Wilmer Valderrama isn’t just Special Agent Nick Torres on NCIS anymore. He’s now a shareholder in iHeartMedia’s “My Cultura” podcast — and fans couldn’t be more thrilled for him.
The NCIS star, who has been on the CBS crime drama for the past eight years, took to Instagram to reveal the news on September 22. The “My Cultura” podcast (which translates to “my culture” in English) prioritizes amplifying Latinx stories, voices and content creators in English, Spanish and Spanglish.
The former That 70s Show actor wrote in his caption that he was “proud to finally announce” the exciting news, and naturally, many showed the excitement right back.
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A post shared by Wilmer Valderrama (@wilmervalderrama)
NCIS fans wasted no time showing up in the comment section to express how happy they were for the 42-year-old actor.
“Thank you @wilmervalderrama for being a voice that needs to be heard,” said one individual. “Excited for what we’re about to build 🙌🏾,” another added. “Congratulations sir. Glad to see all your hard work reaching to higher places,” a different fan said.
In a post a week later on September 27, Wilmer shared photos of his conversation with Conal Byrne, CEO of the iHeart Podcast Network, where he discussed the business move more. He said that the acquisition signaled a new beginning for storytelling. In the caption, he wrote, “It marks a new frontier for Audio Narrative and also a major platform for ours and many other cultures to create and unite our stories! Wait till you discover what we are baking for you.”
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A post shared by Wilmer Valderrama (@wilmervalderrama)
Wilmer, who created the WV Entertainment media company that is acquiring a share in the podcast, told Deadline in an exclusive statement that the expansion into the audio space is part of his push for more representation in media spaces. The media company currently produces TV and movie programming utilizing a bilingual approach in order to reach both Latin and American markets.
Wilmer told Deadline, “Representation shapes not just how others see us, but also how we see ourselves. It is imperative that every facet of our media includes narratives that uplift Latino and Hispanic voices.”
According to the outlet, in addition to being a shareholder, Wilmer will spearhead Latinx-focused podcasts, which he executive produce and star in. So although for now he is well known for being a leading man on NCIS, it seems like we’ll be seeing him in a lot more projects in the coming months.
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