![]() ![]() “And this year especially, with all of the heinous laws that we're seeing about trans students in sports, that this year really is about how we support our trans siblings and young people at a time in which they are under attack.” Cruz, seen with co-stars Anthony Rapp, Ian Alexander and Blu del Barrio, plays Dr. ![]() “I think Pride now for me is really about how I help invite more and more people into this community, really expressing that sense of community to the greater culture, but also to the entire LGBTQ community, to remind people that we have each other's backs.” he said. To top it all off, Cruz is this year’s grand marshal of the virtual New York City Pride March. "His performance on ‘Star Trek: Discovery,’ as well as performances in the films, TV shows, and animated programs that he has appeared on are not only powerful storytelling, but examples of inclusion that pave the way for more LGBTQ talent in Hollywood.” Mark Seliger / Walt Disney Television via Getty ImagesĬruz, who was 20 when the show premiered on ABC, reflected on what a character like Rickie would have meant to him when he was in high school. Langer (Rayanne Graff), Wilson Cruz (Rickie Vasquez), Lisa Wilhoit (Danielle Chase), Devon Odessa (Sharon Cherski) and Devon Gummersall (Brian Krakow). And so to me, that was fuel for an entire career - not just finishing that show, but I understood the power and responsibility of what I did.” Claire Danes (second from right) starred in "My So-Called Life," along with Jared Leto (Jordan Catalano), A.J. “But I did receive a couple of letters and one of them, I remember quite vividly, was written in pen and you could see where the teardrops had fallen onto the page and smeared the ink, where he described to me how miserable his life was, and how seeing this character helped him understand that he just had to hold on a little longer, so that he could be around people who would someday understand. “I didn't get a lot of fan mail, because I think a lot of the young people who were affected by Rickie Vasquez in the moment didn't have the capacity to really put it into words,” he said. So, this was somebody who was truly figuring themselves out, and his arc in those 19 episodes, we get to see him from beginning this journey to actually realizing and being able to communicate the fact that he was gay.”Ĭruz said it wasn’t until about four or five years after “My So-Called Life” ended that he fully understood the character’s impact on young viewers. “He didn't hang out in the boys’ room he hung out in the girls’ room, because that's where he was comfortable, but he didn't consider himself trans. “I understood that this was somebody who lived in the in-between worlds, like he wasn't fully Black, he wasn't fully Puerto Rican, he considered himself bisexual,” Cruz said. Rickie, who sported eyeliner and a colorful wardrobe, brought a powerful authenticity to the critically acclaimed teen drama, which aired for just one season.Ĭruz recalled Rickie’s description during the audition as “15, half Black, half Puerto Rican, androgynous, like Jodie Foster in ‘Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore.’” ![]() And he was doing that for everybody who saw themselves in him.” Wilson Cruz opened up about playing Rickie Vasquez on "My So-Called Life." Mark Seliger / Walt Disney Television via Getty Images He was somebody who was demanding to be seen. “I mean, up until that point, we were the sidekicks, and the people that were always thought of after the fact, but Rickie Vasquez forced you to notice him,” he continued. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |