Meet Arlyn Broche, the Latina actress behind the wife behind The Rock’s successful empire

Did you hear the story about Arlyn Broche and COVID?

It’s not funny, but the Latina actress had tested positive when she was notified of the role of Dwyane Johnson’s first wife in the NBC comedy ‘Young Rock.’

“I feel like the pandemic hit everyone really hard, not just me,” said Broche during a recent interview by telephone while organizing her daughter’s birthday party.

The daughter of Cuban immigrants took online acting lessons during the pandemic shutdown “to keep my chops fresh.” She focused on her voice.

“There weren’t really any auditions happening,” she explained. No more flights to New York for lessons and workshops.

“I had COVID when I booked ‘Young Rock,’” said Broche.

She auditioned for a role that was not Johnson’s wife, not thinking she would get it and have to go to Australia for the taping.

The comedy centers on the life of the bodybuilder-turned-professional wrestler-turned-actor kicks off its third season on Friday (Nov. 4). Broche plays the role of Dany García, the powerful woman responsible for the rise of Johnson.

This season Johnson and García get married on the show.

Broche has a history with the since-divorced couple. She had a role in the HBO series ‘Ballers,’ about current and past pro football players.

She was working out at a gym in her native Miami when she spotted García, went up and introduced herself. At the time, Broche was an admirer of her fellow Cuban-American and her nose for business..

You have worked previously with The Rock. What was that like?

“The cast, the crew. It’s a great, great set. You know, I’ve worked with different sets and the energy, the manner, which is what Dwayne calls it, is really incredible.”

What’s the interaction with Dwayne like? How has he helped you?

“He’s definitely a professional and he is very talented. And so working with him on set, like as a scene partner, it’s great. We got great chemistry.

“Also, you know, seeing his work ethic, how he carries about his business and how he carries himself, it’s just in and of itself is just very inspiring. It’s inspiring because he’s definitely the hardest worker in the room. He encourages you, motivates you to just have that same vibe, that same energy.”

What’s the difference between ‘Ballers’ and ‘Young Rock?’

“So ‘Ballers’ had a different production team, and it was a whole different story. It was fictional. In ‘Young Rock,’ I have a co-starring role. It’s the story of Dwayne Johnson’s life, and I play a much bigger role. I played Dany Garcia, so I bring to life the woman who was basically the one that architected their enterprises.

“She’s always been behind the scenes. Dany herself said, ‘You’re in a unique position to show the world that it was a woman who did it, not to take away from his magnificence, but to show that it was a woman who wanted to do this and who was a big part of the whole thing.’

“Dany is huge and continues to be a huge and instrumental part of his life. So not only are we sharing his story, but it’s also sharing her story because she’s always been behind the scenes. So now she’s coming to life on screen for a show that has over 30 million viewers.”

Does Dany recall meeting you 20 years ago?

“I told her the story of how I basically met her and she says ‘Right around the same time you met me is when you’re playing me, which is 1995, 1996.’ So many things happened in the interim. It’s like a full circle moment. I have always followed her trajectory, her career.

“I did have a conference call with her in Australia where we went over character development. We talked about some things because she’s very private. We just talked about certain things as far as her life and just things that I wanted to cover.We’re actually shooting it in Memphis.”

You’ve gone from business to health care to journalism to acting in your life.

“I began acting since I was a kid. My dad was a very successful actor in Cuba, and I’ve always loved the art of storytelling. I did Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ when I was like nine years old.

“When I graduated high school, I met my husband who was a businessman, and we got married. And so I became very interested in the dynamic and aspect of the business world. We’ve had several businesses, like a bakery. I learned how to bake at a professional level. I had a healthcare company (her mother was a nurse), a building company. I love business, but I always missed the art of storytelling.

“I’ve always missed acting. I remember one time I was sitting in my office before I got back into acting and I said to myself, ‘What am I doing? I need to go for what I really want to go for.’ So I looked up a private (acting) coach and coached with her. I auditioned for the theater department and got admitted. Began privately working with coaches and the rest is history.”

Is your long term goal to remain in acting?

“Ultimately, one of my dreams or my goals is to create a show where I’m behind the camera, similar to what Dany and Dwayne do with their production company and their shows.”