Harvey Guillén is Stepping Out of the Shadows and Into the Spotlight

Not only was Season Four of FX’s hit comedy What We Do in the Shadows a wild ride for audiences, but it was a turning point for fan-favorite character Guillermo de la Cruz.

Viewers have constantly questioned the human familiar’s sexuality throughout the seasons, and the truth was finally revealed in the episode “Pine Barrens,” in which Guillermo reconnects with his biological family for the first time in 12 years and invites them to the home of his vampiric found family. And then came the moment we’ve all been waiting for—Guillermo is gay.  

Played by queer, Latinx actor Harvey Guillén, he says saying the words “I’m gay” have been a long time coming. He was excited to sink his teeth into Guillermo’s love life and delicately craft the story. These new layers and insight into the Van Helsing descendant will mark the latest evolution of a character who has been acquiring greater self-image and agency. 

Guillén took some time to talk more about Guillermo’s revelation with OFM, as well as his own coming out experience, the uplifting portrayal of a Mexican-descent family, and how his role is inspiring other queer Latinx people. 

Congratulations on another successful season of What We Do in the Shadows!

Thank you! It’s been a crazy ride. 

For those who have not yet watched the show, what makes it worth checking out?

What’s great about the show is that it’s so silly in its format, but it has wonderful, touching moments. This season alone with Guillermo’s storyline—What I love about Taika and Jermaine creating this world is that they use humor as the silliness and the pun of it all, but in a way, it’s also kind of social commentary. Very much like things that we currently do, but it’s a group of vampires sitting together. So, I think it’s worth watching if you’d like to have a good laugh and escape, and I think we’ve all learned that we can all use an escape.

In a way, would you say this show has kind of reenergized and given new life to the vampire trope?

I think so. The (genre) has always been alive and well, but I think every so often, maybe every decade, a new thing will come up and completely take over. A decade ago, that would have been Twilight, and everyone was infatuated with it. I pride myself on being a part of the lineage of vampire tropes in storytelling, and we’re doing it in a way that’s never been done before. I’ve never seen anything like our show on the air. When you start something new, you think,”Is this going to pan out?” I always thought this was such a great show, but my mind always went, will people get it? Because it’s so cool. 

What have you enjoyed the most about playing Guillermo?

Watching him grow and knowing that there are fans out there who relate to him in every way. Whether you’ve been overlooked for a promotion at your workplace, you’re questioning your sexuality, you’re in love with someone from afar but don’t have the guts to say it—So much is encompassed into this character. If you look back, there’s never been a character like Guillermo on TV. He starts out so submissive and ends up being so powerful, and the trajectory of Guillermo these last four seasons have been amazing. The writers on our show are the best. 

Obviously, the big hoorah for your character this season was Guillermo revealing that he is gay and coming out to his family. How long has this coming out scene been in the works?

It’s so funny because they don’t tell me anything ahead of time, so I found out at the table read. That’s when Guillermo came out to me (laughs). I always thought we were getting close, though. Last season, he almost came out at the casino in Atlantic City, and that was the first time the vampires were really leaning in, listening, and giving Guillermo their attention. He’s never had a court with them. They’ve always dismissed him and treated him like shit. Guillermo finally feels comfortable, but true to the nature of our show, Sean Rinaldi, the neighbor, comes in and ruins the moment. Like, wow, he was so close, and people really wanted to know what he was going to say.

It’s all about the right timing, and this was the moment Guillermo felt safe to do it. In a way, he also uses this moment as a tool because both his chosen family and biological family were at war and about to hurt each other. He stood in the middle of them and laid it all out on the table. He’s like, “I don’t live in this house; I don’t work at the railroad track; I want to be a vampire, and she’s not my girlfriend because I’m gay.” When he blurts that out, it kind of decompresses the situation. It was a beautiful moment. 

What kind of impact do you hope Guillermo’s coming out had on viewers, especially younger ones?

I want this to be a reminder that there is a place for every queer kid in this world. I know that may not always seem like the case, and it blows my mind to think that there are kids out there who live in fear and can’t be their authentic selves. So, I want the character to remind them that you are powerful. Do not give that power away, and do not let someone else define who you are. If you’re queer, come out when you feel the time is right, and know that you’re meant to be loved, succeed, and thrive. You are a part of our world, and there’s a place for you.

I also love that the scene showcases an uplifting portrayal of a Mexican-descendent family. How important was that for you?

Very important! Being Mexican myself and growing up in a very machismo culture, it can be hard coming out to your family. I was a victim of what that looked like at a young age when I was trying to play trucks with a neighbor. The boys were like, “We can’t play with you because our brother says you’re a ‘mariposa,'”which is basically a derogatory word about being gay. I didn’t understand that, and then they threw rocks at me. I ran back home covered in dirt and blood, covering my eyes and crying, not understanding why these boys did this to me. 

My mom asked what happened, and I told her these kids called me a “mariposa.” Why did they call me that? I could see in her face that she knew what that was. She then controlled the narrative and was like, “Who cares what they call you? Butterflies are beautiful!” She took that power that they had taken from me. She said, “Don’t let anyone tell you who you are. You’re beautiful.” That is what I want the character to portray to other people. Whether you’re Latinx, non-Latinx, POC, a person of size, queer—You are all welcome and loved. Who gives a fuck what people say? You’re a beautiful butterfly, and you were meant to fly.  

Doing my research for this interview, I read that you handled Guillermo’s coming out story authentically and with fragile hands. Can you talk more about that?

For me, it was very important that if we did this, it had to feel organic to the character. It was when they felt the timing was right, not someone outing them. Guillermo was finally in a situation where he felt he could say it, and it was almost like he couldn’t hold it in anymore. I mean, the lies had piled on. He lied about living in the mansion; he lied about being promoted from Panera Bread to the railroad track, which is unheard of (laughs); he’s wearing Versace; he lied about Nadja being his girlfriend. The guy couldn’t take it anymore, and just thinking about it makes me hyperventilate. 

It was important that it needed to come across as something that was necessary for him to do, and I think the writers did a fantastic job. At first, it was kind of a parallel looking in the mirror kind of situation. After we did the first take, it felt too close to home, and I remember completely bawling. It was like I was coming out again, but when I came out, I didn’t cry. It was weird because I was like, “Is this what it was supposed to be like?” Then Myrna Cabello, who plays my mom on the show, started crying, and then my whole family started crying. Everything happened organically.  

May I ask what your own coming out experience was like?

I never officially came out because I was just always myself. At some point, people would be like, “Oooh,” because we’d be talking about something, and I made it very clear that I’m queer. I was never hiding, so I thought people already knew, but then I realized that people don’t truly know until you say it. To this day, I still have people reach out saying they read an article, and they’re like, “Wait, I didn’t know that!” I’m like, you sometimes really have to spell it out for people (laughs). 

So, I realized that coming out isn’t really about you. It’s usually for someone else. It gives them comfort knowing how to maneuver through these waters, and for me, it was my mom because she knew when I was 6, when those boys called me that name. Like, she knew. “Una madre sabe” is an old Spanish saying for “a mother knows,” and I actually added that in the scene with Myrna. It’s such a tagline. A mother always knows, and I thought my mom always knew because we never addressed it. 

I think it was more for her own peace of mind because I remember sitting at a table with her in high school, and she was mentioning my friend being like, “She’s so pretty.” I was like, “Oh my gosh, yes, she’s gorgeous!” She asked if she had a boyfriend and I said I didn’t think so, and she goes, you should ask her. I thought she was joking. Like, “Mom, are you joking? You know I’m queer, right?” She goes, “Oh! I don’t care, as long as you’re happy.”

At that moment, it was more like she needed to just check that off. She needed to hear it, and as soon as that happened, it was done. Funny enough, that friend also turned out to be gay, so I don’t think it would have worked out well (laughs). She’s my lesbian friend. But it’s funny that she just needed to hear that. She was very supportive, and I’ve been fortunate enough to have that trajectory. I don’t give a fuck what you have to say about me. I’m living my life and thriving!

Now that Guillermo is out loud and proud, and the show has been renewed for a fifth and sixth season, what direction would you like to see this character headed in?

That’s a great question. I really want him to find his core of what makes him happy. I think we saw a glimpse of it in this season. He’s been talking to a secret person from London, which I think makes him happy, and we’ll see how that goes. He’s also been learning new techniques and coming into his own. He’s feeling happy and owning his space. He’s really kind of discovering who Guillermo is.

For so long, he thought being a vampire was perfection, and it’s what he wanted. I believe I gave the backstory that Guillermo was kind of bullied a lot in school, and he escaped through movies. He watched a lot of them. He loves Interview with the Vampire, and I think he saw vampires as the ultimate, sexy character trope. You live forever; you have all the money in the world; you love; you lust; you wear fabulous clothes; you travel the world, and you’re a party animal. 

He wants to live this aspirational life, but then finding out that he’s a Van Helsing, he’s actually more powerful than any of the vampires in the household. He’s already taken Nandor down twice and let him live twice, and that’s an accomplishment in itself. We sometimes don’t realize how powerful we are because we always aspire to be something else. We want to be thinner, richer, taller. You’re more powerful in the space that you’re in now, baby. You just have to allow yourself to realize it.

When I interviewed you last year, you said that Guillermo is an inspiration for other queer Latinx people. Do you still believe this is the case?

Absolutely, and I think now more than ever. We recently did Comic Con San Diego, and the amount of cosplayers and people who showed up said nothing but the nicest things. They’ll show up to the signing booth and whatnot with tears in their eyes saying, “I’ve never seen anyone in the goth world or in horror comedy who’s Latinx.” Think about it. There really isn’t a genre where you see characters like that thrive. When you try to think of horror comedy with Latinx actors, nothing really comes to mind because it’s very few and far between, but there’s a huge fanbase.

Not just for Latinx people, but queer people, POC, people of size—We always look for these characters because it’s an escape. For so long, we were those characters, and we still are. We’re the ones who are being chased through the town with torches because we’re different. We long to escape from that world, but the real question is, who’s the monster? The one who’s being chased with the torches, or the person holding the torch?

What are some future goals you hope to accomplish with your career and platform?

Obviously, I hope to continue doing what I love, and I hope to play characters that redefine how you see actors who look like me. Actors tend to be put in a box. I would like to sink my teeth into something different for the next round. Don’t get me wrong, I love, love comedy, but I do love doing serious stuff as well. 

Maybe I can play a serial killer or something a little darker. As an artist you’re supposed to challenge yourself and play different parts, so we need to stop putting people in boxes. I know I can do the comedy thing all day long, but it’s fun to stuff where people are like, “I didn’t know that was you!” I love when people say that. 

Before we wrap up, are there any other upcoming projects or anything else you’d like to mention our plug?

Yeah, I’m very excited about the after show we’ve created this season called Behind the Shadows. It’s a podcast, so you can listen to it wherever you get your podcasts or watch the episodes on YouTube. We have great celebrity guest stars and fans come on, like Trixie Mattel and this year’s All Stars winner, Jinkx Monsoon, and we talk about the show and how much they love it. It’s really good, so definitely check that out!

Stay up-to-date and connect with Guillen on Twitter and Instagram @harveyguillen, and TikTok @harvey_guillen. What We Do in the Shadows is available to stream on Hulu.

Photography Credit Irvin Rivera / @graphicsmetropolis