‘And Just Like That…’’s Ivan Hernandez on Producing Che’s Podcast and Kissing Carrie in the Elevator

Speaking of the podcast: Even though you’re not very online, are you privy to the internet dialogue around Che Diaz? I have to ask you—as Che’s podcast producer—about the backlash and the parodies.

I have heard a little bit about that discussion. I think things are changing a lot in our culture and very quickly in the last few years, so a lot of people are gonna have a lot of opinions about it. But I think it’s wonderful to have those discussions and I think Sara is a wonderful human being and a brave person and I think it was a wonderful and brave for the show to put that character on television.

People are so obsessed with the show that they’re assessing X, Y and Me as if it were a real podcast—Vulture wrote about Che Diaz’s departure as such. Fans have noted that it’s sort of a hybrid-genre, with live calls and shock-jock elements. Playing Franklyn, did you think creatively about the podcast you were fictionally producing?

We were laughing on the set, too. I’m not an expert at podcasts—I don’t really listen to them—but we were talking about them, like, “Do they really have callers call in for podcasts?” [Laughs.] Also, that we had such a nice set. You know, most people are, like, in their garage, right? We had the high-end podcast going on.

Did the creators borrow your last name for Franklyn, or was it always Hernandez?

We haven’t discussed it, but I assume they did borrow it, yeah. My dad’s from Guatemala. He was born and raised there and, I think in 1969, moved to New York City. He met my mom in New Orleans, then they drove to San Francisco in a VW bus, and I was born there.

How was it shaped your worldview, being the child of an immigrant?

You’re definitely influenced by it, in things that you’re aware of and some things you’re not aware of. My dad being from Guatemala, a country where you really have to worry about getting enough to eat, it definitely shapes your worldview. The most important thing for him was to be able to work and earn enough money to support a family. You see that growing up and you’re grateful for what you have, and you’re also aware of the rest of the world not being as fortunate. So, it makes me feel lucky. It makes me feel lucky to be doing something that I love, and not just to survive.