Jason Canela is back for the second season of Apple TV+’s Palm Royale, and the actor expresses profound excitement about his return as Eddie. He recently shared insights into the behind-the-scenes dynamics and his personal contributions to the series.
“When they told me the series had been renewed, it was such an incredible feeling,” Canela told Us Weekly en Español. He added that while actors must let go of a project after filming, the desire to return is strong, especially with a special cast and crew.
Reuniting with Eddie and the team felt seamless for the 32-year-old actor. The experience reached a new level when the cast had the opportunity to live together outside Los Angeles, a bonding experience not possible during the first season.
Canela revealed a previously untold story from production: three episodes were filmed off-location in California. This led to an unforgettable two-week stay for the entire team.
“We all went together for almost two weeks to a hotel outside California,” he recounted. “Imagine a hotel with almost 300 rooms, and they rented them all for the cast. It was completely empty, and it was just us and the production. We filmed during the day, and at night it was a party you can’t imagine.”
Canela laughed as he remembered seeing co-stars like Christine, Allison, Leslie, and even Carol Burnett at the hotel bar or restaurant. He noted it was the first time they had all spent such extended, uninterrupted time together, strengthening their bonds. This enhanced chemistry, he believes, will be evident on screen.
Another unexpected confession from Canela concerned his tennis skills, or lack thereof. He arrived on Palm Royale with a "technical problem."
“People said I was the best thing to come out of Cuba in tennis… and I didn’t even know how to play tennis,” he admitted, laughing. He clarified it was a joke that had been taken literally by production.
Canela had stated that the only person who would say he was a great Cuban tennis player was his mother. “It was a joke! But they took it literally, and my first day of filming was on a tennis court,” he recalled. Fortunately, production provided him with a specialized coach and a vintage racket, which he found easier to use than a modern one.
Eddie’s character is infused with Cuban flavor, thanks to Canela’s personal touches. He drew inspiration from his podcast with his father, ¿Pero por qué, papi?.
“My dad is a character. We call him ‘papitán,’” Canela explained. He would call his father between takes, asking, “Daddy, what are the funniest phrases you could say to a woman?” Many of these phrases were adapted for the series, though some had to be toned down.
The production team often found his Cuban expressions hilarious, even if they didn’t fully understand them. Co-star Allison frequently asked for explanations, discovering that direct translation often lost the original humor.
Canela also made a significant script change during filming. A line in the script stated that Cuba had “one of the best education systems in the world.” He felt that repeating this line without context would perpetuate inaccurate propaganda.
“It was so hard for me to say that line… I knew millions would hear it,” he confessed. After discussing his concerns with showrunner Abe Sylvia, Canela received full support. “He told me: ‘You are Cuban; what you say goes.’ And they allowed me to change it.”
Regarding his character’s arc in the new season, Canela teased a more ambitious Eddie. “In the first season, he was testing the waters. Now he has a plan,” Canela stated. “Eddie knows what he wants and goes with intention into that high society of Palm Beach.”
The second season of Palm Royale premiered on November 12. New episodes are released weekly until January 14, exclusively on Apple TV+.