Biography

Award-winning actor, producer, activist, and humanitarian, Wilson Cruz is best known for having starred as Dr. Hugh Culber on the award-winning Paramount+ series, "Star Trek: Discovery." He appeared on the Netflix series, "Thirteen Reasons Why," and in Hulu's 2020 GLAAD award winning, original, animated kids' series, "The Nravest Knight." He executive produced the critically acclaimed Apple TV+ documentary series, "Visible: Out On Television," that investigates the importance of TV as an intimate medium that’s shaped the American conscience, and how the LGBTQ movement has shaped television. Receiving the Emery S. Hetrick Award for Outstanding Contributions to LGBTQ Youth, from the Hetrick-Martin Institute, for his role as Rickie Vasquez on the ABC series, "My So Called Life." Wilson became the first openly gay actor playing an openly gay role on series television. On the stage, Cruz starred as Angel, in the West Coast premiere of the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning musical, "Rent," which earned him both The Ovation and Drama-Logue awards. He went on to reprise the role on Broadway. Cruz accepted both GLAAD's 2022 Vito Russo Award and the Make A Difference Award from the Matthew Shepard Foundation. He received the Rand Schrader Distinguished Achievement Award from the Los Angeles LGBTQ Center, the Liberty Award from Lambda Legal, the Visibilidad Award from GLAAD, the Fusion Achievement Award from Outfest, the Latino Spirit Award for Achievement in Entertainment and Advocacy, from the California Latino Legislative Caucus, the Harvey Milk Equality Award, the Lincoln Aston Public Service Award, Aston-Brooks Award, and the Advocate Award from AdColor. Wilson Cruz has served as GLAAD’s Director of Entertainment Industry Partnerships and as their National Spokesperson, as well as on the board of GLSEN. The actor is a first generation American of Puerto Rican descent. He has helped raise money for political candidates supporting LBGTQ rights. As a speaker, Cruz is called on to rally the troops at national corporations and out in the world. He’s been a featured guest on cable talk shows, including Jonathan Capehart’s, on MSNBC, and Pride Stars of Stage and Screen. Wilson has spoken at NYC Pride in 2018 and 2020, and at New York Pride in 2021)
- IMDb mini biography by: Amy Brownstein

Filmed a Public Service Announcement to raise awareness for the issue of homelessness among gay teens in which he revealed that he was kicked out of his house as a teen when he told his family that he was gay. His character on My So-Called Life (1994) went through an almost-identical storyline.

Attached to play Angel in a television mini series based on the Broadway musical Rent, with Neil Patrick Harris as Mark Cohen, Rikki Lee Travolta as Roger Davis, and singer Shakira as Mimi, but the rights were pulled in order for Chris Columbus to make a film adaptation using much of the original Broadway cast including Wilson Jermaine Heredia in the role of Angel.

He was awarded the 1998 Los Angeles Stage Alliance Ovation Award for Featured Actor in a Musical for "Rent" in a Center Theatre Group production at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, California.

Is of Puerto Rican ancestry.

He was awarded the 1997 Drama Logue Award for Performance for "Rent" in the Center Theatre Group production at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, California.