Showrunner Carlo Bernard reveals the creative way the Latin superstar secured a role in the final season of the Netflix show.
[Warning: Spoilers for third and final season of Narcos: Mexico]
Bad Bunny was such a big fan of Narcos: Mexico that he had to be a part of it.
The Puerto Rican artist, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, guest stars in the final season of the drug-trafficking Netflix series. Making his acting debut, Bad Bunny takes on the role of Arturo "Kitty" Paez, a member of Ramon Arellano Felix’s gang called the "Narco Juniors."
Proactive in his mission to be a part of Narcos: Mexico, showrunner Carlo Bernard reveals to ET that the 27-year-old Latin music superstar sent in an audition tape to be considered for a role in the series.
"It's funny. Back when we were writing the story, someone came to me and said that Bad Bunny wanted to be on the show and that he even put something on tape for us to look at," Bernard recalls. "And at this point, a while ago, I just heard of him, but everybody in the office that was under 30 was really excited. So I realized this was something I should probably pay attention to."
"I watched his audition and it was great. He's obviously super charismatic and incredibly compelling to watch," he continues.
But there were some challenges to bringing Bad Bunny on set, Bernard shares. "The trick, to be honest, with him was because his day job is being this international superstar, it was just really a challenge to figure out a schedule," he notes. "And to get as much stuff from him as we could because he was terrific and he did a great job."
Bernard shares that he didn't write a role specifically for the "Yonaguni" singer, but had a part in mind.
"There was this phenomenon in the '90s in Tijuana, of these rich kids who basically would go back and forth across the border. They're all sorts of private school kids, and they were drawn into the orbit of the Arellanos because they often hung out in nightclubs and they had money and women and they were dangerous," Bernard describes. "So all these high school kids flocked to them and these rich boys actually became a very violent component of Arellanos' organization and became known as Narco Juniors."
In real life, Everardo "El Kitty" Páez was involved with Tijuana drug lords Benjamin and Ramon Arellano (portrayed by Alfonso Dosal and Manuel Masalva). He was charged in a six-count 1997 indictment with directing the shipments of tons of cocaine into the United States during an eight-year period, per the Los Angeles Times. After being extradited to the U.S., El Kitty was sentenced to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to cocaine smuggling and money laundering in 2002.
"I knew that that was an interesting story," Bernard says. "And when the possibility of having him on the show came out, I thought that would be a great spot to use his style and charisma, and then we were able to shine a little bit more light on that story. I thought it was cool and something that I was really interested in."
Bad Bunny's presence in the handful of episodes he's featured in are dynamic. Fans first meet the Narco Juniors at Enedina's (Mayra Hermosillo) wedding. When one fellow becomes rowdy and disrespectful at the outlandish wedding, the Arellano family look to El Kitty and his group to teach the guy a lesson.
In other instances, viewers see a fun montage of Bad Bunny's character in a walk-in closet selecting outfits, which include an array of colorful Lacoste polos, trousers and jackets. The scene shows the rich-kid attitude of the times. Shortly after, he drives in a flashy convertible with two girls to a place where he must assassinate someone for the Arellano family. El Kitty shows no remorse for his actions.
The in-and-out job, as well as a stand-off between Mexican officials and DEA agent Walt Breslin (Scoot McNairy) -- shows how the Narco Juniors are essential in getting the job done and protecting Benjamin and Ramon from their enemies.
Bad Bunny previously told ET that his role on Narcos: Mexico was "going to be f**king crazy."
"I'm a Mexican gangster [with] my gun and killing people," he teased in December 2020. "Yeah, I loved it. It was a great experience. I always wanted to make movies and act, so it's a dream come true. I'm so happy."
He admitted that he "was so nervous" for his first acting role, "but I was working with a lot of professional people, good people, that helped me a lot."
While this might be the first time viewers see Bad Bunny in a pivotal role, it won't be the last. The Puerto Rican artist is also set to make his feature film debut in American Sole, a film that follows two twenty-somethings (Pete Davidson and O’Shea Jackson Jr.) with mountains of college debt who use the fast cash of after-market sneaker reselling to achieve their American dream. Camila Mendes and Offset also co-star.
Additionally, the GRAMMY winner will co-star alongside Brad Pitt in the upcoming action movie Bullet Train. The star-studded cast also includes Sandra Bullock, Michael Shannon, Zoey King and more.
As for his other two acting roles, Bad Bunny shared that he "had to learn a lot" and "practice," adding, "But I feel so confident that I can do whatever I want."
For more on Bad Bunny, see below. The third and final season of Narcos: Mexico is now streaming on Netflix.
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