Is Alejandro Vera the first Acapulco villain? We asked the men behind the show (Exclusive)

In my previous conversations with the Acapulco cast, the one thing that came up consistently is that there are no villains in the universe. Sure, every character is flawed in their own way, but nobody is inherently evil.

When Acapulco season 3 ended, fans saw the story in a whole new light. Things took a turn for the worse after Alejandro Vera (Jamie Camil) was introduced, and his advances were rejected by Diane Davies (Jessica Collins).

At the end of Acapulco season 3, it's a very different Las Colinas Resort, with Vera in charge. So, I asked show creator Austin Winsberg and showrunner Sam Laybourne if Alejandro Vera was the first Acapulco villain!

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No character in Acapulco is one-dimensional, according to the Executive Producers

Acapulco creator and executive producer Austin Winsberg claimed that there are certainly villainous tendencies in Alejandro Vera. However, the series tries to depict where he's coming from to arrive at this point.

"I think Vera's probably the closest to a villain we've got in. But I think in his mind he's not a villain. We always try to dimensionalize everybody as best we can. And I think Vera is a businessman. And also, as a Latin businessman, he's had to go through his own struggles to get to where he is. He talks about that a little bit in Episode 10," Winsberg said.

He continued by saying Vera was only doing what is best for him.

"So, I think that while he's a villain in that he's causing conflict within Las Colinas, I think he's doing what's best for him and best for the hotel," the creator added.

Showrunner Sam Laybourne gave credit to the masterful performance of Jaime Camil, who played the ruthless businessman. He praised the star for infusing Alejandro Vera's role with his own unique touch. Much like Winsberg, he spoke about the human side of the show's "villain," stating that what the creators love about him is that "he has a lot of complexity to him."

"And it's really a credit to Jaime for bringing so much levels to his performance sort of as the big bad or the villain that kind of creeps into the last half of the season. But, what we love about him is that he has a lot of complexity to him. He's a guy who falls in love. He clearly is holding a candle for Diane at one point," Laybourne added.

Ambition is a big driving factor for everyone in the universe, and this recurring theme is why Maximo finds himself estranged from his friends in 2024. Laybourne maintained that through all the politics and duplicity, Alejandro Vera harbors a special place in his heart for Maximo. He added that Vera has "genuine affection" for Maximo but that he also wants to win.

"He really, I think, has genuine affection for Maximo. Does he also want to win? Absolutely. And that's the fun. He's someone that, like Maximo, starts to get tainted by morally questionable stuff in order to get what he wants," Laybourne mentioned.

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There is certainly a wholesome aspect to Acapulco that carries across all three seasons. Austin Winsberg told Sportskeeda that Laybourne and he approached the show from a place of hope and humanity. Catch all three seasons of this heart-warming show only on Apple TV+.