Kat Harlton
Photo: Karin Benedict
Actor Erniel Baez is set to recur in the new and highly anticipated crime drama series Hotel Cocaine making its premiere on MGM+ on June 16th.
Executive produced by Chris Brancato (Godfather of Harlem, Narcos) and Guillermo Navarro (Pan’s Labyrinth), the eight-episode series’ recently had its global debut at Series Mania in Lille, France. The first episode of Hotel Cocaine will premiere June 16 on MGM+, with new episodes airing on Sundays until August 4.
Hotel Cocaine is the story of Roman Compte (Danny Pino), Cuban exile and general manager of the Mutiny Hotel, the glamorous epicenter of the Miami cocaine scene of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. The Mutiny Hotel was Casablanca on cocaine; a glitzy nightclub, restaurant, and hotel frequented by Florida businessmen and politicians, international narcos, CIA and FBI agents, models, sports stars, and musicians. At the center of it all was Compte, who was doing his best to keep it all going and fulfill his own American Dream.
Erniel stars, alongside Danny Pino and Michael Chiklis, as Ray Dorado, an untrustworthy Cuban banker with criminal ties, who is seen regularly at the Mutiny Hotel.
I had the opportunity to chat with Erniel about his role, what fans can expect and more.
Kat: You’re set to recur in the new and highly anticipated crime drama series Hotel Cocaine as Ray Dorado making its premiere on MGM+ on June 16th. How did you prepare for your role? Did you find any similarities between yourself and your character?
Erniel : To prepare for the role of Ray Dorado I tried to learn as much as I could about the Mutiny Hotel and what it was like to live in Miami in the 70s and 80s. Fortunately, I came across some very informative books and documentaries that allowed me to step into the psyche of my character.
As far as the similarities between Ray and myself I’d say there definitely are some. The most obvious one being that we both are Cuban born and immigrated at some point in time in our lives and aspire to dream big. While there are many facets of his that I understood, his heritage is one that immediately stood out.
Kat: What can fans expect from Hotel Cocaine?
Erniel: They can expect to be in for one hell of a ride! A ride filled with action, drama, great music and great clothes!
Kat: Was there anything about your role that was particularly challenging?
Erniel: I would say that the most challenging part was taking on a character that was almost biographical. He was largely based on one specific person that was known to have frequented the Mutiny Club in the 70s and 80s. Trying to give justice to the memory of that person within this fictional world, but in a very real environment, felt like an important responsibility to take on.
Kat: What were some of your favorite scenes to shoot and why?
Erniel: Unfortunately, I can’t really go into those specifics yet. I will say that one particular scene that was a lot of fun to shoot was my first scene with the great Michael Chiklis. This scene really stood out to me because it required a significant amount of physicality and trust, and the nature of those types of scenes create bonds that you are left with forever.
Kat: Is there a type of character that you’d like to portray, that you haven’t had the chance to yet?
Erniel: There are many characters that I would love to get a chance to portray. Growing up I loved courtroom dramas and the great mafia films such as The Godfather and Goodfellas, along with many more. So hopefully one day I’ll get a chance to portray characters that end up being as interesting and captivating as those that inspired me along the years.
Kat: Do you have anything else planned for 2024 that you can share?
Erniel: Right now, I’m focused on the releases of Hotel Cocaine and Cross, which is a new series for Amazon Prime that will be premiering this year. I am also currently working on a feature film starring Ryan Reynolds. Don’t think I can say anything more than that without getting in trouble, but I think it will be a fun movie.
Connect With Erniel: https://www.instagram.com/erniel.baez