It's been 40 years since 12-year-old Ricky Martin began his singing career as one-fifth of the Puerto Rican boy band Menudo. Since then, he has become one of the most influential Latin music artists of all time, selling over 70 million records worldwide and receiving numerous industry awards.
Today, Martin is showing the world he’s more than just a great singer. As part of the ensemble cast on the new Apple TV+ series “Palm Royale,” he’s starring in his first comedic role and having the time of his life in the process.
“I’ve never done comedy before, and it’s one of the reasons I said yes to this project,” Martin says. “The first reason was the amazing talent I’m working with, including Carol Burnett, Kristen Wiig, Laura Dern and Allison Janney. I mean, are you kidding me?! In addition to an incredible cast, the story is wonderful.”
In “Palm Royale,” Martin, 52, portrays Robert Diaz, caretaker to Carol Burnett’s character, Norma, and a bartender at the hottest social club in Palm Beach. In the show’s early episodes, Robert experiences friction with Kristin Wiig’s character, Maxine, a former pageant queen trying to break into Palm Beach society in 1969.
“Robert is very insecure and deals with a lot of shame and self-hate,” Martin explains. “He’s constantly trying to prove his worth, and Robert and Maxine are often at odds because they’re so much alike.”
As the series progresses, Robert becomes more open about his sexuality, a journey that Martin, who came out as gay in 2010, can empathize with.
“I think we all go through moments in life where we feel like we want to belong or be accepted,” Martin says. “In preparing for my roles, I always try to look for similarities and put myself in my character’s shoes, and then become that person. I believe that creates a good delivery when portraying a character.”
While “Palm Royale” marks Martin’s foray into comedy, he hopes it won’t be his last. Although he’s best known for his music, he’d like to concentrate more on acting.
“I love singing and performing in front of an audience but there’s something magical about hearing the word ‘action’ and being able to tell stories in a different way,” Martin says. “With my music, I tell stories through my lyrics, but acting is different and I’m completely seduced by it.”
Martin’s love of acting dates back to the age of nine when he began appearing in television commercials. After graduating from high school, he was offered a role in the musical comedy stage production “Mamá Ama el Rock” (Mom Loves Rock) in Mexico City. His performance led to a producer offering him a role in a Mexican telenovela, and later, a recording contract. His first solo album, “Ricky Martin,” was released in 1991, peaking at number five on the U.S. Billboard Latin Pop Albums chart and selling over 500,000 copies worldwide.
As Martin continued to experience success with his music, he was also offered television roles, first in the American sitcom “Getting By” and then in the soap opera “General Hospital.”
“Acting has always been there and at this point in my life, it’s my priority,” Martin says. “I’m not saying goodbye to performing onstage as a singer, that would be impossible, but what I’m feeling right now as an actor is very powerful.”
While his music has garnered him two Grammy awards, five Latin Grammy awards, five MTV Music awards and more, it’s also obvious that with each new role, Martin is evolving in front of the cameras as an actor. In 2018, he was cast in the role of Antonio D’Amico in Ryan Murphy’s miniseries “The Assassination of Gianni Versace.” His portrayal of Versace’s longtime partner earned him an Emmy nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Today, in “Palm Royale,” Martin is honing his comedic talent by observing the nuances of some of his legendary co-stars.
“Before this show, I would never walk on set for the first time without my script as security, but now I’ve learned to leave it in my trailer,” Martin says. “And when you have Carol Burnett and Kristen Wiig next to you, you have no choice but to feel the freedom of improvising.”
Ricky Martin as Robert Diaz in 'Palm Royale'
Photo By Erica Parise | Apple TV+
A Fictional Return To South Florida
Despite the story being set in Palm Beach, Fla., “Palm Royale” was filmed at the Paramount Pictures lot in Los Angeles, Calif. The show’s creator, Abe Sylvia, wanted to recreate the romance of Slim Aarons’ iconic Palm Beach photos and he based the fictitious Palm Royale Country Club on several real-life venues in Palm Beach, including The Colony, The Everglades Club, The Breakers and The Bath & Tennis Club.
For Martin, appearing in a show set in Florida brought back memories of the 14 years he lived in Miami.
“After selling my home, I thought about moving to Boca Raton or the Palm Beach area, but for some reason, California always calls me back, and it made sense since I wanted to work as an actor,” Martin says.
Today, he resides in Los Angeles with his twin sons, Matteo and Valentino, who turn 16 this year. He also shares joint custody of daughter, Lucia, 5, and son, Renn, 4, with his ex-husband, Jwan Yosef.
“Valentino is obsessed with computers, he’s really good at tech and I’m very proud of him,” Martin says. “Matteo is more on the artistic side and would like to be an actor one day, although he also really loves sports. I’ve told him it’s fine to pursue both.”
Martin knows what it’s like to multitask. Just as he was gearing up for his role in “Palm Royale,” he was winding down “The Trilogy Tour” concert tour with Enrique Iglesias and Pitbull.
“I enjoyed our tour so much; it was three bullfighters who would go on stage every night and give their best,” he says. “We each performed for an hour and had a great time. I’m ready for more.”
Giving his best is something Martin also believes in practicing off-camera. In 2004, he launched The Ricky Martin Foundation to advocate for the well-being of children in areas such as social justice, education and health. He decided to start a nonprofit after being appointed a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 2003.
“If I have the opportunity to be in front of the cameras or talk to audiences while I’m performing on stage, I think it’s important to discuss things that really matter and to shed light on issues that concern me,” Martin says. “I’ve always fought on behalf of children. My first project was People for Children and it focused on educating the world about the horrible crime of human trafficking.”
With that project, Martin visited many countries around the world, including Cambodia, India and Mexico, working to eliminate child trafficking through education.
“It was heartbreaking and frustrating to see one child rescued from trafficking only to have ten more children disappear,” he says. “I was tired and wanted to surrender, but I decided to focus on the one soul we rescued. In doing that I felt better about the work we were doing.”
Looking ahead, Martin appears to have a bright future. He’s excited about several potential acting projects on the horizon, plans to record new music and hopes to try his hand as an executive producer.
“I can’t release all of my project details just yet, but trust me, I’m going to be really loud about it when I can make the announcement,” he says with a laugh. “Bring it on. I’m ready!”
A scene from 'Palm Royale'
Photo By Erica Parise | Apple TV+