Boston Actor Stars In "King Cobras: Men's Group," A Latino Comedy

BOSTON, MA - Boston actor Osmani Rodriguez has performed in numerous roles in television shows, commercials, and movies over nearly two decades, most recently in a recurring role in the AMC comedy “Kevin Can F**k Himself.”

The Hyde Park resident currently stars in the YouTube sketch comedy “King Cobras: Men’s Group.” The show, which premiered in August, allowed him to combine several of his passions: acting, religion, love of Latino culture, and humor.

Rodriguez, a native of Cuba, has lived in Boston for decades. He plays the lead role of Pastor Alejandro in “King Cobras: Men’s Group.” Set in Miami – but filmed in North Reading – Pastor Alejandro forms a men’s support group in a garage, where he attracts Latino gang members who believe he is the reason for the sudden downturn in crime. They come seeking answers from the naïve pastor, who attempts to teach them about the gospel with a Latin flair – sometimes with irreverently funny results.

The premiere episode can be found at this link.

“‘King Cobras: Men’s Group’ is slated to be a multi-season episodic sketch comedy project aimed at bringing together the Latino community to engage audiences in little discussed, often taboo subject matter, always resulting in hysterical laughs,” he said.

Written and directed by brothers Xavier and Jonathan Garcia, the founders of the Mount Harvest film production company in Medford, the show explores pop culture, male vulnerability, ethnic stereotypes, Latino culture and sexuality in a way that is resonating with both the Latinx and the religious community, according to Rodriguez.

“Obviously, it’s been going across the board with all nationalities,” Rodriguez said. “But certainly, with its focus on the Latin community, we’ve been getting positive responses nationwide.”

“I think it certainly has an appeal from sea to sea,” said Xavier Garcia, who lives in Medford. “Yes, there is a cultural bent to it. But I think the show is much larger than that. The themes we are dealing with are very human themes.”

He said he was inspired to create the series because he noticed anxiety and depression statistics rising during the pandemic and wanted to provide some comedic relief.

“Pastor Alejandro wants to do genuine good with these men,” Xavier Garcia, a Tewksbury resident, continued. “He receives this motley crew of individuals with all sorts of issues, and they challenge him. Because of his desire and his heart, God uses him to do something good in his community. But it’s like a comedy of errors the way he goes about it.”

His hope is that people can see elements of themselves in the characters as they evolve in a post-COVID-19 world.

The Garcia brothers are known for faith-based dramas, including “A Blood Throne” and “Crossroad,” in which Rodriguez starred. They recently won an award for best feature documentary at the World Independent Cinema Awards in London.

For “King Cobras,” the Garcias wanted the lighter side of their personalities to shine through.

“A lot of times, you would see Latino or Hispanic comedies where they would present almost a caricature, but they never really go all the way in with the humor and the mannerisms,” added Jonathan Garcia. “But that’s the stuff that hits home. We know the idioms.”

Some of the show is based on the personal experiences of the Garcias, who are natives of Puerto Rico. Xavier said he previously was in a men’s group when he confronted personal issues that led to his deep commitment to spirituality.

“You have to talk about the issues that often don’t come from the pulpit,” he explained. “You have guys talking about the topics that are important to us as men. And I asked those questions.”

In Episode 3, one of the men wanted to become closer to God – by performing his own circumcision.

“The whole joke there was understanding the gospel in its context,” Xavier Garcia said. “He took it literally, but there is poetry and allegory in it.”

“You think you are putting something out there,” Rodriguez added. “But people see it from different perspectives depending upon the level that they’re at.”

Jonathan Garcia has been spearheading the writing of the show. One of his goals was to create "parabolic characters with real back stories” that people could identify with.

“When we were writing this, we had to create a main character that would be the perfect blend of gentle but honest, loving but also quirky,” he said. “I couldn’t think of anyone else nailing this but Osmani.”

“As an actor, I was attracted to the project because of the writing, which I found really dimensional for the character,” Rodriguez said, noting that the show would not be successful without a stellar ensemble cast.

There are plans to continue the series by building “an ecosystem of fans,” according to Xavier Garcia. Because of the response received thus far, there are two movies in the works that explain the life story of Pastor Alejandro. One has already been written, while the other is currently being developed.

“It’s like ‘Star Wars,’” Jonathan added. “We started in one place, and because of the characters, we wanted to have a prequel and a sequel.”

Several popular Latino film and television actors have expressed interest in performing in cameos on the show – but neither Rodriguez nor the Garcia brothers wanted to release the names publicly just yet.

“I think we’re going to see a lot more of the Garcia brothers in the mainstream,” Rodriquez said.