In the vibrant world of entertainment, where every star has a story, Harvey Guillén stands out with a sparkle that rivals the most luminous. "Ghouls Just Wanna Have Fun," our latest feature at IRK Magazine, dives into the colorful life of this remarkable actor, known for his magnetic presence in the supernatural comedy series "What We Do in the Shadows." As we sit down with Guillén, his infectious energy and humor shine through, painting a picture of a journey filled with passion, authenticity, and a touch of the extraordinary. In this exclusive interview conducted by the renowned Robert Ascroft, Guillén opens up about his unique path in Hollywood, his inspiring commitment to representation, and his delightful escapades that go beyond the screen.
From his early days of chasing dreams to his triumphant strides on the red carpet, Guillén's narrative is nothing short of a fairy tale wrapped in a shroud of perseverance and self-belief. As he discusses his latest venture in the animated film "WISH," celebrating Disney's 100th anniversary, his voice resonates with the joy of fulfilled childhood aspirations. This conversation isn't just an insight into the life of an actor; it's a heartwarming tale of a queer artist making his mark in an industry often too rigid for change. Join us as Guillén takes us on a journey through his whimsical world, where each twist and turn is a testament to the fact that indeed, ghouls, and perhaps more importantly, their portrayers, just wanna have fun.
Talent: Harvey Guillén @harveyguillen @theshadowsfx @disneywishmovie
Photographer: Robert Ascroft @robertascroft
Groomer: Stephanie Nicole Smith @stephanienicolesmith
Wardrobe Stylist: Brittny Moore @brittnymoore
Digital Editor: Paul Doherty @pauljuliann
Cover: Black Studded Leather Jacket Vintage "Shaf Leather," Cream Mesh Tank @allsaints
White Sheer Coat @dior, Cream Sequin Shirt & Black Sequin Trousers Daniel Velasco, Black Loafers @gucci
Robert Ascroft:
First of all, I am happy the strike is over -
Harvey Guillen:
Yeah (laughs).
Robert Ascroft:
... and we're able to talk about the show. We spent a year talking about doing a shoot and finally got it together, as we knew we would (laughs). What did you think about the creative for our shoot, and which were your favorite looks?
Harvey Guillen:
I was really excited to finally get to do something together. We've been talking about it for so long. And, obviously, I'm such a fan of your work and your vision as a photographer. So, I was excited to see what you thought about for our project and what kind of angle you wanted to take. When I heard what you wanted to do, I loved it. It was a dramatic fashion editorial, and it all intertwined into one solid story that was a clean, sharp, and simple story, which is nice. So, I was excited to do that and tell a linear story. I was happy with everything, and it turned out great.
Robert Ascroft:
Thank you. I feel the same and appreciate you saying that. I am also a fan of your work. What We Do In The Shadows and the other projects you've been working on. So, I was excited that we finally had a chance to pull it all together.
Harvey Guillen:
We can finally talk about it all (laughs).
Robert Ascroft:
I know, right? (laughs) It's great. What was a standout look for you from our shoot?
Harvey Guillen:
I liked the Christian Dior coat, that's a trench coat that was sheer and see-through from the spring collection. I got that coat in London after the spring collection had just been announced, and it was one of two coats. And one of them was in the actual atelier, so I snagged it and said, "I'll use this somewhere. I'll use this for a shoot sometime (laughs) somewhere."
Robert Ascroft:
Oh, that's great, and thank you for that.
Harvey Guillen:
I saved it for a special occasion. This is the perfect time for it to be used. It winks at a familiar garment that I'm used to playing Guillermo, but also, you have this mysterious, almost like a private eye feel to it. Also, I loved that blue kind of kimono piece that we had in front of the glass of water. That was really kinda cool.
Robert Ascroft:
Yes.
Harvey Guillen:
Yeah, that was a great piece, and I liked the fact the lines were so simple and clean and sharp with the glass of water on the table. And, then, just some of the fabric of the clothing, you see these lines that connect and intertwine in a cool juxtaposition of the world we created.
Robert Ascroft:
The shot with the cigarette is one of my favorites. How gross was it for you to have to smoke for the shoot (laughs)? As I was saying at the shoot, we suffer for our art. I will point out that it was your idea to have a cigarette, so I sent someone out to grab them.
Harvey Guillen:
(laughs) Yeah, I'm not really a smoker, so I had to bend to the character for me—the pin curl/pompadour/rebel without a cause kind of vibe called for it. The outfit helps me embody the character. So putting on that jacket and the hair along with your lighting and then just put a cigarette in my hand, and it's like, "yeah, that sounds about right." (laughs) So it was cool to play and make it moody and different than I usually do when I am photographed.
Robert Ascroft:
When you and I first talked about doing a shoot together, one of the main things we discussed was to do something different and showcase you in ways you haven't seen before. It was great to be able to do something that is uniquely our own.
Harvey Guillen:
Yes agreed. Another outfit I thought of was that beautiful pearl tuxedo shirt tucked into the black sequined tuxedo trousers with the big chunky Gucci platform shoes with a high-end editorial feeling. It moved so well because the fabric was comfortable. You don't think sequins would be comfortable, but the pants were comfortable from the interior lining. And so it allows you to move and dance. We got some cool dance scenes and body-in-motion shots, which came naturally from the feeling I had in the clothes. Sometimes you put on the clothes and just feel, can I move in this? How does this make me feel?
Robert Ascroft:
With that in mind, how does the wardrobe for Guillermo help you inform that character?
Harvey Guillen:
I do fall into the character when I am dressed for the part of Guillermo. Our fantastic costume designer, Laura Montgomery, who won the Emmy for our show's costume design, is incredible at her job. We sit down and talk about the season's arc and where we want this character to go. Guillermo wears these 1980s oversized sweaters that you can find at a thrift store. But the character is obviously more layered than that. The detail in the costume is so specific. Have you noticed his outfits from season one, where his collared shirt is buttoned up to the top, and then he puts a sweater over, and it's a long sleeve?
Robert Ascroft:
I love that attention to detail. It subconsciously changes our perception of what is happening on screen.
Harvey Guillen:
He started off not showing any skin. Dressed a little bit frumpy and a little bit oversized on him. He wears khaki pants or brown pants and comfortable shoes. He does his hair to a specific look that he's trying to emulate because he thinks that's what a person of his position should look like. It's always what he thinks people expect from him. And it's not until he finds his own inner self of who he really is, so the essence of who Guillermo is, where he finds out that Van Helsing blood runs through his veins, that he starts getting a little comfortable in his skin, and we start seeing a little more of a fitted look. We see him with the fitted blue vest when he finds that out. He wears a thin, pinstriped white shirt that he unbuttons the top, so the collars are a little looser. He rolls up the sleeves, but he wears some brown gloves for grip to get those wooden stakes quickly.
So all those things are thought out, even the tucking in of the green cargo pants into his boots to make it easier and not to get tangled in anything in a quick escape. That trench coat that flares out so beautifully, we talked to Laura about that, that he needs to feel that he could easily take several weapons out of there without anyone questioning it because you never see it. The coat flares out with an excellent movement to it. You'll see it in the "The Night Market" episode where he fights other familiars. His coat is beautifully flared out, making him such a badass. Then, when he finally takes that off, he's a badass himself. That look was more fitted to my body, making the character look more fit and in shape. In some ways, whatever size you are, fitted clothes always look better on everyone.
Robert Ascroft:
At what point in the process does the costume designer present it to you?
Harvey Guillen:
Usually, what happens is they get the scripts before we do the costumes, or every department gets the scripts before we do because they need to do the shopping as soon as possible or the construction of the costume. Also, the building of the sets or purchasing or fabrication of a prop. And they have a limited time, so it's always much easier to make an actor come in a week before we start that episode, try on the clothes, and then say, "Oh, that didn't look so good. Let's get something else." Okay.
Robert Ascroft:
Is there any other look that jumps out to you?
Harvey Guillen:
In season four, we see Guillermo be the best man to Nandor and help him choose wives that come back to life as the right wife for him to marry and stick to her. And after doing that and being the best man at his wedding, he wears a different outfit than we usually see him. He wears, like, this cream turtleneck with a moss green tailored suit, uh, that's really nice and compliments my skin tone. And that was Laura and I talking and looking at sketches and the materials and what's soft on Guillermo and what would be another, wink of wow, he has a little bit of fashion sense there. It's just that he's never felt comfortable in his own skin.
Sometimes, I think people are too scared and timid to risk wearing something that they might say, "I liked wearing that." But they don't take the risk, and so they're like, "Nah, that's fine. I'll just stick to the norm everyone knows me to wear." It's great for people to experiment with fashion.
Robert Ascroft:
I agree. That's really great. During the shoot, I asked you about being cast for the Character of Guillermo? Please tell us that story.
Harvey Guillen:
Originally I got a call from my friend. Her name is Mimi Michaels, and that's not a stage name. That's her real name. It's, uh, a fabulous name.
Robert Ascroft:
It is. (laughs)
Harvey Guillen:
Mimi told me she was in town and said, "Come visit me 'cause I'm in LA, or I'm in LA for a couple days, and I brought the baby." She had a newborn. "I'm at my brother's house. Come over to the house and say hello. And it's me, my husband, the baby, my brother, that's it." And so I get there, I'm like, "Okay, fine." You know, I haven't seen them in a while. And it's all those people and an additional person I never met there named Yvonne. And we all hang out and have a wine and cheese night. It's wonderful. The next day, I get a text from an unknown number, and it's like, "Hey, you were so funny. You should audition for my fiance's new show." And I was like, "Excuse me, who's this?" (laughs) You know?
Robert Ascroft:
Yes, I do. By the way, your sense of humor comes through even via text. You and I have had some funny ones.
Harvey Guillen:
Exactly SO I replied, "Um, I don't do those kind of films anymore, ma'am." (laughs) So she's like, "What?" And I was joking. I was like, "No, what?" And she said, "No, but you should hurry 'cause they're auditioning. They've already cast everyone except for this role." And I said, "What are you talking about?" And then she said, "It's a show called What We Do in the Shadows." And I was like, "Oh, okay." "I guess I'll bite." And so I called my agent and said, "Hey, there's this role that this stranger at a party told me to audition for, and I'm gonna say 'yes, and' and see it through."
Robert Ascroft:
(laughs)
Harvey Guillen:
Uh, and I'm glad I did 'cause I was going through this moment of saying yes to everything. From that, I got an audition, and it was just because I happened to meet someone at a party. It was very Hollywood. It was like they met me at a party and wanted me to audition. And it's like, "Great, here we go." I was like, "Fine, I don't care." Because I found out the casting director was Allison Jones. Now, if you know anything about great Hollywood TV and film, it is that Allison Jones has cast so many amazing shows such as The Office, Bridesmaids, and the list goes on and on. I was very much looking forward to meeting her. Then I got the script and discovered that the character was 25 years older than me. And I just, that part alone, I was like, "Oh, no... this is gonna be the end of me."
So, for the audition, I wanted to age myself to look close to the character's age as it was written. And I just remember thinking, "Well, how do I do this? Because I wanna impress Allison Jones." And I never really dress up for a character audition. Like, I never... I may wear something close to what that character might wear. It is actually a faux pas to do that. You're not supposed (laughs) to do that.
Robert Ascroft:
You're in full makeup (laughs)?
Harvey Guillen:
Yeah, full makeup. And I was just like, "I never do that, I, ever, ever, ever." And I don't know what convinced me to get clothes to make myself look older. I didn't know any Guillermos. But I was in my writing partner's house, and I saw on her wall she had a picture of Guillermo Del Toro's Monsters book, and the illustration on the poster was the illustration of Guillermo and... Guillermo Del Toro. And he had his hair parted in the middle, and he had glasses. And I was like, "That is what a Guillermo looks like." And so I mimicked that hairdo, and I curled it in the mi- I parted it in the middle, and I curled it to the sides. And then I popped up some Harry Potter glasses from a costume shop, and I wore those. I also remember going with the little sponge in theater class to make my five o'clock shadow darker (laughs).
Harvey Guillen:
And so, I wore, like, these... And, then that video has leaked out, and it's on the internet, and people have it.
Robert Ascroft:
Oh my god, I have to find this.
Harvey Guillen:
You find this video, and you can see this outfit, and it is so insane that I went to this... But you know what, it worked because I walked in and l- looking at that video now, I'm like, "Wow, you did that. You did the thing (laughs)."
Robert Ascroft:
Part of you, Harvey, is your willingness to "go there."
Harvey Guillen:
I had no intention of booking this job. I wanted to say, you know, "You wanna get the job, of course, but what you wanna do is book the room." And I wanted to book the room. I wanted Allison Jones to be like, "Oh wow, he was pretty good. Not the right age for this, but he was pretty good." And that's all I wanted. I never thought I would book the role because I was so focused on, like, as long as she likes me. You know, as long as she likes me. Hey, she liked me. She really liked me (doing his best, Sally Field from her Oscar speech).
I walked in and said, "Hi, I'm here to see Allison Jones." I was the only one auditioning that day. It was like a private audition. And it was Ben, who was a casting associate at the time and goes, "Oh, she's not here. She's in London auditioning for this part." And I thought, "This isn't promising." So I remember, he put the microphone on my collar, and I remember that I, um, I, I just, I remember that I auditioned. I don't remember what I did. And it wasn't till I saw that video of the audition that leaked out later and said, "Oh my god, I don't even remember doing that." I'd fallen into this character so easily that it felt like a glove. Then, when I was done, I remember looking up and Ben saying, "Harvey." And I go, "Yeah." And he goes, "We're done." And I go, "Oh, Okay, thank you." And I was walking out the door, and he goes, "Harvey, wait." And he thought he was gonna say, "You're going to Hollywood, kid." But he didn't say that. He's all, "Harvey, the microphone, it's still on you." (laughs)
After my agent asked, "How did you do?" I responded, "I don't know. I really don't. I think I did okay." And then, an hour later, they called, and they showed it to Paul Simms, they showed it to Todd Goodman, Taika Waititi, Jermaine Clement, and everyone at FX. They had Allison see it. They had all voted unanimously to test me. I was gonna test, officially test for the character, but I was so young, I was gonna be the wild card.
Robert Ascroft:
I like that you were going against all these odds and continued to follow your instincts. That goes a long way. It also proves yet again how brilliant the folks at FX are to see that something wonderful and different than the original vision can be the best option in the end.
Harvey Guillen:
I've made a career out of being the wild card. If you look at my resume, I've made a whole career out of being a character not written for me. 'Cause, for so long, all the things that I was told, "You're too short. You're too stout. You're too Latin. You're too queer," all the things that were considered strikes against me were always my strengths and not my weaknesses. That's what made me stand out. The sooner I accepted that, the sooner I tried not to fit into a mold, the sooner other people started seeing what I saw. And when they just changed that narrative, it's like, "Oh, yeah. You know what? You're the wild card." And the wild card can surprise you, and the wild card is the wild card because they're not like anything else. And so usually, if you're the wild card, it's because you're standing out for a reason, and it's a good thing. So, people should take more of a risk on the wild cards.
Robert Ascroft:
I think that's a great piece of advice for creative people, especially in Hollywood.
WWDITS episodes are directed by different directors. Will you tell us how the different styles inform the performance?
Harvey Guillen:
You know, we used to have multiple directors in the first season. I'd say the last three seasons, we have split the whole season with two directors, which is very nice. So we'll split it up four and four, then do two guest directors. We hire within, so it's very nice to see a familiar face who is like, "Oh, he's our stunt director." But then he's directing one of the episodes of the season, which is fun.
But for the most part, it's Yana Gorskaya and Kyle Newachek who direct. Yana was the original editor for What We Do in the Shadows, the film, and has gone on to edit a lot of Taika Waititi's films, such as Thor such as Jojo Rabbit. Now, she wanted to try her hand at directing and took that leap with Shadows. And I am glad that she did because she's a phenomenal director. She comes from the editing world, she doesn't waste a take. She'll never shoot footage that she's not going use, and shoot days are very quick and very wonderful because, as an actor, you never wanna give a good performance thinking, "Is this even gonna be used?" That's never going to be your thought in your head.
Robert Ascroft:
I can imagine. I have done the same when shooting a fantastic series of images for a client; the best ones don't see the light of day.
Harvey Guillen:
Exactly, so with Yana, every bit is used for a reason, so you're always wanting to give her the best performance because she already has a vision in her head of how she's gonna edit it.
And with Kyle Newachek, you know, you have him coming from the world of Workaholics and other comedies where that's his world genre. So he's very familiar with that humor and the approach to that and how to talk to the actor and address that as well.
So we are lucky that we have two, you know, incredible directors on the show that we've gotten so well meshed with that we know how to, how to, um, communicate with each one of them. And we know when Yana's gonna direct, and we know how the day's gonna go. And we know when Kyle's gonna direct, so it's very nice, and you get into the groove of things as a family.
Robert Ascroft:
Yeah. That definitely makes sense.
Robert Ascroft:
So you said that Yana and Kyle were directing the last, and then there were a couple of guest directors. Who are those guest directors? And what's that experience like for you?
Harvey Guillén:
Every season, we might have somebody visit again that we had in the past. Like we had, uh, you know, with Tig Fong, who is our stunt director. Whenever Guillermo does a stunt scene, Tig is the Stunt Coordinator Director for that. So he makes sure that I'm safe, and how to do the fight scene, and how to do a punch and a kick, and a falling out of a sixth-floor window. That's his job. He has also wanted to direct, and I enjoy other people's approaches to the show as well. We also cross-shoot, which means in week we might be shooting both with Yana and Kyle at the same time. Um, or we might do blocks where it's for these two weeks, it's Yana, and the following weeks it's Kyle, and then back to Yana, back to, you know. So it depends on the schedule. But I like it because it keeps things fresh. It doesn't keep it one note all the way through.
It's kind of nice with the directors that come and visit because it also shows us what works and how comfortable you get with your old ways of like, oh, "but we always do it this way." Well, "now we're gonna do it this way." Then, you're open to doing new things. That's what makes us artists. I see the mundane and repetition of doing the same thing from nine to five. (laughs)
Blue Coat Archive @isseymiyakeofficial
Robert Ascroft:
Yeah, definitely. I completely understand that. So, earlier, we were talking about fashion. I wanted to circle back for a moment to that, knowing now that you like to take risks and push beyond the expected. How do you apply that to your fashion sense and personal style?
Harvey Guillén:
Yeah. I mean, for so long, you know, people always ask me, "Who's your stylist?" Or "Who dresses you?" For the longest time, for a majority of events and stuff, I dress myself. Uh, because for a long time, nobody wanted to, or not that they didn't want to. I feel they didn't know where to start to dress a person of size. Designers carry sample sizes.
For people of size, it's easy to feel that fashion is not for them, but that's not true, fashion is for everyone. It should be made and accessible to everyone. Especially when you look at the body and shape and sizes of most people worldwide, specifically in America, it makes sense to be represented in Fashion Week. And when it's not, it's a little upsetting because it's like they're no different than someone who is a size zero, size four, size... It doesn't matter. They're the same. You know, the same money. The same person who likes fashion could be of any size.
Robert Ascroft:
Mm-hmm.
Harvey Guillén:
My style started with thrift store shopping when I was young. Fortunately, because I like vintage and also because of necessity. I didn't have a lot of money growing up. So you go to thrift stores, you go to vintage shops and put an ensemble together that will look really cool, and like... You could still wear really great stuff. My biggest accomplishment that I still have is this really cool Letterman sweater, uh, at a thrift store in Upland when I was going to school. It was a Christian Dior piece, and it was a vintage piece that someone donated. They were not aware. It is my most significant find to this day (laughs). It's worth more now because of the time that's gone by. Now, it's become even more vintage and more of a piece. The funny part is that now, talking about Dior, I'm fortunate enough that if I want to, I could go into a store and be like, "I want this Dior piece," and be able to get that. But that's not how it started.
Robert Ascroft:
So, in your fashion sense, your work, and in your life, are you a risk taker?
Harvey Guillén:
Yes. I am a risk-taker because I can't imagine anyone on their deathbed saying, "I wish I never took risks."
Robert Ascroft:
(laughs) Exactly.
Harvey Guillén:
I don't think anyone's gonna be on their deathbed saying, "You know what I wish? I wish I would have taken less risk in this life." Said no one ever. You know (laughs)?
I'd instead look back and say, "Oh, my gosh. Do you believe I wore that?" You know what? Yeah, I do. Sometimes, we're amazed at the things that have happened in fashion. It becomes part of history. And so when you look at stuff, it's not the embarrassment of a fashion faux pas that maybe you have done. But for the most part, you were in a time, and it was captured. That is everything down from your hair to your shoes, outfit, or even makeup if you're wearing makeup. It was like a time capsule, and it was captured in that moment. And so if you don't take a risk, you're not living in the moment. You're trying to fit into a time that has already passed or is already lived by someone else. So why not live in the moment so it's captured as a capsule for yourself and a moment in time.
Black Studded Leather Jacket Vintage "Shaf Leather," Cream Mesh Tank @allsaints
Robert Ascroft:
Tell me something about your personal growth and childhood family life.
Harvey Guillén:
Yeah. People always ask me, "Oh, do you want to have kids?" And I always joke, like, "I already had three." You know, which sounds funny because I co-parented my three younger siblings. Growing up, while my parents were working. In Mexican culture, it's common for the older siblings to help in the household. Like you are in charge. If you're the most senior in the household at that moment, you are the adult. Like you are literally the adult. I remember being, you know, eight years old and having a baby on my hip. (laughs)...
I remember being 12/13 years old, helping a toddler get ready. I raised three kids while being a child myself. Some might say, "Well, that must have been hard because you didn't have a childhood." And I was like, I think that I was always kind... I mean, I only speak for myself. But I've always been in a child mindset, but with an old soul if that makes sense. I wasn't like other kids. I was listening to classics like (laughs) listening to old Judy Garland-like albums-
Robert Ascroft:
You sound like a lot of fun.
Harvey Guillén:
I listened to Frank Sinatra's songs at 10. I listened to old classics in both Spanish and English. My Dad liked really old-timey shows in black and white. So, I grew up watching both of these worlds.
I was the first person to take my siblings to see a musical. My sisters and brothers always say, "Oh, my God, I remember my first musical with you. Oh, my God, I remember the first time you introduced us to this show. Oh, my God, I remember you first introducing us to live theater." Because I was kind of co-parenting the way that I wish someone would have taken me to see a live theater show when I was seven, I'm gonna do with when they're seven. I remember taking them to see the Lion King. And I remember taking them seeing, uh, musicals, and introducing them to the arts, and remembering, reminding them that if that's something they want to do... And mind you, this is something that, while simultaneously, I'm still working on myself. I'm still taking dance classes and voice classes. Which by the way, I paid for myself because we were very poor, and my Mom and Dad did not have money set aside for that. The idea of getting, you know, uh, an allowance, I brought it up one time, and it was never brought up again. I said, "My friends take out the trash, and they get money." And it's like, you take out the trash because you live here and have a roof over your head. Now, take out the trash.
My older brother moved out of the house pretty young. I remember him being 16, 17, he's like, "I'm gonna move out." And it's like, "What?" And it's like, "Bye." And then I became the oldest in the house. Not being the oldest in the family, but being the oldest in the place. And so it all fell onto me. That changed the dynamic between my siblings and me because they saw me more as a parental figure than a sibling. And now that I've gotten older, we've shifted that back to being brothers and sisters. I'm not your parent. I don't care... they try to hide the fact that if they smoke weed. And I was like, again, I'm not your parent. It's legal, and it's fine.
Robert Ascroft:
What is one of your favorite travel destinations?
Harvey Guillén:
Ever since I was a little kid, I would always see pictures of this beautiful crystal clear ocean water with huts on the water on wooden posts. It was right on the water, and you could look out your window and look down at the floor, and you could see through, and I always wanted to do that. It was a lifelong dream of mine. This past summer, for the first time, after making many attempts but always booking a role and constantly having to cancel it because a job came along and you need to know when your next job is. This business is fickle. The highs are high, and the lows are low, and you can't take the risk of saying no to this job because you might not work for a while. And as we learned in these last 100 and over 118 days (laughs), there is a possibility of no work for a time.
Robert Ascroft:
Yes, we both experienced it.
Harvey Guillén:
Well, I finally got to go to the Maldives and stay on a hut with a slide, because I always wanted a decline since I saw this picture when I was little, from a slide from the second floor that goes straight into the ocean (laughs). And so I finally did it. I checked that off, and it was one of the most beautiful places I've ever been.
Robert Ascroft:
What is your favorite music?
Harvey Guillén:
That one is hard because my tastes vary. Oh, God, I like Spanish, English, and all kinds of music, so it's hard to pinpoint because I go through phases. That said, I'm leaning towards Billie Holiday. It's Billie Holiday's voice and not a specific song. Her voice and the cadence of her performance. Some of the songs are gloomy, but they give me life.
Robert Ascroft:
Songs and artists are good for that moment. Depending on where I'm at, speak more clearly to me. Then, a year or two later, it doesn't reach me the same way that it did before.
Harvey Guillén:
These songs may be considered melancholy... Gloomy Sunday, Solitude, I'll Be Seeing You, and all the great songs that she sings. Uh, but to me, it's just the opposite. It regenerates me, reminds me of how wonderful life can be, and how great. And how her performance and the cadence in her voice remind me of that.
Robert Ascroft:
Yeah. I definitely agree with that.
Blue Coat Archive @isseymiyakeofficial
Robert Ascroft:
What is your advice to young LGBTQ aspiring artists and actors?
Harvey Guillén:
Oh, that's a good one, too. You know, I think for so long we, being part of the queer community, myself included, were told by the industry... I had an agent who told me once, uh, "Don't tell anyone that you're queer, uh, you'll lose jobs." And I think it's still to a point where Hollywood does shy away from giving queer people, gay men, roles because they don't believe that it would be believable if they played otherwise. I find that insulting because you're always giving the part to a straight actor, and you think that's believable.
Remember that there's no ticking time bomb. Especially with what's been happening lately where a lot of actors who are portraying certain characters and their sexuality might be questioned, and they are outed, or they are forced to come out before, um, they are comfortable doing so. Everyone's sexuality, actors, everyone included, is their business. It's no one's business. It's their business. For people to want to know or to negate us, why don't you tell us? Why are you not telling us? Why are you hiding it? Why can't you just tell us? Tell us right now.
Forcing someone to come out... And I hate that term, too, COMING OUT. Because we know what we are, it's not the first thing they woke up that day and realized, oh, my gosh, I'm gonna tell everyone today. Everyone who knows that they are gay or that they are queer has been thinking about it. Believe me, it has been on their mind. They have thought about it. They have talked about it to themselves in the mirror. It is not new to them. And so for the idea for someone to come out is always kind of, kind of, uh, a little upsetting to me. I don't think it should be coming out. It should be called LETTING YOU IN. Because I already know who I am at that point when I share this information. They already know who they are when they share this information with you. Coming out is never really for the person. It's for the people who are surrounding them. Coming out is always for the person who wants to know.
Robert Ascroft:
Yeah.
Harvey Guillén:
Coming out is always for the parent who is questioning you and just wants to have peace of mind. Coming out was for you to feel that you are still loved in this phase of your life or this new revelation. And it should not be called coming out. It should be called letting you in. And what you do with that information is up to the par- eh, the person who just discovered. That they let you in, and what you do once... It's like welcoming someone to someone's home: please don't destroy my home. I opened the door, and I stepped right, and you stepped right in. And it's up to the person who's my guest to either wipe their shoes, be cautious of the frames, or be careful of the furniture. Please don't, you know, jump around and destroy the home I had made. It's usually... What happens is you may let people into your homes that they trusted, and it turns out these people have no respect for your home, and they make a mess out of it.
Robert Ascroft:
When did you LET PEOPLE IN?
Harvey Guillén:
I think I LET PEOPLE IN in high school because I was fortunate. I was lucky to be part of a group of two boys and two girls. And we, the four of us, would always hang out together. And something threw us at each other the whole time. So we would always hang out together all the time. No questions. So people, even if they had questions about whether we might or may not be, especially the boys. I think sometimes, you know, uh, it's easier, uh, for the queer community, I think... When men are not men by traditional standards, that's what I always find that people are easy to pinpoint at you as like, "Oh, are you?" Because you're not the traditional brooding, masculine machismo, and that's always sort of like a question of sexuality.
Robert Ascroft:
Traditionally, yes.
Harvey Guillén:
I think sometimes with our female friends, because they were just themselves, there was never, "I think they might be..." We were just very lucky that we were in a group that all four of us were queer. And basically came to the terms of letting each other in. Not being surprised in a way. And being like, oh, that's fine and great. We were very lucky in that way. But I know that's only sometimes the case with many people.
I remember, um, letting my mom in. One day, it was, it was just, she needed, I think, peace of mind. I remember talking about my friend in my group, the four of us, my, my, Adriana. And she was asking, "Oh, Adriana's so pretty." And then she's like, "She's gorgeous," you know. And she's like, "Oh, she should have a boyfriend. Why don't you date her?" And I looked at her like so shocked, and in that moment thought thinking, oh, that's right. I haven't LET HER IN. I had assumed that my mother would know. I just looked straight at her and said, "Mom, you know that I'm queer, right?" And she said, "Oh, well, I don't care, so long as you're happy." And I thought, "Okay." And it was such a quick transition. Maybe she had a hunch deep down inside, but she never forced it, and she just wanted to know for her own peace of mind. And so I, it was a... For me, I was very fortunate. I am lucky because I know that's not the way for many people.
Robert Ascroft:
That's a really fortunate situation. Yeah, I've heard many other stories that go the other way.
Harvey Guillén:
Yeah. Don't get me wrong, I grew up with a very machismo culture. And there were moments where people made passive-aggressive remarks. It can feel like death by a thousand small cuts these microaggressions and terminology that's used. When you're little, you don't understand when someone calls you Mariposa. It was very hurtful to find out the negative connotation of a butterfly and how it's used.
Um, there were moments like that where I felt that. I knew that I was different and that people knew I was different. But also, as a child, that makes you go back in. It goes back into your home, closing that door and looking out the window. Cautiously, I look through the curtain, ensuring no one notices the vibrant colors inside. And no one's seeing that you put up wallpaper and that you're considering changing the tapestry, but always looking out the window. Cautiously looking out the window, ensuring no one's ever too close to the door. Eventually, you get comfortable enough to open that door and let people in.
Robert Ascroft:
With success comes responsibility, which is an old adage. Would you want to channel some of your success into charity?
Harvey Guillén:
Yeah. You know, I was thinking about this the other day when I, growing up, didn't have a lot of money. So, in high school, I was looking for all these grants and scholarships for low-income Latino students in the arts and whatnot. I've been creating something where we can be of help to lower-income communities with kids who have an interest in the arts. Because that's the first thing we know: when budgets get cut in schools, especially in public schools, the first thing that gets cut is the art (not sports) but the arts. These kids have no other outlets. So there needs to be an outlet then how is there a possibility for a career or a life in the entertainment industry. Even if it's, you know, the first-ever scholarship, or like the Harvey Guillén-like scholarship, for young up-and-coming artists. Something that would help because I know that going through college was such a burden of thinking, "I don't have a trust fund.
Robert Ascroft:
What was the break that you had in your career? Can you pinpoint where that was?
Harvey Guillén:
I remember the day I was doing an educational theater program where they hired actors to play different characters in different shows. Shows ranging from elementary to high school. High school kids deal with teen pregnancy and drugs, and elementary school kids talk about healthy food choices. Junior high kids would get a show about, uh, bullying and depression.
And so I was doing a show. I was in the elementary cast where we act, talk about food choices, and, you know, veggies and fruits. And I had just finished a show, and I stepped off, still wearing my microphone, costume, and everything. And I got the call. My friend grabbed the Polaroid because he knew who it was. That was the phone call I was waiting for, and they took a picture. I still have it, and it's just me sobbing (laughs) because I had gotten the call that I booked a series regular. I look at that picture and remember how I thought everything was about to change... And it did. It started off as my first series regular. And it was produced and created by Winnie Holzman and Savannah Dooley. And Winnie Holzman, who wrote the script for Wicked, the musical that just celebrated its 20th anniversary. So, I was really excited to work with her. And then shortly after that, I booked a Latino film festival short film called El Tux. The young lady who played my baby sister turned out to grow up and be Becky G, the singer and international sensation. Just look at that, and look at that trajectory of where we started, and look at her now. And look at, you know, what I'm doing. It's so lovely. And we, like, saw each other at her concert and hugged, and it was like sibling love of two kids who started off in this business and are still going strong.
Every stepping stone is in the right direction. So whenever someone says, "Oh, my gosh, you know, what a year you've had." Or when someone thinks they have discovered you and call you an overnight success.
Robert Ascroft:
Agreed, there is no such thing.
Harvey Guillén:
Right, there's no such thing. Hard work and being tenacious is how you become an overnight success.
Robert Ascroft:
Are there any outside projects in the works that you can talk to us about?
Harvey Guillén:
Yeah. Well, I'm really excited now to talk about this now... Chris Pine, Ariana DeBose, I, and a fantastic cast are in WISH, the upcoming animated film celebrating Disney's 100th anniversary. I was really excited, and I sing in it. All my queer baby self dreams have come true. I always wanted to be in a Disney animated film. I always wanted to be a voice in a movie. I always wanted to sing. So, all of these dreams are coming true. And it's so perfectly called on a movie that's called WISH.
Robert Ascroft:
You are a joy to work with, and thank you for your time talking to me.
Harvey Guillén:
Thank you. I'm excited.
