Wilmer Valderrama

The only barrier to his success was not speaking English.

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Create Fearless Confidence and Achieve Anything

When Wilmer Valderrama moved to the U.S. from Venezuela as a teenager with his family, he hadn’t expected he’d need to know English in his lifetime.

But when he got to Los Angeles and started getting involved in theater (as he had in Venezuela), he quickly realized not knowing English was the only thing that could stop him from being successful in this craft.

So he learned quickly.

Not only did he learn English quickly, he rose to the top of his acting classes, got an agent, and despite having an accent (which wasn’t very accepted on TV at the time), he booked his first pilot at the age of 18.

You’ve probably heard of it – That ’70s Show.

"Things are going to be as complicated as you want them to be."

He went on to massive success with an 8 year run of that show, which led to stardom, film opportunities, producing and much more.

Wilmer knew that if he wanted a career beyond his first major hit, he’d need to stretch himself into new roles.

Which is exactly what he did.

Today he is as much an activist as he is an actor, having worked with President Obama on immigration reform, working with the rising generation on voting registration, and much more.

Wilmer is one of the most confident, humble, and grounded men I’ve met. I was so inspired by his storytelling and passion for making a difference.

I invite you to be inspired as well in Episode 514.

Some Questions I Ask:

How did growing up in Venezuela set you up for success versus growing up in the U.S.? (25:05)
How did you stay grounded when you were getting so much attention during That 70s Show? (40:02)

In this episode, you will learn:

The movie that inspired Wil to become an actor as a kid (9:10)
Why learning English was the key to Wil’s early success (11:32)
The advice Wil’s dad gave to him right before he got his biggest role (21:10)
What Johnny Depp told Wil that changed everything for him (56:30)
Why it’s so important to have fun while working towards your goals (1:09:35)
Plus much more…

Show Notes:

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