Nicole Wallace on 'The Culpables' Phenomenon: 'It's Hard For Me to Process It'

Nicole Wallace can’t quite believe the reach of The Culpables franchise. In her recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, she admits with a nervous laugh, “For a generation of people, this will be a big pop-culture moment in their lives — and I’m a big part of that.” For Wallace, who began her career as a teenager, the success of the Spanish-language trilogy still feels surreal. “I really don’t process it much,” she added. “I need to normalise it in a weird way to not go crazy. It’s been a huge ride.”

A still from 'Culpa Nuestra'.

That “ride” began with Culpa Mía, a modestly scaled Prime Video original that quickly snowballed into a phenomenon. The story — a young girl thrown into a complicated family dynamic and an even more complicated romance — struck a nerve with audiences worldwide. Its blend of YA angst, emotional intensity and ridiculously cool racing scenes, has since defined the franchise. “The weirdest part for me,” Wallace said, “is to be here talking to you, so far away from my home, from what I’m used to, and from what Spanish films and series are used to doing. There’s a very bridge now, thankfully, and everything is meshed together. But it’s incredible. It’s insane.”

The numbers back her up. Deadline described Culpa Tuya, the second film in the trilogy, as “Prime Video’s biggest international original” at the time of its release, underscoring how the streamer’s investment in Spanish-language content has paid off beyond expectations. And in India, The Economic Times reported that Culpa Nuestra — the final chapter — dropped on Amazon Prime Video on October 16, 2025, marking one of the few Spanish-language teen dramas to receive a coordinated global premiere across continents. While detailed viewership figures haven’t been publicly disclosed, the series’ continued presence on Prime’s trending lists in markets like Brazil, the U.K., and India tells its own story.

For Wallace, fame didn’t come overnight. Her breakout moment arrived years earlier with Scam, a show that, like Culpables, spawned multiple international remakes. “Starting in a show with so many remakes all over the world and being able to be connected to so many places has completely helped,” she said. That experience taught her how to stay grounded amid global recognition — and how to collaborate on ensemble projects. “I learned everything on that show,” she explained. “I was 16, had never gone to acting school, just knew that I really liked doing auditions. They showed me everything I know now — how to stand on the mark, how important lighting is, and how to be present in every single take.”

Still, The Culpables feels different. Wallace’s relationship with her character Noah has grown over the years, evolving alongside her own coming-of-age. “I was 20 when I started; I’m 23 now. Noah is 18 and then she’s 22, so we’re kind of in the same age gap,” she said. “Feeling the frustration, sadness and anger of those years has been very real. It’s been nice to go through it with her.”

In many ways, that’s exactly why The Culpables works — it captures both the novelty of experiencing things for the first time and also, the strange magic of growing up in front of the world. Wallace may still be learning to “normalise” her fame, but judging by the franchise’s global impact, she’s become the face of a new era of international storytelling — one that proves Spanish-language drama can rule streaming charts just as powerfully as Hollywood hits.