We’ve heard it time and time again: There is a lack of Latine talent on network television. And it seems that the networks are finally listening as the streaming world is offering up more diverse options in casting. Not just in terms of the stories aired but also in the talent they’re selecting to portray those stories—case in point: Apple TV+.
Most of the talk coming out of Apple TV+ has been about Ted Lasso and The Morning Show. While neither has a Latine lead (which we hope to see change), our communities still have representation. Cristo Fernández plays Danny Rojas, the “raven-haired golden retriever” who hails from Mexico and plays for the Greyhounds and Coach Ted Lasso. Rojas was the tone-setter for season 2 of the hit Apple TV+ show. And for The Morning Show, there is Nestor Carbonell, who stars as Yanoko Flores.
A quick scroll of Apple TV+’s offerings will prove Fernández and Carbonell are but two of many Latines who call this channel home. One of the most interesting and out-of-the-box premises for a show is Schmigadoon!, in which Jamie Camil is Doc Lopez. The Mexican actor co-stars in this musical comedy about a couple who discover a magical town where everyone is living in a musical from the ’40s.
Anthony Lee Medina stars in Truth Be Told alongside Octavia Spencer. The show centers around Poppy Parnell (Octavia Spencer) and her pursuit for justice on a very public stage. Most known for her role on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Stephanie Beatriz also voices Enrique in this animated comedy.
Christian Camargo is Tamacti Jun in See alongside Jason Momoa. In its second season, the show tells the story of humans in the future who have lost the ability to see—such a simple concept with incredibly complex implications and rich for storytelling.
Later this week, Apple+ will debut Acapulco with Eugenio Derbez. The bilingual show is packed with Latine talent. It centers on a young Mexican man who navigates the uber-rich clientele of a famed luxury resort with his mother’s religious ways. The show debuts on October 8 and is full of humor and soul.
Long overdue but the television landscape is starting to resemble more of our real lives and representation. It should go without saying that this is but one streaming platform; there are others — and Apple TV+ is definitely not perfect as lead roles still lack inclusivity. We still have a long way to go, but streaming platforms seem to be heading in the right direction.