Actor Juan Pablo Raba: The challenge lies in portraying history’s villains with authenticity

Colombian actor Juan Pablo Raba portrays Gilberto ‘La Cobra’ Henao in the Amazon MGM Studios premium series Hotel Cocaine, which recently debuted on MGM+ USA (on Sunday, the 16th). The series, soon to be distributed in the region, features Raba’s character as a disruptor who shakes things up. “La Cobra enters the story to break the status quo, or at least complicate things for Román Compte (Danny Pino),” the show’s protagonist.

Raba says he took the role for two reasons. First, his close friendship with Chris Brancato, the showrunner and writer, with whom he previously collaborated on Narcos. Second, the script itself. “It’s deep, raw, realistic material,” Raba explains, “and that’s what excites me. We need these kinds of stories too.”

CHALLENGE WITH THE CHARACTER

He explained that the challenge with characters like Gilberto “La Cobra” Henao, the story’s antagonists, is making them feel real. “It’s easy to fall into cliché or play them as the expected villain,” he said. “But the true challenge for an actor is to make them a real person, a human being with fears, complexities, dreams. We need to create something that serves the story and feels believable.”

Juan Pablo Raba plays the role of Gilberto “La Cobra” Henao in Hotel Cocaine

COLOMBIAN A MAJOR PLAYER IN THE AUDIOVISUAL MARKET

Raba’s involvement in El Colombiano de Keko for Colombia’s public TV channel 13 arose from an invitation from friends, including Cristian Tappan. “I’m drawn to good stories, regardless of the platform,” he explained. “This is a story that truly deserves to be told. I was brought on to both act and produce. We filmed it six months ago, and it’s currently in post-production.”

Raba emphasized the significance of Colombia’s current moment. “It’s a fantastic time for Colombia, especially with the influx of international productions,” he said. “The past decade has seen a constant stream of visitors from abroad. There was even a point where ‘Hotel Cocaine’ considered filming in Colombia, though ultimately the Dominican Republic offered better locations. This all goes to show that Colombia has become a major player in the global audiovisual market, not just for Latin America.”

Following Hotel Cocaine, Raba jumped into a horror film with his friend, Venezuelan-American director Diego Velasco. Titled The Whistler, the film stars Diane Guerrero and boasts an entirely Colombian crew behind the scenes. “It was a truly exciting project,” he enthused.

HOTEL COCAINE: A SPECIAL PROJECT FOR RABA

For Raba, the magic lies in the team. “Hotel Cocaine was particularly special in that regard,” he shared. “Working with Danny (Pino) and Michael (Chiklis) again, alongside such a fantastic group of people – it doesn’t get much better. It was one of those rare projects where everyone brought positive energy to the set. We all shared a passion for history, and the Dominican Republic’s Juan Dolio location was simply stunning. From the incredible crew to the talented directors, it was a truly pleasurable experience all around.”

Raba concluded by calling Hotel Cocaine “a premium show with top-of-the-line production value.” He elaborated, “It’s visually stunning, with a sexy aesthetic and powerful performance. The entire experience is truly exceptional. For Latin American audiences, it offers a completely fresh and unique perspective on a familiar story.”