10 Facts You Never Knew About Wilmer Valderrama
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Wilmer was a young teen when he landed his breakthrough role of Fez on That '70s Show. His first screen appearance was on a Spanish Pacific Bell commercial. He then made his film debut on the American comedy, Summer Catch.
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At the peak of his career, he starred in That '70s Show alongside his longtime friend Ashton Kutcher. His personal life has had a lot of controversies too, but his performance in films seems to be getting better each day from the nature of his latest roles. He currently stars as a field agent on the CBS crime series NCIS. Here's a peek into some of the facts you don't know about him.
HE PREFERS HIGH PROFILE RELATIONSHIPS
Wilmer Valderrama has had a long list of high-profile romances in his past. His longest relationship was with Disney star Demi Lovato, whom he dated for six years. The two still share a strong connection though there are no signs of rekindling the relationship.
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Valderrama is currently dating Amanda Pacheco, a model and scuba diver. He also had a contentious relationship with Linsey Lohan in 2004, who was 17 at the time, but their relationship didn’t last longer than a year. He also dated Ariana Richards, Mandy Moore, Mila Kunis, and Jennifer Love Hewett.
HE PURCHASED ERIC'S VISTA CRUISER FROM THAT 70S SHOW
After the end of the production of That '70s Show, Valderrama found it best to leave with a souvenir. He bought the ‘69 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser from $500 from Carsey-Warner in 2005. The car belonged to the main protagonist, Eric Foreman, who rides with his gang in it for most of the show.
With its 455 Cubic-Inch Oldsmobile-Pontiac Rocket V8 engine, the car was named as the third greatest television car by MSN Autos in 2009. To add to his car collection, he also owns a Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 and other custom-built vehicles.
HE REPLACED MICHAEL WEATHERLY IN NCIS
In the 14th season of NCIS, Valderrama joined the cast as a series regular. His character was a grounded field agent who resurfaces after a deep cover assignment with a full will to serve his country. He took the position just after he concluded his 5-episode cast on Grey's anatomy as Kyle Diaz.
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The position on NCIS opened after the exit of Michael Weatherly, who got a better deal in the CBS series Bull. CBS signed him up to the 17th season of the show if it's renewed for the coming seasons.
HE LOVES TO KISS AND TELL
Valderrama is known for leaking his personal affairs with ladies in the oddest ways ever. He offended Mandy Moore in 2006 by falsely stating that he broke her virginity, the shocked lady had to come out and quash the hurtful claims.
He went on to dish out more details about his relationship with his other exes saying, Ashlee Simpson is a screamer. His intimate confessions didn't end there. He added that Lindsay Lohan was a big fan of waxing. However, he stated that he regretted making such comments about his exes.
HE GREW UP IN VENEZUELA
Valderrama was born in Miami, where he lived with his family until they all moved to Venezuela when he was three. They moved back to the states when he was 14. Their biggest challenge was that he and his family didn't speak English, making it hard for him to get by, so he took up ESL classes.
His family lived in Van Nuys, California, in a small two bedroomed house. Soon after, he was able to learn to speak proper English by supplementing his classes with I Love Lucy episodes.
HE IS AN ESTABLISHED FILM PRODUCER
Wilmer Valderrama doesn't stop at acting. He is an entrepreneur and an excellent producer. He founded WB entertainment, a production company, through a partnership with established production studios like Lionsgate and MTV. His most famous creation is Yo Momma, a show which he also produced and hosted for three seasons. His production company has landed a good number of deals by signing up with companies like SCI Network and Oxygen.
WB entertainment has produced Charming, Muertoons, Douglas family Gold, and Bugging out. Valderrama currently has a net worth of $20 million from his acting and production career.
HE HAS BEEN FRIENDS WITH ASHTON KUTCHER SINCE THEIR TEENAGE DAYS
The NCIS actor has been friends with Ashton Kutcher since their days on That ’70s Show when they were teens. The two have since kept their relationship close, even joining hands in the production of Punk'd.
The two couldn't hide their joy in 2016 when they reunited on set in the cast of The Ranch, where Valderrama had appeared in 10 episodes. They even got to work with the same producer they had back then, David Trainer.
HE IS AN ANIMAL LOVER
Growing up in Venezuela, Wilmer Valderrama has always expressed his displeasure in the mistreatment of animals in circuses. He has partnered with PETA in his animal rights activism to campaigning against the abusive treatment of animals in entertainment.
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The bilingual actor released a PSA condemning the confinement of the innocent creatures. A Spanish-language version of it was also aired in Puerto Rico. His love for animals was also expressed in his reaction to the death of the dog he shared with ex-girlfriend Demi Lovato in 2015.
HIS PARENTS WERE IMMIGRANTS
Wilmer's parents sold everything that they owned in Venezuela and set out as immigrants in the USA in search of a better life for their children. Valderrama regularly credits his success and his advocacy for immigrants’ rights to the support he got from his parents. Through a partnership with America Ferrera and her husband, he launched Harness.
The organization has partnered with Hearst Magazines Digital Media to shed some light on the difficulties that immigrants and vulnerable communities face in the United States. He reminds immigrants never to forget their roots in pursuit of the American dream.
HIS NEIGHBORS SUED HIM FOR OVER-PARTYING
Wilmer rose to fame in his youthful years and seemed to have hade mad fun while at it. However, his neighbors were very disturbed by his lifestyle. His neighbor filed a lawsuit against him on claims that Wilmer had disturbingly loud parties at his house too often.
His dogs were also a problem for his neighbor, who found them to be too loud to bear. The neighbor also claimed that he had made numerous written requests to the actor and complained to the police in vain. In 2013 he moved and listed the Hollywood party house with a $300 000 swimming pool at an asking price of $3,495,000.
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