsa also plays Memo’s son in the present-day timeline.

Carsa described the experience of playing both the 1980s version of Memo and his modern-day son, Memito, as “very exciting”. He feels “blessed” to be one of the few cast members from the past timeline who gets to work with the present-day cast, including Eugenio Derbez. Carsa noted that the challenge lies in ensuring that his portrayal of Memito is the “complete opposite” of Memo. He also found it “trippy” to see Hemky Madera, who plays older Memo, adopt his mannerisms for the role.

Temple of Geek: You have the unique opportunity to play a character in both the modern-day timeline and the 1980s timeline. Can you tell me a little bit about what it was like to play two different characters on the same show and working with two different sets of cast members?

Fernando Carsa: I mean, it’s definitely very exciting, and I feel very blessed because I get to be one of the cast members from the past who gets to work with Eugenio Debrez, Cristo Fernández, and Vico Escorcia, and the entire present-time cast. The two timelines don’t film together, so by the time Eugenio arrives on set, most cast members have gone home. I feel very blessed that I get to see how these huge stars work on set. I think a little bit of the challenge comes in making sure that Memito, who’s Memo’s son, is the complete opposite of what I’m used to playing. It’s also a little trippy to see Hemky Madera, who plays older Memo, do all my mannerisms. It’s crazy how much he has studied what I’ve done. It’s definitely just making sure that my mannerisms or the physicality of Memo, which I carry for almost three months every year, don’t blend into Memito, and that I’m actually pushing for the opposite.

Fernando Carsa on his billiguangal performance

When asked about the differences in Memo’s personality when speaking English versus Spanish, Carsa explained that his voice tends to go “a little bit higher” when speaking Spanish. He believes this is because his character speaks Spanish during his most vulnerable moments. Carsa also noted a difference in comedic technique between the languages, as what Latino audiences find funny can sometimes differ from what American or international audiences prefer.

Temple of Geek: What are the differences you see in Memo when he’s speaking in English versus in Spanish? Is his personality different to you in different languages? Does it change the way you portray him?

Fernando Carsa: I feel like his voice tends to go a little bit higher when he speaks in Spanish, especially because I feel like he speaks Spanish when he’s at his most vulnerable. I think for me, it really comes down more to the actual emotional state of the character than the actual language. I will say I think there is a bit of technique when it comes to doing the comedy in Spanish or English, just because Latino audiences and what they like as comedy sometimes tend to be a little bit different than what Americans or other international audiences like. So I feel like the shift comes in that place. But I do think that because most of my most vulnerable moments are in Spanish, I tend to go into a higher vocal register. A lot of “Ahh!”.

A Special Bond with Co-Star Carolina Moreno

Carsa shared that working with Carolina Moreno was a “very special” experience, as Acapulco was the television debut for both of them. They shared their first on-screen kiss and have formed a close friendship, going through the journey of their first show together. Carsa made it a point to take care of Moreno when she joined the show, just as others had done for him. He revealed that they are “like a married couple” in a friendly way and even had a Pedro Almodóvar movie club where they would watch films and discuss their dreams.

Temple of Geek: I spoke to Carolina Moreno last month about the series, and she talked a lot about what a great working relationship the two of you had. What was it like going through this journey with her?

Fernando Carsa: It’s been very special because I think what a lot of people don’t know is that this is both of our television debuts. It’s our first time stepping in front of a camera and our first time on screen. We both shared our first on-screen kiss together. Not only are our characters a unified pair, but also as actors, friends, and family, we’ve shared a really unique experience, which is going through our first show and trying to learn from the environment around us. When she joined the show, it had been about two and a half or three months that we had been doing the first season. For me, it was very important to take care of her and bring her into my world the way that everyone else did for me when I joined the show, being the newbie. We were able to have a very special bond and we tell each other everything. We are like a married couple, but in a friendly way. This last season, something very special that we did behind the scenes is we had a Pedro Almodóvar watching club. She loves Pedro Almodóvar, and she introduced me to all of his films, and we would watch them every Sunday and then have conversations about our dreams and our goals. So something that started as a very good working relationship translated into a really cool friendship. We’re actually going to Disneyland at the end of the month.

The End of Memo’s Story

Regarding his character’s story arc in the final season, Carsa said he was both “emotional” and “excited”. He appreciated that the writers allowed Memo to mature and take on responsibility while still maintaining his “childlike” and “fearless” nature. Carsa believes Memo is a great representation of keeping one’s “inner child” in check to fuel dreams and goals, stating that seeing the world through a child’s eyes can help people find more “joy and the inspiration and the drive to make our dreams come true”.

Temple of Geek: When you and I first talked a few years ago, you told me that one of the things you really appreciated about the series was that your character was a comic relief character but never the butt of the joke. In this final season, we really see Memo mature and take on a lot of responsibility. He has a beautiful love story. Without any spoilers, what do you think about how Memo’s story is wrapping up?

Fernando Carsa: It makes me really emotional, but at the same time, really excited. I loved about our writers that they gave me the opportunity to continue the feeling of the legacy of the character, of being fearless, being true to yourself, being childlike, but still allowing him to grow up and mature. As the years have gone by, I’ve realized that the biggest blessing and my best advice for everyone would be to always keep your inner child in check and always check with him and making sure that that’s the person fueling your dreams and your goals. What I love about Memo is that he’s a great representation of that. You can grow up and you can get married and, you know, more things that happen as you grow up, and you can still keep that fire that your inner child used to have when you were a kid. Sometimes if we see the world through the eyes of children, we might be able to find more of the joy and the inspiration and the drive to make our dreams come true. So I’m very proud that that’s balanced really well in this season.

If you haven’t discovered the charm of Acapulco, now’s the perfect opportunity to catch up! The 10-episode fourth and final season is streaming now exclusively on AppleTV+.