Wilson Cruz
Encyclopedia
Wilson Cruz is an American
actor
, known for playing Rickie Vasquez
on My So-Called Life
and a recurring character
on Noah's Arc
. As an openly gay
person of Afro-Puerto Rican ancestry, he has served as an advocate for gay youth, especially gay youth of color.
to his parents as gay, first to his mother and then his father. While his mother was initially hurt and shocked, she eventually accepted the news. His father, however, threw him out of the house, and Cruz spent the next few months living in his car and at the homes of friends. He later reconciled with his father.
TV series My So-Called Life
. In one episode (entitled "So-Called Angels") drawn from Cruz's own life, Rickie comes out to his family, who throw him out of the house.
Following My So-Called Lifes cancellation, Cruz went on to play J. Edgar Hoover
's servant Joaquin in Oliver Stone's
film Nixon
and had a small role in the television movie On Seventh Avenue. In 1996, he appeared with David Arquette
as Mikey in Johns
, about the day-to-day struggles of male prostitutes. In 1998, he portrayed Angel in the Broadway
production of RENT
and in 2000 played Victor in the final season of Party of Five
.
Cruz's other acting credits include the films Joyride
(1996), All Over Me (1997), Supernova (2000), Party Monster (2003), Coffee Date
(2007) and Margaret Cho's "Bam Bam & Celeste
(2008) He's Just Not That Into You
(2009); the television film The Perfect Pitch (2002); and guest appearances on the series Great Scott!, Sister, Sister
, ER
, Ally McBeal
, The West Wing, Noah's Arc
, and Grey's Anatomy
. Cruz starred as Adrian in the film Ode
(2007), based on the novel Ode to Lata by Ghalib Shiraz Dhalla.
youth, especially youth of color. He has volunteered his time as host for the Youth Zone, an online community at Gay.com
for LGBT youth. He was the Grand Marshall of the 1998 West Hollywood Gay Pride parade and the 2005 Chicago Pride Parade
. In 2008, he was the keynote speaker at the University of Illinois at Chicago
's Lavender Graduation and Rainbow Banquet honoring graduating LGBT students.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, known for playing Rickie Vasquez
My So-Called Life
My So-Called Life is an American teen drama television series created by Winnie Holzman and produced by Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz. It originally aired on ABC from August 25, 1994, to January 26, 1995 and was distributed by The Bedford Falls Company with ABC Productions. Set at the...
on My So-Called Life
My So-Called Life
My So-Called Life is an American teen drama television series created by Winnie Holzman and produced by Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz. It originally aired on ABC from August 25, 1994, to January 26, 1995 and was distributed by The Bedford Falls Company with ABC Productions. Set at the...
and a recurring character
Recurring character
A recurring character is a fictional character, usually in a prime time TV series, who appears from time to time during the series' run. Recurring characters often play major roles in an episode, sometimes being the main focus...
on Noah's Arc
Noah's Arc (TV series)
Noah's Arc is an American cable television dramedy. The series, which predominantly features gay black and Latino characters, focused on many socially relevant issues, including same sex dating, same-sex marriage, same-sex parenthood, HIV and AIDS awareness, infidelity, promiscuity, homophobia, gay...
. As an openly gay
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
person of Afro-Puerto Rican ancestry, he has served as an advocate for gay youth, especially gay youth of color.
Early life
Wilson Cruz was born in Brooklyn, New York to parents of Afro-Puerto Rican descent. At age 19, Cruz came outComing out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
to his parents as gay, first to his mother and then his father. While his mother was initially hurt and shocked, she eventually accepted the news. His father, however, threw him out of the house, and Cruz spent the next few months living in his car and at the homes of friends. He later reconciled with his father.
Acting career
After coming out to his parents, Cruz went to Hollywood to seek work as an actor, intending to be open about his sexuality from the beginning of his career. In 1994 he was cast as Enrique "Rickie" Vasquez, a troubled gay teen, in the short-lived critically acclaimed cult classicCult Classic
Cult Classic is a Blue Öyster Cult studio recording released in 1994, containing remakes of many of the band's previous hits.-Track listing:# " The Reaper" - 5:05# "E.T.I...
TV series My So-Called Life
My So-Called Life
My So-Called Life is an American teen drama television series created by Winnie Holzman and produced by Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz. It originally aired on ABC from August 25, 1994, to January 26, 1995 and was distributed by The Bedford Falls Company with ABC Productions. Set at the...
. In one episode (entitled "So-Called Angels") drawn from Cruz's own life, Rickie comes out to his family, who throw him out of the house.
Following My So-Called Lifes cancellation, Cruz went on to play J. Edgar Hoover
J. Edgar Hoover
John Edgar Hoover was the first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States. Appointed director of the Bureau of Investigation—predecessor to the FBI—in 1924, he was instrumental in founding the FBI in 1935, where he remained director until his death in 1972...
's servant Joaquin in Oliver Stone's
Oliver Stone
William Oliver Stone is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Stone became well known in the late 1980s and the early 1990s for directing a series of films about the Vietnam War, for which he had previously participated as an infantry soldier. His work frequently focuses on...
film Nixon
Nixon (film)
Nixon is a 1995 American biographical film directed by Oliver Stone for Cinergi Pictures that tells the story of the political and personal life of former US President Richard Nixon, played by Anthony Hopkins....
and had a small role in the television movie On Seventh Avenue. In 1996, he appeared with David Arquette
David Arquette
David Arquette is an American actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, fashion designer, and occasional professional wrestler. A member of the Arquette acting family, he first became known during the mid 1990s after starring in several Hollywood films, such as the Scream series, Wild Bill and...
as Mikey in Johns
Johns (film)
Johns is a 1996 American drama film starring David Arquette and Lukas Haas, who portray hustlers who work Santa Monica Boulevard. The title refers both to the slang term for a sex client and to several characters in the film named John .Johns was one of several films dealing with this subject...
, about the day-to-day struggles of male prostitutes. In 1998, he portrayed Angel in the Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
production of RENT
Rent (musical)
Rent is a rock musical with music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson based on Giacomo Puccini's opera La bohème...
and in 2000 played Victor in the final season of Party of Five
Party of Five
Party of Five is an American teen drama television series that aired on Fox for six seasons, from September 12, 1994, until May 3, 2000.Critically acclaimed, the show suffered from low ratings and after its first season was slated for cancellation...
.
Cruz's other acting credits include the films Joyride
Joyride (1996 film)
-Plot:A bored motel clerk and his buddies go for a little joy ride in a woman's car. They don't realize until it is too late that she is a paid assassin only known as Ms. Smith and that her latest victim is in the trunk...
(1996), All Over Me (1997), Supernova (2000), Party Monster (2003), Coffee Date
Coffee Date
Coffee Date is a 2006 independent film written and directed by Stewart Wade and released by BrownBag Productions. Originally a short film by Wade, it was expanded into a feature and played at various film festivals....
(2007) and Margaret Cho's "Bam Bam & Celeste
He's Just Not That into You (film)
He's Just Not That Into You is a 2009 American romantic comedy film directed by Ken Kwapis, based on the self-help book of the same name by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo, which in turn was inspired by a line of dialogue in Sex and the City...
(2008) He's Just Not That Into You
He's Just Not That Into You
He's Just Not That Into You is a self-improvement book written by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo that was published in 2004 and later adapted into a film by the same name...
(2009); the television film The Perfect Pitch (2002); and guest appearances on the series Great Scott!, Sister, Sister
Sister, Sister (TV series)
Sister, Sister is an American television sitcom about identical twin girls Tia Landry and Tamera Campbell , who were separated and adopted at birth, when one day they come face-to-face after 14 years apart....
, ER
ER (TV series)
ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
, Ally McBeal
Ally McBeal
Ally McBeal is an American legal comedy-drama series which aired on the Fox network from 1997 to 2002. The series was created by David E. Kelley, who also served as the executive producer, along with Bill D'Elia...
, The West Wing, Noah's Arc
Noah's Arc (TV series)
Noah's Arc is an American cable television dramedy. The series, which predominantly features gay black and Latino characters, focused on many socially relevant issues, including same sex dating, same-sex marriage, same-sex parenthood, HIV and AIDS awareness, infidelity, promiscuity, homophobia, gay...
, and Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
. Cruz starred as Adrian in the film Ode
Ode
Ode is a type of lyrical verse. A classic ode is structured in three major parts: the strophe, the antistrophe, and the epode. Different forms such as the homostrophic ode and the irregular ode also exist...
(2007), based on the novel Ode to Lata by Ghalib Shiraz Dhalla.
Involvement in LGBT community
Cruz works with and advocates on behalf of LGBTLGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
youth, especially youth of color. He has volunteered his time as host for the Youth Zone, an online community at Gay.com
Gay.com
gay.com is a chat, personals, and social networking website catering to the LGBT community. The site is a digital brand of Here Media Inc. In addition to community features, the site features LGBT-related news and features. As of September 2005, San Jose Mercury News ranked gay.com as the most...
for LGBT youth. He was the Grand Marshall of the 1998 West Hollywood Gay Pride parade and the 2005 Chicago Pride Parade
Chicago Pride Parade
The Chicago Pride Parade, also colloquially called the Chicago Gay Pride Parade or PRIDE Chicago, is the annual gay pride parade held on the last Sunday of June in Chicago, Illinois in the United States...
. In 2008, he was the keynote speaker at the University of Illinois at Chicago
University of Illinois at Chicago
The University of Illinois at Chicago, or UIC, is a state-funded public research university located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its campus is in the Near West Side community area, near the Chicago Loop...
's Lavender Graduation and Rainbow Banquet honoring graduating LGBT students.
Television
- My So-Called LifeMy So-Called LifeMy So-Called Life is an American teen drama television series created by Winnie Holzman and produced by Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz. It originally aired on ABC from August 25, 1994, to January 26, 1995 and was distributed by The Bedford Falls Company with ABC Productions. Set at the...
(1994–1995), Enrique 'Rickie' Vasquez - 19 episodes - On Seventh Avenue (1996), Reuben Diaz
- Sister, SisterSister, Sister (TV series)Sister, Sister is an American television sitcom about identical twin girls Tia Landry and Tamera Campbell , who were separated and adopted at birth, when one day they come face-to-face after 14 years apart....
(1996), Bobby - 1 episode - Ally McBealAlly McBealAlly McBeal is an American legal comedy-drama series which aired on the Fox network from 1997 to 2002. The series was created by David E. Kelley, who also served as the executive producer, along with Bill D'Elia...
(1997), Steven/Stephanie - 1 episode - Party of FiveParty of FiveParty of Five is an American teen drama television series that aired on Fox for six seasons, from September 12, 1994, until May 3, 2000.Critically acclaimed, the show suffered from low ratings and after its first season was slated for cancellation...
(1999–2000), Victor - 11 episodes - ERER (TV series)ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
(2002), Jeffrey Cruz - 1 episode - The West Wing (2004), as Jack Sosa - 2 episodes
- The CloserThe CloserThe Closer is an American crime drama, starring Kyra Sedgwick as Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson, a Georgia police detective who often closes her cases using sometimes-questionable methods...
(2005), Man in Bar - 1 episode - Noah's ArcNoah's Arc (TV series)Noah's Arc is an American cable television dramedy. The series, which predominantly features gay black and Latino characters, focused on many socially relevant issues, including same sex dating, same-sex marriage, same-sex parenthood, HIV and AIDS awareness, infidelity, promiscuity, homophobia, gay...
(2005–2006), Junito - 7 episodes - MonkMonk (TV series)Monk is an American comedy-drama detective mystery television series created by Andy Breckman and starring Tony Shalhoub as the titular character, Adrian Monk. It originally ran from 2002 to 2009 and is primarily a mystery series, although it has dark and comic touches.The series debuted on July...
(2006), Smoking Technician - 1 episode - Navy NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative ServiceNCIS (TV series)NCIS, formerly known as NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, is an American police procedural drama television series revolving around a fictional team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which conducts criminal investigations involving the U.S...
(2007), Todd Ryder - 1 episode - Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in All the WorldRick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in All the WorldRick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in All the World is an American-Canadian stop motion animated sitcom created by Q. Allan Brocka, who also acts as director. It is a spin off from Brocka's 1999 short film of the same name, and debuted on the LGBT focused Logo network in July 2007 and on the...
(2007 - ), Evan - 2 seasons - Raising the BarRaising the Bar (TV series)Raising the Bar is an American legal drama, which ran on TNT network from September 1, 2008 to December 24, 2009. The series revolves around a group of lawyer friends who find themselves on opposite sides of the criminal law.-Production:...
(2008 - ), Rafael de la Cruz - 3 episodes - Pushing Daisies June 13, 2009 (US), Sid Tango - 1 episode
- Grey's Anatomy December 2, 2010 (US), Kyle - 1 episode
- Single Ladies (TV series)Single Ladies (TV series)Single Ladies is a television series on the VH1 network in the U.S. created by Stacy A. Littlejohn and produced by Queen Latifah's Flavor Unit Entertainment for the MTV network-owned cable channel. The show chronicles three friends, Val, Keisha and April, and their relationships...
July 18, 2011 (US), Vincent - 2 episode
Film
- NixonNixon (film)Nixon is a 1995 American biographical film directed by Oliver Stone for Cinergi Pictures that tells the story of the political and personal life of former US President Richard Nixon, played by Anthony Hopkins....
(1995), Joaquin (Hoover's servant) - Beat the Bash (1996), Kevin
- johnsJohns (film)Johns is a 1996 American drama film starring David Arquette and Lukas Haas, who portray hustlers who work Santa Monica Boulevard. The title refers both to the slang term for a sex client and to several characters in the film named John .Johns was one of several films dealing with this subject...
(1996), Mikey - JoyrideJoyride (1996 film)-Plot:A bored motel clerk and his buddies go for a little joy ride in a woman's car. They don't realize until it is too late that she is a paid assassin only known as Ms. Smith and that her latest victim is in the trunk...
(1996), James - All Over Me (1997), Jesse
- Supernova (2000), Benj Sotomejor
- Party Monster (2003), Angel
- Bam Bam and Celeste (2005), Tony
- Coffee DateCoffee DateCoffee Date is a 2006 independent film written and directed by Stewart Wade and released by BrownBag Productions. Originally a short film by Wade, it was expanded into a feature and played at various film festivals....
(2006), Kelly - The OdeThe OdeThe Odd is a 2008 film directed by Nilanjan Neil Lahiri and starring Sachin Bhatt, Wilson Cruz and Sakina Jaffrey. The film is an adaptation of the critically acclaimed novel, Ode to Lata by Ghalib Shiraz Dhalla...
(2008), Adrian - He's Just Not that into YouHe's Just Not That into You (film)He's Just Not That Into You is a 2009 American romantic comedy film directed by Ken Kwapis, based on the self-help book of the same name by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo, which in turn was inspired by a line of dialogue in Sex and the City...
(2009), Nathan - Green Flash (2009), Kyle
- The People I've Slept WithThe People I've Slept WithThe People I've Slept With is a 2009 Canadian sex-comedy film directed by Quentin Lee....
(2009), Gabriel
Stage
- RENTRent (musical)Rent is a rock musical with music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson based on Giacomo Puccini's opera La bohème...
(1998), Angel - A Perfect Wedding (2003), Julian
- Tick, Tick... BOOM!Tick, Tick... BOOM!Tick, Tick... Boom! is a musical written by American composer Jonathan Larson, who won a Pulitzer and two Tony Awards for his musical Rent. Tick Tick Boom tells the story of an aspiring composer named Jon, who lives in New York City in 1990. Jon is worried he has made the wrong career choice to...
(2005), Michael
See also
- List of famous Puerto Ricans