The last time I spoke with Ricky Martin, he was a bit emotional. Mostly anxious.

His nerves were getting the best of him as his acting skills were about to be on full display. Martin was one of the stars of The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, the tense TV anthology exploring the murder of the iconic designer that aired in the first quarter of 2018 on the FX network. The international pop star played the role of Antonio D’Amico, a model and designer and Versace’s longtime partner.

“It was very challenging, a very dramatic story and I had some really insanely deep scenes,” he said. “I get a little emotional just talking about it because the level of focus you need to do a good job as an actor portraying a man suffering the loss of his partner, it’s heavy.”

It was a big job, but he wouldn’t want it any other way. Martin is a born performer, a fact that’s obvious to anyone who’s seen his show All In at Park Theater at Park MGM. “I said yes to the role because we need to talk about this and shed some light on this story,” he said. “It feels great every time you finish a scene but it’s also very nerve-wracking. Once you do the shot, you can’t go back.”

Since Assassination aired to great reviews—86 percent on Rotten Tomatoes—Martin has returned to his electrifying residency on the Strip and continues to thrill audiences with English and Spanish hits. He also released the fiery new single, “Fiebre,” with reggaeton duo and fellow Puerto Ricans Wisin and Yandel and returned to Las Vegas yet again to open the Billboard Latin Music Awards at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.

Ricky Martin’s success spills over to the Strip