As much as I love her, and loved working with Calista, Jane and all of those people, Stephanie wouldn’t be a role I’d take on today. As for Stephanie on Ally McBeal, as problematic as we now know that episode was, it was an opportunity to convey the humanity and struggle of a person in the midst of their transition. Once again, I could use my art as activism, as we told the story of people living with AIDS. So, to have had the opportunity to play the iconic role of Angel, was literally, a dream come true. Growing up as a theatre nerd and, later, a theatre major in college, all I ever wanted to do was be on Broadway. Other than the fact that you are strikingly beautiful as a transgender woman, what were your thoughts on these roles? You played Angel in Rent, who, in my humble opinion, is the most interesting character in the Broadway musical, and one of TV’s first transgender characters on Ally McBeal. Things really haven’t changed over the years. I knew that it would encourage other young LGBTQ people of color to see and love themselves and that outweighed any concern I had about ignorant or violent reactions. I had no idea what the response would be, but what I DID KNOW was how important that character would’ve been to me, personally, when I was 15 years old and I was and am so grateful to have had the chance to be that for someone else. It was exhilarating and exciting and, to be perfectly honest, scary. How did it feel to know that you would be one of the first opening gay teens on TV? I needed him as much as all of those people who have written to me through the years to tell me how much he meant to them. From being bullied to being thrown out of my home because of my sexual orientation, I was able to walk through those experiences and work through those feelings and MOVE ON! I think I turned out to be a different and better person because I got to be Rickie Vasquez.
#Wilson cruz ally mcbeal series#
I was 19 when we made the pilot and 20 when we made the series and playing 15 year old Rickie Vasquez was a cathartic experience that allowed me to go back and deal with a number of issues that effected me in very similar ways as they did Rickie. How did it feel to play this character that you could relate to so well?įirst, I should say, that I will ALWAYS carry Rickie Vasquez with me. One of your first roles was the character Rickie Vasquez on My So-Called Life, the first openly gay teen on a primetime network. I learned in those early years the importance and POWER of visibility and representation and, along with being an actor, it’s become my life’s work. We were and are living in revolutionary times and I believe, as I did then, that we must all use whatever tools we have at our disposal to work towards a more diverse, loving, educated and accepting society. When you add in the fact that I also came out publicly, at the time, it gave me the opportunity to give voice to those communities and our issues. Because he was a first in many ways, he was a beacon for so many LGBTQ people, people of color and those of us who exist at the intersection of these marginalized communities. My LGBTQ activism sprang directly from the overwhelming response to my first major role, Rickie Vasquez, on My So-Called Life. You have been quite the LGBTQ trailblazer over the years in media! When you went into acting, was this a goal of yours, or did you just fall into it?
I’m based in LA, but obviously, splitting my time between there and Toronto, these days.
I was born in Brooklyn, New York, but we were in Rialto, California, which is about 60 miles outside of LA, for most of my youth.
Please read further to learn more about this inspiring and joyous man, in Jejune’s exclusive interview with Wilson Cruz.įoreword by Kira Bucca, Editor in Chief of Jejune Magazine. Wilson does acknowledge that some communities need more help than others, which is why he also has been very active with the Latin LGBTQ communities, and was even the National Spokesperson for GLAAD. Having this voice in mainstream media has woke people to the struggles of the LGBTQ community, helped families better understand each other, and given the youth of today a much safer environment to grow up in. Unlike how Wilson grew up, he is making sure the LGBTQ community has a role model and presence they can look up to and relate to.
#Wilson cruz ally mcbeal tv#
From being the first openly gay teen on prime time TV as Rickie Vasquez on My So-Called Life, to playing Angel in the Broadway Rent, and now being half of the first openly gay relationship in Star Trek. Almost every role Wilson has taken on can be described as powerful, influential, and often trailblazing for the LGBTQ community. However, he is more than your typical actor. Witty, charming, and sexy as anything, Wilson Cruz has it all.
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