Actor Danny Pino of Hotel Cocaine: The biggest challenge is portraying someone who existed

For Cuban-American actor Danny Pino, the protagonist of Hotel Cocaine, an Amazon MGM Studios production debuting on MGM+ in the US on June 16, and currently negotiating its distribution in the region, it’s a source of pride to be part of a production centered around the city he loves: Miami.

“Miami is a very complex city. Telling a story that represents all of Miami is impossible. For me, the biggest challenge with Román Compte was that he existed. Maurice Compte, a fantastic actor I worked with on Mayans MC, is his father. Whenever you play someone who existed, even though our Román Compte in Hotel Cocaine is highly fictionalized, the foundation is Maurice’s father. For me, it was important to show respect, homage, and tribute to him and his family,” Pino expressed.

WITHOUT GLORIFYING THE WORLD OF DRUG TRAFFICKING
For the actor, an important aspect of the project is being Cuban-American. “Although the show is called Hotel Cocaine, there is a lot of pride in what Cubans brought with them into exile. The vast majority of Cubans were not involved in drug trafficking or other nefarious activities, and those who were faced severe consequences,” he commented.

He added that they made a “conscious” effort not to glorify that world or those choices. “This was important to me, to Chris Brancato, and to the rest of the team. Our goal was to give depth to all the characters and find the nuances in a world that has often been glamorized in the past. Our priority was to represent it as the violent, desperate, and often ugly reality it was,” he indicated.

Pino mentioned that among his motivations for playing Román Compte in Hotel Cocaine, besides presenting Latino stories, was the ability to speak “our language with our accents, and the culture of Miami, to see that specific culture. This also made me want to develop Román’s character—he is the hotel manager, a family man, he has a daughter, and it’s a universal circumstance to try to protect the family. It made me think a lot about my family, my two daughters, and my wife, how far you can go to defend your family, and what you are capable of doing. This very centered, thoughtful, and responsible father finds himself in a situation where his worst demons are explored.”

THE SIMULTANEITY OF STREAMING
Pino believes that “the fact that streaming services have allowed, in real-time, for more shows to be shared across countries, continents, and regions simultaneously is incredibly powerful. In our show, we have a truly international cast and crew. That makes Hotel Cocaine exciting and unique.”

BALANCE BETWEEN THE ABSURD AND HEDONISM
When asked about the potential reception of the show in Latin America, Pino indicated that he hopes people appreciate it as “a nuanced, interesting, and entertaining show.” He added that there is a combination of humor with the dramatic depth of characters struggling to survive. “I hope audiences enjoy that imbalance, that they don’t know whether to hold their breath or laugh. I think Chris Brancato, our showrunner, was trying to achieve that balance between the absurd and hedonism, and sexuality, which were present at the Mutiny Club, along with the violence, loss, and trauma required to keep that party going. That violence generally fell on people of color to ensure the party continued, that illicit substances kept entering the country and found their way to the dance floor at the Mutiny. In its time, the Mutiny Club was considered the Caribbean version of Studio 54,” he explained.

FIRST SHORT FILM
Pino recently directed and acted in his first short film, Unión de Reyes, which is making its way through the festival circuit, such as the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF). “It’s about a father and his son who are very close, the son has to deal with the father’s secrets, the Cuban situation of my generation, my parents and grandparents, Cubans in exile in the US, that connection we have and don’t have. It was a lot of work. I also wrote the script, but I think the difference between a negative and a positive experience is having the support of the producer and a superior cast,” he mentioned.