Mexican Comedian Gets Role in Hollywood Sitcom

Wednesday, 21 December 2011, 17:01 IST
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Miami: Eugenio Derbez, known as Mexico's "king of comedy", debuts on US television with a regular part in the "Rob" series with comedian Rob Schneider. On the show that premieres Jan 12 on CBS, Derbez plays a distant relative of Rob, an Anglo married to a Mexican-American. The comedy is based on the title character's often unsuccessful struggles to fit into his big Latino family. "When they offered me the part, I didn't think twice. Americans are the kings of situation comedy and this project is by the same people who make 'Two and a Half Men', one of the big hits on TV," Derbez told EFE in a telephone interview from Los Angeles. Known as one of Latin America's most popular comedians, he got started in Hollywood in some notable productions. This year he acted in the film "Jack & Jill" with Adam Sandler, and has just wrapped up the romantic comedy "Girl in Progress", in which he plays the "romantic interest" of Eva Mendes. "It was hard, because it's a type of comedy I never do. I even had to change my physical appearance for the film. And I had to do exercises to acquire the image of the guy in love with Eva's character. I never played a part like that before and I doubt if I would ever be offered one in a Latin country where I'm stereotyped as a comic," the son of the late Silvia Derbez, one of Mexico's great dramatic actresses, said.
Source: IANS