Wilson Cruz Biography

American actor Wilson Cruz is best known for his roles as Rickie Vasquez on "My So-Called Life" and Junito on "Noah's Arc." He has fought for homosexual kids, especially gay adolescents of color, as an openly gay man of Puerto Rican origin. Cruz revealed his sexual orientation to his parents at the age of 19, first his mother and later his father. Initially saddened and horrified, his mother finally came to terms with the news. However, his father was not as understanding. Cruz moved to Hollywood to look for employment as an actor after coming out to his parents with the intention of being honest about his sexuality from the start of his career. He played the tormented gay kid Enrique "Rickie" Vasquez in the critically praised but short-lived cult classic "My So Called Life" in 1994. Cruz based the character on himself; when Rickie comes out to his family, they kick him out of the house. Cruz went on to play J. Edgar Hoover's butler Joaquin in Oliver Stone's movie "Nixon" and had a brief part in the television film "On Seventh Avenue" after "My So-Called Life" was canceled. He played Angel in the Broadway version of "RENT" in 1998, and Victor in the show's final season in 2000. Recent appearances include "Red Band Society," a Fox drama. Cruz works with and represents LGBT adolescents, particularly LGBT youth of color. He has offered his time to serve as the presenter of Gay.com's online LGBT youth community, the Youth Zone. He served as the grand marshal for both the 2005 Chicago Pride Parade and the 1998 West Hollywood Gay Pride Parade. At the University of Illinois at Chicago's Lavender Graduation and Rainbow Banquet, which celebrated graduating LGBT students, he served as the keynote speaker in 2008. Cruz joined the GLAAD board of directors in 1997 to help the group through a leadership transition, and in 2012 he became a National Spokesperson and Strategic Giving Officer on the organization's staff.

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