“I would be leaving [school] and...
but maybe sometimes television and film should still be aspirational,” he said, adding: “There are plenty of wealthy Latinx people in this country.”
He stressed how in “every single ethnic group, there’s a multiplicity of lived experiences within those groups, and I want to see more of that regarding Latinx characters.” The most popular films often depict Latinx people as “criminals, low-level workers and ‘the other,”’ or they disproportionately focus on immigration stories,” according to a recent study by the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative at the University of Southern California.
“I think we are very much in a realm where we see too many maids, too many stories on immigration only around Latinx bodies, and that’s fine, but I would like to see more diversity in storytelling,” he said
“I would hope that Justin gets buried under the many other queer characters that come to the forefront,” he said.
But Indelicato evolved his character into a groundbreaking role that was widely lauded by LGBTQ awareness groups such as GLAAD and was considered one of the best queer characters on television. And he reads just as approachable in person as he does on TV. Importantly, showing the many facets of the queer experience on screen is not only still part of his work but also arguably the driving force.
We spent an afternoon at the end of August catching up with Indelicato to unpack the path he paved for fellow members of queer and Latinx communities with his role on “Ugly Betty,” what he’s been up to and what’s to come. His hope is that in the future there will “have been so many queer characters that represent our community and that people respond to in a way that — not erases Justin — where we can look at more relevant examples for now.”
“That doesn’t erase what Justin did.
This is interesting and different." Toward the end of the final season, Justin did get his first kiss from another boy, Austin, and he and Austin started dating.
Chris Williams, who plays Wilhelldiva Hater (the drag queen parody of Wilhelmina Slater), is Vanessa Williams' brother.
Salma Hayek enjoyed being on set so much that she took advantage of her producer role to get the part of Sofia Reyes.
Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani-born, internationally known advocate for the rights of women and girls and (as of 2022) the youngest person ever to be awarded a Nobel Peace Prize, has said in several interviews that Ugly Betty was an early and important influence on her development as a feminist.
But while Ferrera’s Betty captured our hearts in so many ways, she was far from the only standout on the show.
Enter Mark Indelicato, who graced our screens at the mere age of 12 when he appeared on the show as Justin Suarez, the ultra-chic and queer nephew of Betty. Justin started out as a side character likely intended to add another element of comedic flair to the ensemble comedy.
my friends had to put coats over my head while these paparazzis are calling me a ‘faggot.’ That doesn’t feel good for a 15-year-old,” he said, emphasizing that being screamed at and gawked at is “detrimental” to anyone’s mental health.
Taking the bullying, both in real life and online, into account, Indelicato said that the “Ugly Betty” set culture helped him feel safe and protected and that he’d “walk onto set every day like I was the bravest person on the planet.” He added that elder castmates, including Ana Ortiz and Michael Urie, would emphasize to him how his portrayal of a queer teen was helping to change the world.
It’s easy to see just how much has changed — for both him personally and the culture.
“I feel very pleased with the idea that I’m considered one of the characters and one of the people who helped push that narrative forward and helped break down the door, one of the many doors the LGBTQ community has had to break down.”
He also added that it makes him “feel so good when older gay men come up to me that are like, ‘I wish we had a Justin when we were growing up.’”
Though some child actors seem to never stop working, it’s not uncommon for others to fade out of the scene and pursue other ventures, maybe even leave acting forever.