SANTIAGO OF THE SEAS - KEVIN CHACON AND NIKI LÓPEZ INTERVIEW

Kids can now sail away with their new animated swashbuckling pal, Santiago!

Calling all young pirates! Preschoolers will embark on swashbuckling adventures in Nickelodeon’s brand-new animated series Santiago of the Seas. Infused with a Spanish-language and Latino-Caribbean culture curriculum, the 20-episode action-adventure series follows 8-year-old Santiago “Santi” Montes, a brave and kind-hearted pirate, as he embarks on daring rescues, searches for treasures and keeps the high seas safe in a fantastical Caribbean world.

In the series, Santiago’s (Kevin Chacon) steadfast and loyal crew consists of: Tomás (Justice Quiroz), his clumsy energetic cousin whose magical guitar can be used to harness the wind; and Lorelai (Alyssa Cheatham), a knowledgeable mermaid who can speak to sea creatures and transform into a young human girl. Together, Santi and his best mates sail the seas on the majestic ship El Bravo, using their smarts, pirate skills and moral compasses to guard their home of Isla Encanto from villains like the nefarious pirate Bonnie Bones (Kyndra Sanchez) and her Palm Crow sidekick Sir Butterscotch (John Leguizamo).

Santiago of the Seas is created by and co-executive produced by Niki López. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, López’s childhood was fueled by adventure and an imagination cultivated by her tropical backdrop. Prior to López fulfilling her dream of creating her own series, her journey at Nickelodeon began as an intern in 2010. Most recently, she served as a color stylist on Nick’s animated series Glitch Techs, an adventure-comedy following two newly recruited kids as they battle video game monsters that come to life in the real world. She previously worked as a production assistant on Nick’s Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness and as a color stylist on The Fairly OddParents and Harvey Beaks, following a brief stint in advertising and as a freelance comic artist in Puerto Rico. 
 

Thirteen-year-old Kevin Chacon is the voice of Santiago “Santi” Montes. Chacon has appeared in a variety of theatre, commercial and TV projects, including Marvel’s critically acclaimed Jessica Jones on Netflix as “Vido;’’ the lead role in the renowned bilingual stage adaption of The Little Prince; and Nickelodeon promos for Double Dare, Hispanic Heritage Month and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Chacon is of Costa Rican heritage and a recipient of the Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors (HOLA) and Association of Critics of Entertainment (ACE) Awards for Emerging Artist of the Year. He loves spending time with his family, playing basketball, skateboarding, swimming, dancing and singing. 

I spoke with Kevin Chacon and Niki López about working on the show and why it is the perfect series for kids!

Santiago of the Seas Premieres Friday, October 9 @ 12:30 PM (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon