From ‘Money Heist’ To ‘Murder Mystery 2,’ Actor Enrique Arce Sets His Sights On Hollywood

Spanish actor Enrique Arce is on cloud nine. He has been doing the rounds, promoting Murder Mystery 2, the action comedy sequel starring Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston, now full-time bungling detectives, who are once again thrust into an murder and kidnapping investigation, in which they become suspects.

Arce shares screentime with the stars, in a movie that has its share of action sequences, funny moments and diverse international cast.

In Murder Mystery 2, he portrays Francisco Perez, a retired famous soccer player and relentless womanizer, who provides some of the comic relief and with whom he says he shares some traits.

“He is an ex-football player. I am a passionate soccer fan. He’s a womanizer and I’m passionate about women,” he says.

Arce says his Murder Mystery role was a godsend. He still can’t believe he got the opportunity to do a comedy with Sandler and Aniston.

“These are the best guys in that genre….There’s no one else. When I was watching his movies or Friends, and I was a young Spanish acting student in New York, the fact that I got to be with them in this film, it’s harder than striking the lottery.”

If Arce looks familiar, that’s because you may have seen him in Netflix’s global hit series La Casa de Papel (Money Heist) as the annoying “Arturito,” the Director of the Royal Mint of Spain and one of the hostages trying to foil the heist.

“I owe everything to Arturo…from the gift of this movie, to the death threats because of my character on La Casa de Papel. Many people hated me as Arturo and they let me know it.”

But Arce also had some film industry fans.

“The producer and director of the movie were fans of La Casa de Papel, they loved my character and looked to see if I spoke English. When they learned I did and that I have an American agent, they put two and two together and here I am.”

But the actor, who has a 30-year career under his belt, wants to be recognized for more than just that one character. While he has done mostly Spanish film and TV, he has also worked in English in smaller roles in series such as Knightfall and movies Terminator: Dark Fate and On the Line.

So Arce moved to Los Angeles in March, intent on focusing on English-language projects and continuing to build his career in Hollywood.

“If I could do this for the rest of my life, I [will] because at the end of the day, the movie is bloody good, and it’s funny and they’re [Sandler and Aniston] great. And I happen to be ok in it, so… Murder mystery 3!

The film premieres on Netflix worldwide on March 31.