Harvey Guillén Believed He Couldn’t Succeed in Hollywood as a Fat … – Them
Over the course of four seasons, What We Do in the Shadows star Harvey Guillén has slayed (pun intended) his beloved role as vampire familiar/vampire hunter (and one of our favorite queer goths) Guillermo de la Cruz, but he wasn’t always confident he would make it in Hollywood. At the premiere of his new film Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, Guillén revealed that growing up, he was led to believe that being Latino, queer, and plus-sized were “three strikes” against him making it in the entertainment business.
“I was told, ‘That’s not good, that’s not welcome, Hollywood doesn’t like that,’” the actor recently told Page Six.
As a child, Guillén, who has also appeared in shows like Harley Quinn, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, and The Magicians, initially internalized those comments. However, he ultimately had a change in perspective.
“No, this is who I am. I’m great in the body I’m in and great with my sexuality and my culture and I’m proud of it,” he added. “You can take it or leave it but I’m not going anywhere.”
Next up, fans can catch Guillén playing a top-secret role in the upcoming DC film Blue Beetle. And don’t worry, vampire lovers: A fifth season of What We Do in the Shadows is set to premiere in 2023.
In the most recent season of the FX comedy, Guillén’s character Guillermo officially came out as gay to his undead housemates and his family, in an arc that deeply resonated with the actor’s own journey.
“It was like seeing a mirror to the idea of recalling my own personal coming out, being queer, and how sometimes when the time is right, it’s just right,” he told Paste Magazine, adding that seeing an uplifting portrayal of an accepting Mexican-American family was important to him. “While you’re looking for the next joke, you see this moment with this Mexican family who is loving and caring and may be aspirational.”
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