Did you know that the character of James Bond was based on a Dominican man, Porfiro Rubirosa? He was a diplomat, international polo champion, pilot, race car driver, lived a Playboy lifestyle and spoke 5 languages. Rubirosa twice became the richest man in the world, and his story supposedly inspired the character of Bond from Ian Fleming’s franchise. Witness Docs’ Rubirosa shares his true story, hosted by Dominican-American author, storyteller and lifelong James Bond fan Christopher Rivas.
Rivas and Rubirosa share heritage, and Rivas wonders how his life might have changed if his heroes looked like him growing up. In the podcast, Rivas dives into questions about his life and Rubirosa. What can Rubirosa’s life teach Riva about identity, success, love, family, Hollywood, code-switching, and coming out? The series also explores Brownness and culture with Rivas, who grew up in New York.
Start the podcast from episode 1 to hear the full narrative, from how Rivas first learned about Rubirosa from a Vanity Fair article, through Rubirosa’s worldwide history. All episodes average less than 45 minutes, with new episodes released over the coming weeks.
From episode 2, we learn more about Rubirosa’s upbringing in Paris, his relationship with one of history’s most dangerous figures, and how he worked for one of the bloodiest dictators in Latin American history. We hear about some of Rubirosa’s interactions, why he was being watched by the FBI and would randomly disappear for long periods of time. Episode 3 investigates whether this character actually set the stage for James Bond.
In the series, Rivas talks about his roots, life experiences with old friends, and talks with those who knew Rubirosa. Rivas does a great job investigating and connecting the past to the present with some cultural analysis as well.
Tune in every week for new episodes of Rubirosa wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.
