Florida Keys murder mystery stars Miami native with Vince Vaughn: ‘Genius at work’
You can take the girl out of Miami....
Natalie Martinez has lived in Los Angeles for two decades, but she never forgets where she came from — literally.
When the actress returned home to South Florida in the spring of 2022 to start working on Apple TV+ comedy “Bad Monkey,” the 305 native came prepared.
“I knew what was going to happen with the weather and my hair, so I brought everything anti-frizz,” she said, laughing. “A lot of productions say they’re set in Miami, and take place somewhere else, but you can’t fake our humidity.”
The St. Brendan grad, 40, didn’t mind the constant mane maintenance. It was great to be back in her hometown to partake in the comedy, based on Carl Hiaasen’s bestselling 2013 novel of the same name.
Her character is Dr. Rosa Campesino, a medical examiner who helps demoted cop turned restaurant inspector Andrew Yancy (Vince Vaughn) investigate a mysterious severed arm found in the ocean.
Their unofficial police work hits a few snags, in the form of Hiaasen-esque oddball characters as well as a cheeky Capuchin played by Crystal, whose antics you may recall from “The Hangover.”
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Production for “Bad Monkey” moved around quite a bit, to areas Martinez already knew well, from El Portal and Key Biscayne in Miami-Dade County, down to Key Largo, Big Pine Key and Key West in Monroe. Indoor scenes were shot at a soundstage in Doral, which happened to be 10 minutes from Martinez’s grandmother’s house.
“I would be working and then be able to go to abuela’s for lunch,” said the “Ordinary Joe” alum who was pregnant with her son at the time. “The fact that I could be near family made this project so special.”
READ MORE: Vince Vaughn is a Florida man, for now
While in familiar territory geographically, the former model whose TV and film credits include “Broken City,” “Self/Less,” End of Watch” and “The Stand,” had to learn a few comedic ropes.
Luckily, one of the best in the biz was just a few feet away at all times, and ready to help.
“Vince is a legend,” said Martinez, who said the Hollywood vet would often give her notes to up her game. “He cracked everybody up. He’s just a blast.”
The towering star of such classics as “Swingers,” “Old School” and “Wedding Crashers” would often go off script and improvise to perfection.
“He takes what is written and runs with it,” Martinez gushed. “The way his brain operates is so unique, and how he interacts with all the eccentric people in the cast ... I was like, ‘Teach me your ways.’ You are watching a genius at work.”
The 10-episode streaming series debuts on Apple TV+ on Wednesday.
