Cruz on Inclusion, Culber, and Romance
2 min read
Wilson Cruz was a Trek fan from way back, and being part of the Trek franchise means a lot to the actor for various reasons, including the inclusiveness of the show.
“As a little Latin boy in Brooklyn and in the Inland Empire of California, I spent a lot of time in front of the TV because one parent worked nights, and my mom worked really late days, and I was the oldest of three kids,” said Cruz. “I spent a lot of time in front of the television, and so a lot of my views of the world came from things I experienced and was exposed to on television, and a lot of that I owe to Star Trek, especially in reference to this multicultural Utopian ideal. That really forms the way that I thought we, as people, should be moving towards. And this idea that we are all interconnected, and that we should see ourselves in people that are even vastly different than ourselves in order to find commonalities in that and to work from there in order to succeed, that all came from Star Trek. So, now to be a part of that mythology, of that history, for me, is overwhelming.”
LGBTQ fans are finally represented on Star Trek. “So many of us have waited to see this on Star Trek,” said Cruz. “What it says to young people watching it is that when the future comes, we will be a part of that. LGBTQ people have always been a part of civilization, and to see that we will continue to be a part of the civilization is incredibly important. For a young person to turn on the television and be able to see themselves is really important. It was the characters on TV and in film that allowed me to dream outside of what was expected of me, that really freed me of those expectations and allowed me to dream bigger dreams for myself. So, if Anthony and I can do that for a young LGBTQ person, then we will have fulfilled a great need.”
On Star Trek: Discovery, Dr. Culber is in a romance with Stamets. In another interview with TrekMovie, Cruz explained that “[Culber] is madly in love with Paul Stamets, our astro-mycologist, [played by] Anthony Rapp, my friend of twenty years. I love the way that relationship is being treated. It is just a matter of fact. Our story line together is about how you balance you life as partners and your work as you work together. It can be tricky, because one can step on the toes of the other.”
The relationship between Culber and the “prickly” Stamets will bring out “another side of [Stamets],” said Cruz.
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