From his groundbreaking role as Ricky Vasquez in the 90s series “My So-Called Life” to his commanding performances on Broadway and in television series like “13 Reasons Why”, “Red Band Society” and the critically-acclaimed “Star Trek: Discovery”, which premieres its fifth and final season today on Paramount+, Wilson Cruz has continually pushed boundaries and shattered stereotypes, cementing his status as a trailblazer in the entertainment industry. Beyond his undeniable talent, Cruz’s journey is a testament to resilience and advocacy, as he fearlessly uses his platform to champion Afro-Latino and LGBTQ+ representation and social justice causes. In this conversation on Actors With Issues, we delve into the early days of his career, insights into how he’s overcome adversity and remained resilient, and guidance for young actors looking to break into the business.
Growing up, something stuck with him after seeing powerhouse performances like Rita Moreno in West Side Story that made him feel that there was a place for him in the entertainment industry and encouraged him to pursue his career unabashedly as his true self. “Finally there was somebody who looked like my tias and my cousins that I could point to who could prove to me that this was an option for me. She was my ‘possibility model’ as Laverne Cox likes to say,” he laughed. “I remember watching La Bamba, and Esai Morales in that powerful performance, or Raul Julia throughout his life. That was a beacon for me, that we could be taken seriously as artists. That we weren’t just here to shuffle along and dance but capable of using the arts to inform our experience. That was something I wanted to do.”
Some of Wilson’s earliest bookings included an episode of Unsolved Mysteries and a recurring role on the short-lived sitcom Great Scott! starring Tobey Maguire, where Cruz was part of a trio of boys who sang all of their lines in harmony. “You can see why it lasted so long,” he laughed. Then came along My So-Called Life, which starred a young Claire Danes and Jared Leto, and ran for a single season of 19 episodes despite critical acclaim, and a Golden Globe nomination for Danes. In the series, Cruz played Ricky Vasquez, a charming, sarcastic, and flamboyant student who is often bullied because of his sexuality, but unabashedly lives his truth. Cruz’s portrayal was lauded by critics and viewers, and the character was recognized as the first openly queer character on a primetime series, and the first queer character of color.
“I took away a real work ethic,” he said of his time on the series. “We were all young kids but we had veteran actors like Bess Armstrong and Tom Irwin and these prolific producers, I think that was the first time that I realized it was a job. Up until that time I was doing college plays and recurring roles where I didn’t have to be there every day. But there [I learned] how to be a professional actor. What goes into the preparation? What do I need in order to be at my best? I took away the difference between doing a play on a stage and that craft and how to adjust it appropriately for a camera that picks up every small detail of your performance.”
When we asked what it would have meant for Wilson to see a character like Ricky on a series when he was growing up, he spoke about the importance and impact of representation. “The reason that Rita and Raul were so important to me was that I saw some of myself in them. I always longed to feel represented and seen in TV and film, to make me feel like I was a part of the conversation. In terms of representation of queer people there was Harvey Fierstein, but he was a middle-aged white guy. I knew who he was because I needed some kind of representation but he didn’t represent me. So to have someone who I could look to and gave me permission to walk through the world with some confidence and that I was okay, that I wasn’t broken, would have changed everything about how I felt about how I fit into the world.
I’m glad that I was old enough while playing that role to understand how important it would be for people to see him. It was important for me to take seriously what the journey was going to be for the character because I knew what it was going to mean for me. It’s why I also felt compelled to be an out actor while I was playing it because I wanted young people who saw themselves in him, that I was taking responsibility for what we were putting out there, and that I stood by it. The fact that I still received messages from people who were changed just by seeing him is the gift that keeps on giving and continues to remind me, yeah we’re not solving world peace or curing cancer but we’re allowing people that they’re not alone and that they’re seen and that they belong here.”
During our fan-submitted Q&A portion, one particular fan praised Wilson’s on-screen relationship with his co-star and Rent alum Anthony Rapp and the impact of having the first openly gay characters and couple in the Star Trek universe, stating “characters like Culber lead to understanding, growth and humanizes people that politics and society increasingly dehumanizes.”
“I cannot describe the amount of joy it brings me to know that people are out there, who are seeing what we intended to send out, an epic love story that ended up including a chosen family, which is the queerest thing I can think of. We take care of each other and stand up for each other and in the end what we’re talking about is two people who fell in love, and sharing that with as many people as possible. I could not be prouder of the five seasons that I was a part of.”
Wilson Cruz’s journey through the entertainment industry is not merely a tale of talent and success, but a testament to the power of representation and resilience. As he embarks on new ventures, Cruz remains committed to using his platform to uplift marginalized voices and foster a more inclusive entertainment landscape.
You can see Wilson Cruz in the fifth and final season of Star Trek: Discovery, airing new episodes on Thursdays on Paramount+
