Why NCIS Star’s Memoir Is ‘A Thank You to America,’ Its Armed Forces
By Movieguide® Contributor
NCIS star Wilmer Valderrama is sharing his emotional experience with an injured soldier in his new memoir, as well as his respect for America’s armed forces.
“It was sobering,” the actor said of his experience visiting wounded soldiers during a USO visit to the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany.
He continued, “This is a trauma hospital. Our service brothers and sisters have experienced combat. And here I was, walking through those rooms and just talking to them…It made me realize how incredibly brave and unbelievable our men and women are. Even as they’re wounded, they’re so proud to have been serving.”
Valderrama shared one experience with a soldier who saw him and said, “Fez?,” referring to the popular character he played on THAT 70S SHOW.
The actor said the moment was funny but also “humbling,” as the soldier repeatedly said, “I just want to get back to my guys.”
“It reminds you…that your purpose [as an entertainer] is to bring a level of serenity that allows for that healing to happen and to bring a piece of home to them,” Valderrama explained. “That’s your purpose as an ambassador…reminding them that we think of them, that we miss them, that we are so proud, and we cannot wait for them to come home.”
He continued, “These soldiers are so proud to put that uniform back on. I was not taken aback by that, but my heart was taken by that. These individuals who wear the uniform take an oath, and it’s to this country. The idea is that they would pay the ultimate sacrifice because they’re proud to have our flag continue waving at the end of the day. I was so taken by that. I was so humbled by that.”
“It’s those moments that made me realize, ‘How can I serve my country?’ ‘How can I help those who reassure the freedom for us out here?’” he said. “This is something I feel incredibly passionate about.”
Valderrama’s memoir, “An American Story,” tells the story of his life as “a young immigrant from Venezuela who had a dream to change the world, a talent for entertaining, and a determined spirit to build a new life, taking as many as possible with him on the journey,” per a synopsis of the book.
“I didn’t set out to actually make a memoir,” the actor said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “My book was supposed to be a book about service. I traveled with the USO for so many years since in my mid-20s. It really is just a thank you to America for giving me a future that probably I could have never gotten in my own country.”
Movieguide® previously reported on Valderrama’s memoir:
The actor has also just written his first book, a memoir titled “An American Story: Everyone’s Invited,” which will be published Sept. 17.
“As a little boy growing up in Venezuela, I never thought I would write a book, let alone be able to fill it with such complex and triumphant stories about a 25-year career in entertainment, philanthropy and everything in between,” Valderrama said in a statement about the book.
He continued, “This is my thank you to my younger self for seeing beyond the expected. Thank you to my family and every person who has been a part of this whirlwind journey. This is my tribute to the country that gave me a shot. This is for all of us.”