THR's TV crics revis the 1994 ABC drama that lnched the reers of Claire Dan and Jared Leto, batg s ronance today, s treatment of a proment gay character, the prsg relatabily of Brian Krakow and more.
Contents:
- THE LEGACY OF RICKIE VASQUEZ, ‘MY SO-CALLED LIFE’S GROUNDBREAKG GAY LATO CHARACTER
- GROWG UP GAY ON TV: WILSON CZ ON MY SO-CALLED LIFE AND STAR TREK: DISVERY
THE LEGACY OF RICKIE VASQUEZ, ‘MY SO-CALLED LIFE’S GROUNDBREAKG GAY LATO CHARACTER
When he was st as gay abed teen Rickie Vasquez on 'My So-Called Life,' the then 19-year-old actor knew he had to publicly e out as gay. * my so called life gay character *
”The actor has been a longtime supporter of LGBTQ anizatns, has served as natnal spokperson for GLAAD and is passnate about his work on the board of GLSEN, the Gay, Lbian and Straight Edutn Network, which works to make schools safe spac for LGBTQ stunts. ”Cz, whose own support system the ‘90s clud a small group of openly gay actors such as Alec Mapa, Darryl Stevens and Anthony Rapp, said he tri to make himself available to any young actor who’s jt e out.
Long before Will & Grace normalized the LGBTQ muny for TV dienc, Wnie Holzman’s one-season drama, My So-Called Life gave Rickie Vasquez, a perfectly iffed gay teenage boy who had a love for bold patterns and dark eyeler. Throughout 19 episos, we followed Rickie as he worked his way through the emotnal plexi that e wh beg gay predomantly straight surroundgs. In the pilot episo, he is troduced as bisexual, however, episo 19 he nfirms, “I’m gay.
Wilson Cz's portrayal of a troubled gay teen 'My So-Called Life' helped the LGBT muny the mid-1990s. It was the episo where one of the first ma gay characters on televisn (at least one that wasn't portrayed a negative light), teenager Rickie Vasquez (played brilliantly by actor Wilson Cz), gets thrown out of his hoe and be homels on Christmas Eve. As a closeted gay man his early 20s, Ricky was too stereotypilly "gay" for my sens.
GROWG UP GAY ON TV: WILSON CZ ON MY SO-CALLED LIFE AND STAR TREK: DISVERY
A fifteen year old male sophomore attendg Liberty High School. Rickie is iends wh Angela and Rayanne. He is Catholic, multi-ethnic (Hispanic-Black) and gay. Rickie was raised by his uncle who physilly ab him. When his uncle kicks him out of the hoe, he is fostered briefly by the... * my so called life gay character *
It was one of the first public displays of love for a gay teenager ever on natnal televisn, and the fact that took place a relig stutn on a relig holiday ma more symbolic and memorable.