In a recent interview with Temple of Geek, Vanessa Bauche discusses her role as Nora in the Apple TV+ series, Acapulco. She shares her experiences working on the show, the evolution of her character, and the show’s deeper purpose.

 The Apple TV+ series, Acapulco, is a critically acclaimed comedy that recently celebrated its series finale. It is a unique comedy that skillfully navigates two timelines: one in the present day and the other in the vibrant 1980s Mexico. The narrative centers on a successful Mexican businessman, Maximo Gallardo (Eugenio Derbez), who, in the present, recounts to his nephew the formative years he spent in 1980s Acapulco when he landed his dream job at the hottest resort in town.

It has won several awards for its impact and was even nominated for Best Foreign Language Series at the 30th Annual Critics’ Choice Awards in 2024. Although the series is primarily in English, Spanish is also spoken throughout the series. Part of the charm of Acapulco is that the Spanish spoken is authentic, and yet the stories told are universal.

Q&A with Vanessa Bauche

Bauche expresses gratitude for the cast and crew, highlighting their close bond and the on-screen chemistry that she believes is palpable to the audience. The discussion also touches on the challenges and nuances of portraying Nora’s character, particularly her emotional journey and the balance between drama and comedy. Bauche concludes with a message to fans, emphasizing the show’s goal of presenting a more positive and authentic image of Mexican and Latino people to the world.

Vanessa Bauche on working with the Acapulco cast and crew

Monica Duarte from Temple of Geek: This season delves into Nora’s past, revealing the trauma of losing her first husband and exploring the backstory of the way that it influenced who Nora is now. How do you feel about the way that Nora has evolved from season one to where we see her at the end of season four?

Vanessa Bauche: I’m amazed and infinitely grateful. All my colleagues in front of the cameras and behind the scenes—the showrunners, the writers, and directors—everyone, because we really became a family. We started working almost five years ago and learned how to truly support each other. The dramatic arc of Nora is definitely one of the strongest in the show because it’s so complete. In this episode, as you said, you can understand why she’s so apprehensive. It’s a bit of a Latina condition; we’re kind of overprotective moms, but you can understand the trauma. You really nailed it. I feel so blessed, as if we’ve been blessed with this once-in-a-lifetime experience, because we truly admire, support, and love each other. As an audience member, you can feel that love.

I’m very grateful for the chemistry with Carlos Corona, who plays Esteban; he was an amazing partner. The chemistry with my kids and Doña Rosita, who is played by Evangelina Martínez, was also great. We also see a parallelism with the suegra (mother-in-law). You know, these specific parallelisms with Julia and Maximo. I think the dramatic arc is very complete.

I’m also very sad. There’s a lot of emotion between us. Many of us saw each other last night because we watched the episode together. We laughed and cried because we really love this show. It means a lot of things and emotions to us. We’re full of gratitude for this show. And I, of course, am more than grateful for this opportunity to develop and deliver this amazing, lovely mom for all of you. It’s my tribute to all the moms I know and all Latina moms. It’s my tribute to them.

Vanessa Bauche on finding the right balance of comedy and drama

Temple of Geek: For you as an actress, what was it like to navigate that trauma and those emotional situations while keeping the performance comedic and heartwarming?

Vanessa Bauche: We definitely had to find the right pitch for the vision. If you put in too much emotion, it could become a very dense drama because, you know, reality bites. This is the reality for many moms; almost 70% of Latina mothers are alone with all these duties and multitasking to take care of their families. If you take it too seriously, it can bring the mood down. But if it’s too light, it won’t touch the heart.

My directors are amazingly talented, and they all understand the perfect pitch we needed to find in my delivery. Working with them was fantastic for me, particularly with Oscar Almengor, the director of this episode, Season 4, Episode 6, “Eso Me Enseño Mama”. We struggled a little because there were moments when I would go very deep. Reviving the trauma was so hard because she didn’t want to lose another person she loves. So we tried to lighten it a little bit more instead of going too far down.

The timing in the comedy scenes with Carlos Corona, who plays Esteban, was also amazing. He is an incredible theater actor and a master of comedy. He was one of the pioneers of improv in Mexico. I just had to follow his lead and maintain good communication to create this enduring chemistry and relationship. It was amazing because everyone was so professional, talented, and generous. So it wasn’t difficult, but as an actress, there were moments when the emotions made it a little hard for me to get my mind together.

It was like training. I was trying to take the notes from the staff in perfect order to find the pitch and tone that was needed for the show. I feel completely embraced by my colleagues.

Vanessa Bauche on the importance of stories like Acapulco

Temple of Geek: I think it definitely translates to the audience when we watch it. Nora’s storyline is absolutely wonderful. So thank you for that. Congratulations on four seasons and wrapping up the show. Just one last thing. Is there anything that you want to say to fans of Acapulco as you wrap up?

Vanessa Bauche: Please share the show, because it was made with all our love and with the highest purpose of enlightening people and changing the image of Latino criminality that has been created over the years. Mexican and Latino people are more than the dark parts we’ve seen a lot in TV shows and movies. We are also what you see in Acapulco. We are people with high values, who are hardworking, generous, happy, funny, and empathetic. I think these high values have to be shared with the world. So, if you’re a fan of this show and you love it as much as we do, thank you for being with us on this four-season trip. Please share the show with the people you love. And if you don’t like it, share it with your enemies anyway.

Acapulco is streaming exclusively on Apple TV+.