Wilson Cruz Says Star Trek: Discovery Gives Audiences the “Opportunity to Dream”
"Wilson Cruz" by Gage Skidmore is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
Wilson Cruz, in addition to playing a beloved character on Star Trek: Discovery, is also a notable advocate for LGBTQ rights. Cruz was recently awarded a Stonewall Community Foundation Vision Award, and is currently appearing in Hulu’s animated series The Bravest Knight, in which he plays Prince Andrew, the love interest of series protagonist Sir Cedric.
Deadline published a profile recently on Cruz, and in it, he reflected on some of his most pivotal roles, including Ricky Vasquez on the short-lived teen drama My So-Called Life, and his latest role as Dr. Hugh Culber on Star Trek: Discovery. He said, “For me now, at 45 years old, to look back after 25 years, and having worked not just on screen, but behind the scenes, to create an atmosphere where these stories can be told and where LGBTQ people of color are being hired to tell these stories, it’s a dream come true.”
Later in the piece, he explained why he thinks that audiences are drawn to Star Trek. He said, “sometimes the world that we actually exist in falls short of our dreams, and I think sci-fi and fantasy and Star Trek, in particular, gives us an opportunity to dream — and dream big, right? I think Star Trek offers us an opportunity to visualize the ideal, what it would look like — and I know it’s trite and it’s been said over and over again, but if you can see it, you can be it.”
You can watch Wilson Cruz in The Bravest Knight, streaming on Hulu now, and in seasons 1 and 2 of Star Trek: Discovery, on CBS All Access.
