Ana de la Reguera on her ‘Leopard Skin’ role: ‘She drops a bomb and leaves’

Ana de la Reguera said her new show, “Leopard Skin,” allowed her to play a character who felt new. 

“I’ve never played anyone like her, someone who has a lot of imagination,” de la Reguera, 45, told The Post. “She lives her life through telenovela, and she’s kind of naïve. All these things that character had were very attractive for me.” 

Now streaming on Peacock, “Leopard Skin” is a thriller set in a remote beachside estate in Mexico, where former documentarian Alba Fontana (Carla Gugino, “The Haunting of Hill House”) lives.

When a criminal gang that includes Fausto Malone (Gentry White) flees a botched heist, they take shelter at the estate. While Alba is having a dinner party with TV producer Max (Philip Winchester) and his flighty girlfriend Maru (Amelia Eve), the gang takes everyone hostage — and matters spiral out of control.

Alba’s kleptomaniac former housekeeper, Inocencia (de la Reguera), stops by at the wrong time and gets in on the action too. 

“It’s a thriller, but the way it was written – I’ve never done this kind of tone,” said de la Reguera, who’s also known for “Narcos,” “Eastbound & Down,” “Goliath” and the 2021 Zack Snyder zombie movie “Army of the Dead.”

“I just feel like she’s this person who you can trust. She’s one of those people who really are there for you no matter what. She’s sweet, and she’s fun, and she cares about everyone and wants you to be happy.

“What I love is that she would get into the scenes, drop a bomb and leave. She gives pieces of information that are important to the story, then disappears. I don’t want to say she’s the comic relief, but every time she’s there, the tone is a little lighter.” 

Though the show is set in Mexico, it was filmed in the Dominican Republic.

“It was one of the most gorgeous places I had ever shot in,” said de la Reguera. “It was in the middle of the pandemic, and it was hard because we were only 25 people including crew, cast members, makeup, wardrobe, producers…We couldn’t see anyone or leave the resort.”

“We were just there and did it all ourselves. I’m proud of that. We did this in different conditions…that was the only way it would be released this year,” she added.

De la Reguera, who is Mexican, is based in Los Angeles. She has worked English- and Spanish-language projects throughout her career. 

“I like doing both types of jobs,” she said. “Sometimes when it’s been a long time just doing things in English, I get used to the language, and when I switch to Spanish projects, it’s kind of funny because the first few days, I feel weird.”

“I do judge myself more when I act in Spanish because i know how I sound. And in English, I don’t. So [English] is harder because it’s not my first language, but I don’t judge myself as much. It’s an interesting process,” she concluded.