Get to know ‘Fire Island’ breakout star Tomás Matos, the “Staten Island Fairy”
Fire Island dropped, we knew Tomás Matos was destined to be a star. You simply can’t nail a Marisa Tomei-in-My Cousin Vinny impression like that and not become an instant queer icon.The enchanting rom-com set on the titular gay oasis boasts a cast that’s an embarrassment of riches—with faces that are surely familiar to queer comedy fans, like SNL‘s Bowen Yang, I Love That For You‘s Matt Rogers, and Joel Kim Booster, the film’s hilarious writer and star.
And though they don’t have the same background in comedy as many of their co-stars, Matos more than holds their own, scoring big laughs with every line, glance, and prance.As Keegan, one of Fire Island‘s “messy sisters” (inspired by Pride And Prejudice‘s Kitty Bennett), Matos relished the opportunity to step into this dream project, showing a new side of themselves in the process.
The non-binary actor grew up in New York, where they attended LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts—yes, that’s the FAME school—and then went on to pursue a career in dance and theater.After roles in Diana: The Musical and Hadestown, Fire Island could’ve felt like a step out of Matos’ comfort zone, but they embraced the challenge fully, resulting in the “highlight of [their] life thus far.”With Fire Island now streaming on Hulu—and Pride Month in full effect—we thought it was the perfect time to catch up with Matos and get to know them a little bit better.
