Wilson Cruz

Wilson Cruz (born Wilson Echevarría; December 27, 1973) is an American actor, best known for playing a gay teenager on My So-Called Life and a recurring character on Noah's Arc. In both his acting and his community work, Cruz has served as a model and mentor to gay youth, especially gay youth of color. At age 19, Cruz came out to his parents as a homosexual, first to his mother and then his father. While his mother was initially hurt and shocked,... more

Wilson Cruz (born Wilson Echevarría; December 27, 1973) is an American actor, best known for playing a gay teenager on My So-Called Life and a recurring character on Noah's Arc. In both his acting and his community work, Cruz has served as a model and mentor to gay youth, especially gay youth of color. At age 19, Cruz came out to his parents as a homosexual, first to his mother and then his father. While his mother was initially hurt and shocked, she eventually accepted the news. His father, however, threw him out of the house, and he spent the next few months living in his car and at the homes of friends. Cruz eventually reconciled with his father after his rise to fame. After coming out to his parents, Cruz went to Hollywood to seek work as an openly gay young actor. While many gay and lesbian performers had come out later in their careers, he wanted to see if he could be out from the beginning and still make it in the industry. His strategy paid off in 1994, when he was cast as... less