Harvey Guillén Discusses His Body of Work, And His Body
The Advocate. “I’ve always been a big kid growing up, and I was always happy.”It wasn’t until others started pointing out his “imperfections” that the actor, beloved for his role as Guillermo de la Cruz in the hit FX series What We Do In The Shadows, even began to question if he was beautiful. (Which, for the record, he most definitely is.) These conflicting messages were mirrored by loving nicknames given by his family like gordito (“little fat one”) which, while a term of endearment, unintentionally confirmed what others with less pure intentions were telling him about his body.It’s a story so many people can relate to, of having their confidence unfairly snatched away by outside influences.
Guillén, however, has come full circle and realizes that there’s nothing wrong with his body; he embraces and celebrates it now.“You have a big butt,” Guillén recalls bullies telling him, a message that he took to heart for years, wearing baggy pants just to hide his curves — curves he now happily flaunts on his Instagram to the delight of his followers. “Now people would kill for a big butt, you know what I mean?” he laughs.It’s a personal journey that made him the perfect fit for the panel of guest speakers at this year’s The BodCon conference, a virtual day of discussion about confidence and radical self-acceptance.
Created by Jess Hunichen and Emily Ward, The BodCon has become a social space built around body confidence, but has also spawned a podcast and a series of mini-events held virtually throughout the year.
