Miami Actress Natalie Martinez Stars Opposite Vince Vaughn in Apple's Bad Monkey

Natalie Martinez enters into view of the computer camera for her final interview of the day, wrapping up a day full of press from Los Angeles. Her glammed-up face is framed by perfect waves of dark brown hair. The actress and Miami native is excited to share details about her latest project, Bad Monkey, an AppleTV+ series executive produced by Bill Lawrence of Ted Lasso fame.

"I got a call from Bill Lawrence asking if I was interested in this role," explains Martinez. He started describing Rosa, who is Cuban-American, born and raised in Miami, very close to her family — all the things that Martinez is herself. "I thought it would be such a fun thing to kind of portray someone so close to home."

The ten-episode series premieres on Wednesday, August 14, and stars Martinez alongside Vince Vaughn, who plays former Miami PD detective Andrew Yancy. Martinez plays Rosa, a medical examiner who lacks a bit of excitement in her life.

"Yancy comes during a critical point in Rosa's life where she needs a fresh breath of air," Martinez says. "He walks in with this severed arm that he fished out of the ocean and presents her with a case that doesn't make any sense, and she's intrigued by it."

She adds slyly, "I think she's also a little interested and intrigued by Yancy himself. They end up joining forces and go on this adventure, this unofficial police investigation."

After being kicked off the force, Yancy finds himself working as a health inspector when he finds a severed arm in the ocean and thinks that solving this mystery could be his ticket back to his old job. He pairs up with Rosa to navigate the unpredictable waters of the Florida Keys. And, yes, there is a real-life monkey involved.

"When I read the script, I really enjoyed all the layers to Rosa and all the experiences that she had, and being able to be in scenes with Vince was so fun," Martinez says.

Martinez says the banter between her character and Vaughn's Yancy plays up the dark humor of the comedy. "We just hit it off; it was great," she says. "Vince was so easy to work with, and I have so much respect for him."
The storyline is totally bizarre and totally Florida — a specialty of author Carl Hiaasen, who penned the novel back in 2013. Hiaasen, a former Miami Herald reporter, draws inspiration for his books from his reporting and the wild state in which we live. It's a zany tale that will be even zanier to watch unfold on television.

For the series, Lawrence stayed true to the novel's roots, with the production shooting entirely on location in South Florida. Filming predominantly took place in the Keys, with scenes shot in Miami Beach, Key Biscayne, and Doral.

"We were everywhere," says Martinez, who was thrilled to be filming a show in her hometown. "Florida is truly a character in this show. I mean, we talk about it. It's a through line from the beginning to end, and so we really capitalized on it by featuring all our beautiful landscapes and backgrounds."

In addition to the Miami views, the flavors also spilled into the production. "We had coladas on set every day," says the actress with a smile.

A native to the city, Martinez delighted in showing her cast mates around like a true local. "I took Vince to my favorite restaurant on the Key, La Niña, one day, and he loved the pan con bistec so much that the next day, he bought 250 sandwiches for the whole crew."

She beams as she recounts the story and how much the show contributed to the local economy.

Filming at home and being surrounded by family made Bad Monkey an unforgettable experience for Martinez. To add to the show's significance in her life, Martinez shares that she found out she was pregnant with her first child while filming.

"This job means a lot to me," she says.

Bad Monkey premieres on AppleTV+ on August 14, with new episodes every Wednesday.