Exclusive Interview: Alberto Zeni on ‘Narcos: Mexico’

We were lucky enough to catch up with Mexican-born actor Alberto Zeni to discuss the upcoming second season of the popular Netflix series Narcos: Mexico. Zeni is a great actor whose work can be seen in telenovelas like “Hoy Soy Nadie” and “Trillizas de Colores.” Zeni joins the existing cast of Narcos: Mexico as Amat Palacios.

We talked with Alberto Zeni about all things Narcos: Mexico and tried to get him to share some secrets about the new season.

FANGIRLISH: What can you share about your character? What can we expect from him in the new season of Narcos: Mexico?

ALBERTO ZENI: Amat Palacios is a former Mexican cop who got involved with the DEA shock team. They infiltrated the Mexican territory with the purpose of finding out who killed Kiki Camarena. He is someone that assesses the situations really fast and makes accurate and quick decisions that keep him and his team safe, even if it seems he is not paying attention at times or that he doesn’t care. He is a dedicated member of his family and will do anything in his power to protect them.

Were you a Narcos fan before you joined the cast?

ZENI: Well, I auditioned 7 times to be on the show, so….. what do you think? 😉 I have followed the story and realized what an incredible performance everyone gives and how amazing the production value looks on screen. I was truly excited when I got the call that I was going to be a series regular on the show. It literally made my day.

What has your experience with the show and on the set been like so far?

ZENI: I can genuinely say it has been the best work experience of my 20+ years career. There were no egos involved in the making of it, it felt like a family environment and everyone supported one another. You knew you were walking onto a set where love and dedication were the MO for everyone involved. There was music, laughs, humor and tons of hard work. Actually, a big group of us are still in touch on a consistent basis. That added to the fact that all sets were practical, where you could use anything that was there, that made it easy to get into the mindset of the story and times. Also, I had the opportunity to learn so much from the incredible Co-Executive Producer Jesse Moore, an extraordinary woman running a male driven international tv show as a total boss. Respect!

Does your character interact a lot with Diego Luna’s Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo?

ZENI: My character, Amat Palacios, is running certain operations under the leadership of Walt Breslin, who is played by the amazing Scoot McNairy, and the interaction with Feliz Gallardo is null. Nevertheless, there is interaction, and action with many other people in the story. You just wait.

How would you describe Season 2 of Narcos: Mexico in three words?

ZENI: Your readers will enjoy a lot the new dynamics in this second season. The balance between the weight of the Narcos and the DEA agents will make this particular season, a very exciting one. No more rules, no more bureaucracy, no more asking permission. All bets are off and it’s a no man’s land now. The “contemporary” wild, Wild West, where action, strategy and strength will be the engines that propel this story forward.

What are you most excited for fans to see in the new season?

ZENI: Me, of course! LOL. But seriously, all the new characters coming into the story, the new power shift, the outstanding level of production value, the fascinating sets and production design, and for sure the ACTION. Raw, fun, thrilling action all throughout the season. Fans can expect to be rooting for both teams at the same time, now. Let the games begin!

The first season of Narcos: Mexico is streaming on Netflix now!

Season 2 starts streaming on Netflix February 13, 2020.