Wilson Cruz

New-York native actor Wilson Cruz’s continues his role in “Star Trek: Discovery.” In season 4, he plays Hugh Culber, an openly gay character. Cruz began his acting career appearing in plays as early as age 7. Since then, his steady rise to fame as an LGBTQ+ icon in the industry has seen him appear in series such as 13 Reasons Why and My So-Called Life. Being of Puerto Rican heritage as well, he hopes his roles will bring more people of color into the spotlight of the TV industry.

Leather Jacket by ALLSAINTS
Leather Pants by John Varvatos
Hat by Leather Man

Has anything about your role as Hugh Culber been different from other roles of your recent past?
There’s so much about Hugh Culber that is different from so many other roles I’ve played. Star Trek and Discovery, specifically, afford every member of this cast to explore every aspect of their character’s lives, from their occupations and duties on the ship to their interpersonal relationships, in my case, my relationship to my life partner and the young people we’ve taken under our wing, allows for a more three-dimensional approach to this work. Hugh has such a sense of duty to everyone in his life, from his patients to his family, and he finds so much fulfillment and happiness in showing up for all of them in meaningful ways. That said, there is a cost to taking it all on and this season, we get a very real sense of that.

What challenges have you face being both a Latinx and openly gay actor?
I think the biggest challenge throughout my career has been finding work in an industry that, up until recently, didn’t acknowledge the lack of opportunities for LGBTQ actors of color. So much of my experience has been finding the good roles that were open to me or, in my case, finding the roles that, with some collaboration, I could make better or more accurate. It’s also been a challenge to convince content creators that the characters they envisioned don’t necessarily have to be a white straight CIS gendered men and giving them a good enough reason, in my audition, to change their minds. I’ve always had a steeper hill to climb, in the respect.

What changes have you seen within the industry regarding the inclusion of actors/actresses of color and of the LGBTQ+ community?
I think the biggest changes I’ve seen in terms of LGBTQ visibility have been on television. I took a couple of years off to work at GLAAD, specifically to work on this issue, and I really believe the conversations we had with networks and content creators, at that time, allowed them to see, not only how important inclusivity and visibility are for the community and the powerful storytelling opportunities for them, but also alerting them to the money they were leaving on the table by NOT being more inclusive. I have to tip my proverbial hat to Shonda Rhimes and Ryan Murphy, who really understood this and provided (and continue to provide) models for how to do it well and successfully. Now, if we can only get the film industry and those studios to get the message. That’s where the work still needs to be done.

**Left:**
Leather Jacket by ALLSAINTS
Leather Pants by John Varvatos
Hat by Leather Man
**Right:**
Leather Jacket by John Varvatos
Denim by ALLSAINTS
Boot by Florsheim Shoes

Your acting career started at an early age. How has acting changed for you as you’ve matured?
Oh, I think, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve grown more trusting of myself and my instrument. I think when I was younger, I didn’t quite understand that I was enough: that my life experience, my human experience, was enough to inform the humanity of the character. I’ve always been a bit of a risk taker, and I’ve grown to trust my instincts much more. It’s a life lesson: YOU ARE ENOUGH! It’s powerful and when you understand that you will unleash a creative force inside of you that you didn’t even know you had.

If you weren’t acting, what else would you pursue instead?
I’ve had the chance to think about that a lot! Ha-Ha. I think if I hadn’t chosen to pursue acting I would’ve been a teacher. Probably jr. high or high school. Probably would’ve even an English/theatre teacher. If I’d given up midstream, at some point, I would probably be working at an LGBTQ non-profit, like GLAAD or The Task Force. I get to nurture those instincts, now as a member of GLSEN’S national board.

From whom/where do you take inspiration from when acting?
Oh, I find inspiration in so many places in my daily life. This season of “Star Trek Discovery,” for instance, I was overwhelmingly inspired by the doctors and nurses who sacrificed EVERYTHING, including their own lives, in order to save all of us from a virus we knew NOTHING about. Like firefighters fighting fires, they ran into the danger when so much was unknown, when there was so much we still had to learn about how this virus worked and killed. I will forever be in awe of that sense of duty. This season is dedicated to them and the therapists we ALL relied on to survive the last two years.

What is your favorite and/or proudest moment in your career?
That’s so hard to answer because I am so very proud of the work I’m currently doing. However, I think it’s undeniable to me that Rickie Vasquez on “My So-Called Life” saved, and continues to save, lives in just 19 episodes. The fact that that show has endured and continues to find an audience almost 30 years later and has the effect it has on queer young people, like it does, will stay with me for my entire life. I set out to build an army of queer young people who know their worth, and I think I can safely say I’ve been able to do that.

How do you usually decide which roles you want to pursue?
Well, to be honest, in the beginning, after “My So-Called Life,” it was really about what rooms and projects could I get access to. I think I made some great choices right off the bat, an indie film called “All Over Me,” “Angel in the LA,” and Broadway productions of RENT. When I when I finished RENT, I was asked to join the last season of “Party of Five.” Those projects really created the trajectory of my career. I was and continue to seek out projects that create a broader and more diverse understanding of our community. I want to be involved with and collaborate on projects with strong writing and character driven stories that illuminate LGBTQ life. With Discovery, it was important to be a part of something that would allow us to dream about who we could become.

Denim by John Varvatos
Leather Jacket by ALLSAINTS
Harness by Leather Man
Arm Band by SHAG

How has the TV industry changed for you in the past few years? What changes have you noticed due to the pandemic?
Discovery was one of the first productions after the initial shut down. We were part of the creation of the protocols that the entire industry would eventually incorporate into our work in order to continue. It called for lots of testing, three times a week for the actors; zoning that kept departments socially distanced as much as possible; and minimum of interaction with cast outside of work, in order to minimize any possibility of infection. These protocols worked. There was some adjustment to the pace of the workdays and the slower process was something that I had a hard time with at first, but I found myself shifting the way I approach my work, in the moment, that, I think kept me present and alive in the work. Actors have to play some mind games with themselves, sometimes, in order to believe the circumstances of the scenes, and there was definitely a lot of that for me, this season. I’ll say this, though, I never got Covid and I felt very safe on set. I’m so grateful to our crew, who really endured the worst of it and worked the long hours to make it all happen. Our crew is amazing.

When you’re not acting, what is your go-to hobby or activity?
I love my time at the gym and on the yoga mat, and I try to find time every day to do both. I’m an avid reader and I found myself with a lot of time to read many books I’ve always wanted to read and also read some books that my fellow avid reader, Anthony Rapp, recommended. Now, that we’re on hiatus, I’m taking the time to make a home here, in Long Island City, and spending some quality time with my brother and his family, who live here in LIC and includes my 3-year-old nephew, whom I’m getting reacquainted with after being away for so long. I’m also a member of GLSEN’s national board and I’m devoting more time to that work, these days, because I believe, wholeheartedly, in their mission of making every school in this country a safe space for LGBTQ students.

What are your socials?
Twitter and Instagram: @wcruz73

Leather Trench Coat by Martin Asbjorn
Denim by John Varvatos
Cuff by SHAG

CREW CREDITS:
Creative Director + Photographer + Producer: Mike Ruiz
Talent: Wilson Cruz
Fashion Stylist: Alison Hernon at Agency Gerard Artists
Groomer: Niko Weddle at Judy Casey Inc. using Nars Cosmetics and Eco Style
Fashion Styling Intern: Christina St. Clair
Tearsheets: Daniel López, Junior Art Director, PhotoBook Magazine
Interview: Katherine Harbold, Contributor, PhotoBook Magazine
Studio: Your Space NJ