On the surface Apple TV+ new series “Palm Royale” deals with the paradise that is Palm Beach, and the extravagant lifestyle that makes outsiders like Maxine (Kristen Wiig) – and in his own way Robert Diaz (Ricky Martin) – want to fit in, join the exclusive club, and invade a world of privilege and wealth.  But the story is deeper than this.
Through dark comedy each episode explores themes of civil, reproductive, and women’s rights; the anxiety of the Vietnam War, and the inner turmoil for closeted homosexuals in the late sixties.
Here international megastar Ricky Martin talks about his character, the challenges of working in comedy for the first time, and why this series is such an important commentary for today’s society.

“Palm Royale” follows Maxine’s desperate journey to enter the upper crust world of Palm Beach. The series features Martin, Laura Dern, Allison Janney, Kaia Gerber, Josh Lucas, Bruce Dern and Carol Burnett among others.
Martin plays Robert, who works at the local club and is an aide to the ailing Norma (Carol Burnett).

It seems like yesterday, yet it was in 1999 that Ricky Martin became the worldwide pop music sensation that ushered the ‘Latin Explosion’ with his monster hit “Livin’ la Vida Loca.” Since then he has accumulated multiple number one records, platinum selling albums, Grammy Awards, and sold-out world tours, including his most recent with Enrique Iglesias and Pitbull.

Martin has always been involved in social causes with his Ricky Martin Foundation. The nonprofit works to end human trafficking and to defend human rights. It also helped raise more than $4 million in relief aid to Puerto Rico after the island was devastated by Hurricane Maria in 2017. In addition to his memoir, he also wrote a children’s book, Santiago the Dreamer in Land Among the Stars (2013). A Spanish-language version was released at the same time.

In addition to music, Martin has been making great strides with his acting career. Starring in soap operas in Mexico, he went on to a role in the daytime soap opera “General Hospital” between 1994 and 1996. With several roles since then it was in the 2018 television miniseries “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” where he came into his own. For his portrayal of Italian model and fashion designer Antonio D’Amico, Martin earned an Emmy Award nomination in the category of Best Supporting Actor in a limited series or movie.
Now he’s back as Robert Diaz in Apple TV+ “Palm Royale.”

HOMBRE: Let’s start at the beginning, how do you join “Palm Royale”?
Ricky Martin:  It was amazing. It all started at an Oscar after party. I was dancing next to the creator, Abe Sylvia, and I don’t know what happened but a couple of days later, he reached out to my agent and then they sent me the script.  It was an amazing script. I asked who is attached to it and they just started dropping names, and I said, I’m In!
It’s the most amazing way to walk into the world of comedy. They held my hand and taught me so much and I’m just very grateful.

H: What is your relationship with Kristen Wiig’s character, Maxine?
RM: We don’t like each other in the beginning of the show  and that’s because we are so alike. At the end of the day Maxine’s character just wants to fit in in a world where she doesn’t belong, and Robert Diaz, my character, also.
Because of who he is and what he’s made of and where he comes from, he has the need to fit in. I am invited to fit in and be part of this life in a very organic and loving way and she just wants to be abrupt and forceful into this world.
We have many clashes in the beginning but because I’m empathetic I hold her hand and bring her with me because I feel she’s being abused and Robert has also been abused.

H: Why do you think it was so important for Maxine’s character to belong to this club?
RM: It doesn’t matter where you come from, you will be able to relate to it because everybody wants to belong. If you went through high school, you’re gonna relate—you would understand what it is to have the need to belong in a group that is definitely not where you’re supposed to be. That’s how rich this story is.

H: Do you also see it as a perfect world?
RM: There are no perfect worlds; it might look perfect, it might look glamorous, it might look chic and everybody wants to be part of that cleanliness. But it’s dark and it’s very decadent. It’s a reality that we still face in America and in Europe. Not everyone can be part of it, maybe not Latinos, nor members of the Jewish American or African American community can be part of it.
This is something we address on the show with a little bit of a sense of humor because it’s comedy.
At the same time it’s sad and ridiculous that we deal with this kind of mentality nowadays. It is what it is, and we just have to put a sense of humor in it and expose some of the secrets some, regardless of your social status. That’s one of the things I was fascinated by, to tell stories about things we are all concerned about, that being social issues or psychological issues that we all deal with. It doesn’t matter whether it’s here in the United states, in Europe or in Latin America. We all struggle at the end of the day and finding happiness is about confronting all these issues and being who you are, without wearing a mask.

H: We learn your Richard comes from a wealthy family in Puerto Rico, but how does your character fit in at “Palm Royale”?
RM: I know everybody in this club and I know everyone’s secrets and I bring everyone together. I want to protect everyone, I am the caretaker of Carol Burnett’s character. I want to make sure no one comes to abuse or use her.
It’s a wonderful character where I am very strong but at the same time I have a lot of secrets and I live with a lot of shame and a lot of self hate to be honest.
This is something that a lot of men are dealing with at the moment. It doesn’t matter if he was in the ’60s, I mean, here in America or any part of the world, there’s a lot of men that deal with these issues. So the comedy is very powerful but the darkness behind everything is a wonderful part of the story.

Carol Burnett is Norma Delacorte

H: How was it working with the cast, especially Kristen Wiig and Carol Burnett?
RM: Kristen Wiig is a powerhouse. And Carol Burnett is very loving and very warm and down to earth and of course I was very nervous before I started working with her. But we sat down before the scenes and she was just asking about my family and she was telling me stories about her career and secrets to her longevity. I feel like the luckiest person to be able to work with her. We had many scenes, and many dark scenes where I was very sad because in the first few episodes she was in a coma and I miss her and I need her. But when she is not saying a word in the scenes she still makes you laugh because she is the queen of comedy. It was just amazing to work with her.

H: It’s surprising that you were still nervous being such a huge megastar.
RM: I’m always nervous. I’m always nervous to jump into anything, any new project. It doesn’t matter if it’s through music, that I’ve been doing forever, or acting, or entertaining: I always get nervous. That’s something that every artist goes through, and we just have to accept it is what it is.
The moment you think you know it all, you lose. If you have maestros like them in front of you every day working and giving their best at their craft, it’s nothing but a present.

H: Besides the strong cast, and clever script, why was it important for you to be part of this project?
RM: Unfortunately, a lot of men and women out there can’t be themselves, they can’t express themselves, they can’t be comfortable in their own skin. For me, one of the most important things about this project is that I can speak on behalf of so many people. Even though it was in the sixties. I was really looking forward to being Robert, the guy that was in the military. And be open about the softness when he’s surrounded by these very powerful women. For me, it was fantastic to be able to do that every day walking on set and refresh my memory exactly of where I know I don’t want to be. It was like going to therapy every day. It was beautiful.