What's Your Fancy: How Wilmer Valderrama Survived Writing a Book

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“I was fascinated by the possibilities of this medium of storytelling,” Wilmer Valderrama says of writing his new book, An American Story: Everyone’s Invited. “At the beginning, I was very intimidated by the process, but as soon as I started understanding the structure and how to gather and organize my thoughts, it became more and more obtainable.”

The resulting memoir, out now, covers the actor, producer, and philanthropist’s life as a young man in Venezuela, his family’s move to Los Angeles and his subsequent career in Hollywood, as well as his involvement with the USO, for which he serves as a global ambassador. “I wanted to write a book about what I had learned from seeing all the branches of the military united,” he says. “I was inspired by the commonality of what they were really fighting for. We forget what the world looks like when we stand by one another and fight for the freedoms that we have in this country.”

Is the NCIS star ready to give up working on camera for the life of a writer permanently? Maybe not yet. “So far, the feedback has been beautiful, and I've been very grateful that people have connected so much with the book,” he tells T&C. “Maybe there’s a world in which there's [another book], but for now I'm just happy that I wrote one.”

Below, Valderrama shares the essential products for bringing An American Story to life.

Sencha Green Tea

"I realized in my years of acting that coffee was good for the hour and a half that you were enjoying it—and then there is a crash. Sos I switched to green tea. It also gives you that kick of energy but it doesn't sit heavy and you don't get the headaches like when you stop drinking coffee. In the morning I will do the green tea hot, but in the afternoon it's iced green tea tea always. People say you're supposed to drink it hot, sure, but there's nothing more refreshing than drinking that tea on ice. It's great."

Blank Index Cards

"Cue cards are important for writing because they're how you compartmentalize thoughts, scenes, or moments that you want to go back to or you want to make sure are already in the timeline. And then you start thinking about how these cue cards are actually carrying the momentum of the story forward—does it fit here? They help create a stylistic narrative structure for your storytelling."

Slim-Fit Wool-Mohair Coat

"A sports coat is something that has to be in my office all the time. I put it in there because during the pandemic I started taking so many Zoom meetings where everybody had on sweats or shorts, but some of my meetings were high level. I don't always have time to go change if I'm wearing shorts and flip flops, so I put the sports coat on and it looks like I dressed up for the meeting."

Modern Rounded Metal Tabletop Frames

"Sometimes, when you're working away from home, you're not seeing your family and it is really tough. For me, it just doesn't feel good. So, the picture of my daughter in this frame is a beacon, it's why I do everything. If I'm tired, I look at it and think, keep digging. This is all for her. That photo keeps me motivated."

EDITION Candle

"I love EDITION hotels; I've stayed at them all around the world, in London, Madrid, Miami, New York, L.A., you name it and I've visited. There's something about this candle that makes me feel at home, even when I'm in a different location, so I steal them every time I can and I bring them back to my house. They're all over, and in my office specifically because it's just an elegant smell."

Magnetic Dry Erase Board

"I use a whiteboard as a story framing canvas for all the stuff that I developed and produce with the company. We'll do a timeline of events or the arc of a season, and the whiteboard allows us to visualize it and focus on the journey. For the book, that also really helped me; it's so fun to just physically write something. Today, there are so many programs on iPads or iPhones that let you create a whiteboard, and they have so many tools to use, and that's phenomenal, but there's nothing like grabbing an erasable marker and just scribbling with your own hand."

Fleece Photo Blanket

"This blanket is so cool because you can put the silliest pictures of you and your family on it and take it wherever you go. I bring it with me to my trailer if I'm shooting on location, and when I get up in the morning, I see all the reasons that I'm doing what I am. It's also very warm."

Candy Bars

"The Snickers bar is very simple. When you really need a pick me up, it gets you through those last few hours of work. Also the taste, the texture, everything about it is just comforting."

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