Harvey Guillén: Representing Queer Latinx Entertainers

There is no doubt that Harvey Guillén has staked his claim in comedy television.

Working as an actor since his early twenties, Guillén has appeared in a wide array of series including Syfy’s The Magicians, Nickelodeon’s The Thundermans, and MTV’s Eye Candy. Effortlessly stealing every scene he’s in, Guillén can now be seen as George in the ongoing season of the critically acclaimed musical series, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, and Guillermo De la Cruz in FX’s hit vampire mockumentary, What We Do in the Shadows, which earned him a Critics Choice Award nomination.

Guillén may still be a star on the rise, but he has also emerged as a charismatic advocate for Latinx and LGBTQ representation in media.

OFM had the opportunity to catch up with Guillén to discuss Zoey and Shadows, and how his roles are inspiring to queer Latinx entertainers hoping to break into the industry.Hi, Harvey! Thank you for taking some time to chat with me. You play George in the current season of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist. What has your experience been like being involved with the show?
It’s funny because Austin, the creator of the show, had written a part that basically said, a Harvey Guillen type character. He told me this later and was like, we never thought we could get you. I was like, what? He put that label on the character and asked me to audition, and I was so excited because it is a musical. Before I got my hopes up, the schedule did not allow for me to even do the show because they would need me to go to Vancouver for three months, and we were about to start production for the third season of What We Do in the Shadows.

I was so upset because this is such a cool show and such a cool idea. I am such a musical theatre geek, so I was bummed. I said no the first time because it just would not work out. Eventually, they said they were going to shoot at the beginning of next year. So, it had come twice around, but we were still not sure, and then finally the third time, they were like, he can do it! I was literally on a plane in 24 hours flying to Vancouver. I had to quarantine for 14 days and then shoot the first four episodes of the season. It was exciting and so much fun to shoot. Some of my old musical theatre training came into play, and I was just living my best musical theatre dream!

Can you tell us more about George’s character?
George is the new employee at SPRQ Point, and he is eager to be there. He may or may not have fibbed a little bit on his resume, as I am sure a lot of people do. Many say they can type 3,000 words a minute. He just lied a little bit about it and those lies eventually might catch up with him because he is really friendly and nice, but he also longs to be liked. He is a people pleaser.

I think a lot of people sometimes, we see them, and they put on this happy face and smiling. We don’t know what is going on with them. Like, whoa! You are a lot, but we do not know what is going on internally. With George, it is nice to see that sometimes the person with the biggest smile is probably carrying the biggest burden and just a heavy heart of sadness, longing, or wanting to be part of something.

So, he wants to be part of this SPRQ Point boys club, and he is already different. He is queer, a newbie, everyone remembers being the new kid in school where you don’t know anybody, and you are just trying to keep it together and act cool. Then a bird flies by and shits on your head [laughs]. So, we are in that world and poor George is trying to be liked so badly, and I think with the trajectory of his story, we see that you sometimes have to believe in yourself first, and then the rest can follow and take initiative.

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How has this season of Zoey been received by audiences, and what do you hope they take away from the show?
Oh my gosh, their fan base is amazing! I am still getting tweets and messages from people saying, wait, you’re in Zoey? These are random messages and from family friends as well. It was nice to play something different, and a lot of people seem to be surprised that I can sing! Like, I went to school for musical theatre. It has been nice to have that reaction from fans, they really love it. I love the art fans have made of George, and people seem to really resonate with him because they see themselves in him. It is easier to see someone like you on screen nowadays than it was before because the George character maybe would not have been as prominent on the show. It is nice that Austin did that.

Like you said, George is queer. The show also has Alex Newell who is playing genderfluid neighbor, Mo. Do you think Hollywood is getting better at portraying characters that represent all aspects of the LGBTQ spectrum and not just specifically gay and lesbian?
I think it is getting better, slowly but surely. We have some far, but we have so far to go. Alex is amazing on the show, they were actually the first person I text when I was going to do the part. I literally text Alex and was like, guess who is going to come play with you. They were like, no! You’re kidding! We have known each other for years and years, and Alex is such a talent, I eventually wanted to work together. It finally happened, of course, on a music show [laughs]. I think we are getting better; I think we have a long way to go, and I think with examples like Alex and me playing George, we are pushing that envelope and saying there is a whole rainbow out there. It is not just two colors, so we need to present that in a positive way and show kids out there that it is okay, and you are valued.Have you always had a passion for acting?
Yes! I fell in love with acting when I was six-years-old while watching, you won’t believe it, a musical on TV! I thought it was a new show because we didn’t go to the movies. Coming from a poor immigrant family, going to the movies was a luxury. So, I thought it was a new show, and I was like, this is great. I went up to my mom and told her that I wanted to do that, to be that. She said, what? I was like, I want to be an orphan! She gave me the weirdest look, but soon realized I meant one of the kid actors.

I said I wanted to be an actor, and she literally told me that you needed money to be an actor and that it was for rich kids. I asked why, and she explained how you needed to take classes and have training. I asked if I could take classes, and she said we did not have the money for it. Okay, what if I get the money? Could I do it then? She said, mijo, if you can find your own way, you can do whatever you want.

From that day forward, I realized that no one is going to give you anything. You have to earn it. The after-school program was doing an improv class and they were charging $12 or something, and I asked mom for the money. She said no, but I was determined to get the money somehow. We were walking home from school, and this guy was going through a trash can. I asked mom what he was doing because I thought it was gross, and she said he sells the aluminum cans. I was like, you can make money off trash? So, I collected cans for my first improv class.

One of your biggest roles is Guillermo in FX’s What We Do in the Shadows. Can you share anything about the upcoming third season?
We have already announced that they will get a Hellhound, which is nice. Something that will protect them. We know there are more love interests coming our way, and there will be characters from the past that will be recurring quite a bit this season, so I am going to sprinkle that out there. People can put the pieces together.

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You have said that Guillermo has become an inspiration to other Latinos. How so?
I think it is because you do not see yourself represented on television. You do not see yourself up on screen. I certainly didn’t. Growing up, I never saw a chubby queer Mexican kid on television who wasn’t the butt of jokes. The ones who were picked on or the gangbanger’s friend. If they were on television, it was rare. So, it is nice to have young kids come up to me and be like, I have never seen anyone like me, especially in this world, which is like dark comedy and goth. Let’s name the people who have done that before. I can’t. If it is not out there, then it is our responsibility to demand to see it or be the first to lead by example. So, it was very important to me that Guillermo is portrayed in a certain way that people can look up to and aspire to. Like, wow, if that guy can do it, I can do it. It sounds nice, especially with the Latinx community.

Do you believe the horror genre still tends to skew white and heteronormative?
I think so. For so long, we have been taken out of history books, and the narrative has been controlled to where people of color have been kept out. People of color and queer people have always been here, but we have been kept out of the stories because it was not the majority of who were running things. Now, I think we are slowly changing that, which is very exciting, and I am looking forward to that. We are definitely at the cusp of where everything is about to take a nice new turn and look at things from a different angle.

Can you tell us more about your upcoming film, Werewolves Within?
Yes! Werewolves Within is based on the video game, and I am super excited because the cast is, I mean, chef’s kiss. That cast is so hilarious, and we have a premiere later this summer that will take place at a major place where films are seen and premieres happen. I can’t give too much away, but I am so excited for it. It is basically a small town that we have to question if there is a creature on the loose hunting or if living creatures are the real monsters.As a queer Latinx actor, what more do you hope to accomplish what your platform?
I really hope to change the narrative of how we are seen and how we live day to day and how those stories are being told. I would love to see a romantic comedy with a plus sized queer Latinx as the romantic interest or the one who is desired, the sexy one. So, changing those narratives where we traditionally do not see people of size being desirable or the one you want to end up with. That is not the truth. There are so many queer plus sized Latinx people who are in positive relationships and living their best lives. Show them thriving and living happily ever after. That is what I want to see.

Before we wrap up, are there any other upcoming projects or anything else you would like to mention or plug?
I am just very excited for the Werewolves Within project and for more people to discover What We Do in the Shadows. We are gaining more and more fans, and I was nominated for a Critics Choice Award, which is super exciting and lovely.

To stay up-to-date with Guillén’s latest news and projects, follow him on Instagram and Twitter.

Photos Courtesy of Oliver Wheeldon