Vico Ortiz

Last updated

Vico Ortiz
Vico Ortiz by Gage Skidmore 2.jpg
Ortiz in 2024
Born (1991-10-10) October 10, 1991 (age 32)
Education American Academy of Dramatic Arts
OccupationActor
Years active2011–present

Vico Ortiz (born October 10, 1991) is a Puerto Rican actor, drag king, and activist. [3] They are best known for portraying Jim Jimenez on the HBO Max television series Our Flag Means Death . [4] Ortiz is a recipient of the Human Rights Campaign Visibility Award [5] as well as a GLAAD Media Award winner. [6]

Contents

Early life and education

Vico Ortiz was born on October 10, 1991, [7] in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where they were raised. [1] [2] [8] They are fluent in Spanish and English; Spanish was the first language they learned. [9]

Ortiz received their education at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles. [10]

Career

Ortiz started their acting career in 2011 when they starred in the short film Oprah's Audience Moves On. For the following years, they had many small roles in other shorts and TV shows. [11]

Around 2017–2018, Ortiz told their agent that they wanted to go for roles of all genders, whether non-binary like them, or not. When they were hired for non-queer roles, they started suggesting to the writers that their characters could be non-binary, and some shows accepted to make the change. [12]

In 2018, they starred in the queer web series Recon, about a group of teenagers attending a secret spy school, as Ren St. Claire, one of the main characters. [11] Later that year, they starred in two episodes of the TV show Vida.

In 2019, they starred in another queer web series titled These Thems, where they played Vero, a non-binary character befriending a 30-year old woman who had just come out. [11] Ortiz also wrote the Spanish subtitles for the show. [12]

In 2021, they had recurring roles in both The Sex Lives of College Girls and S.O.Z. Soldados o Zombies . [11]

In 2022, they had their first main role in a television show, Our Flag Means Death . [11] Ortiz plays a non-binary pirate in this queer comedy about the romantic relationship between Blackbeard and Stede Bonnet which quickly became a hit. [13] Ortiz says that their interactions with fans have changed their life, and that they felt encouraged to get top surgery after seeing fan art of their character, Jim, getting gender-affirming surgery from the show's cook and de facto surgeon Roach (played by Samba Schutte). [14]

In 2023, they had two recurring voice acting roles in the animated television show Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake . [11] They voiced the supporting characters Hunter, Skater Y and Fern.

In 2024, Ortiz was a featured guest in the second season of the GLAAD digital series Dímelo. [15]

Personal life

Ortiz is non-binary. They use they/them pronouns in English [16] [17] [18] and elle/le/e in Spanish. [3] [19] In an episode of the podcast Gender Reveal, they identified as genderfluid as well as non-binary, comparing their gender to a waterbed, "constantly moving, but in a fun way". [12]

Ortiz performs as a drag king named "Vico Suave". [3] Their character takes inspiration from both their Hispanic/Caribbean and American culture, [10] as well as "men who are comfortable with their femininity", such as Ricky Martin, Marc Anthony and Bad Bunny. [20] They have another drag king persona named AJ when performing with their boy band the Backstreet Butches. [12] Ortiz's drag king career started when a friend convinced them to participate in a show before they even knew what drag was. [20]

In July 2023, Ortiz revealed they are in a polyamorous relationship and shared photos of their partners. [21]

Ortiz is an activist in subjects such as Puerto Rican federal voting rights, anti-racism, and gender neutrality in the Spanish language. [3]

Filmography

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2014 Transparent Cindy1 episode
2015 The Fosters Cole's buddy1 episode
2017 Criminal Minds Worker1 episode
2018 Vida Tasha2 episodes
2019 American Horror Story Rudy1 episode
2020 Everything's Gonna Be Okay Lyndsey2 episodes
2021–2022 The Sex Lives of College Girls Tova6 episodes
2021 S.O.Z. Soldados o Zombies Sgt. Vicky ValenciaRecurring role
2022-2023 Our Flag Means Death Jim JimenezMain role
2023 Harley Quinn Tefé Holland (voice)
2023 Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake Hunter/Skater Y/Fern (voice)

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2023 Craig Before the Creek Serena (voice)

Web series

YearTitleRoleNotes
2018ReconRen St. ClaireMain role
2019These ThemsVeroMain role
2024DímeloThemselfFeatured guest
TBAAtlantis RocksBenMain role [22]

Accolades

YearAwardNominated WorkCategoryResultRef.
2021 The Queerties These ThemsPerformance in a Digital SeriesNominated [23]
2022 Gold Derby TV Award Our Flag Means Death Best Comedy Supporting ActorNominated [24]
GLAAD Media Award Primer Impacto (Univision) Outstanding Spanish-Language TV JournalismWon [25]
The Queerties Our Flag Means DeathFavorite TV PerformanceNominated [26]
2023 Audie Awards VelorioSpanish Language TitleNominated [27]
Peabody Awards Our Flag Means DeathEntertainmentNominated [28]
2024 Annie Awards Craig Before the Creek Outstanding Achievement for Voice Acting in an Animated Television/Media ProductionNominated [29]
The Queerties Our Flag Means DeathFavorite TV PerformanceRunner-up [30]

Autostraddle TV Awards

Outstanding Supporting or Guest Actor Playing an LGBTQ+ Character in a Sci-Fi/Fantasy SeriesNominated

[31]

Fan Favorite Out LGBTQ+ ActorWon

Other Accolades

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References

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  2. 1 2 Kelleher, Patrick (March 17, 2022). "HBO's new swashbuckling, non-binary pirate is 'reclaiming our stories', actor Vico Ortiz says". PinkNews . Retrieved March 20, 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Politics & Pride: Getting To Know Vico Ortiz". Ladygunn. June 25, 2020. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
  4. "Vico Ortiz". LezWatch.TV. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
  5. Ortiz, Vico [@V_Vico_Ortiz] (August 25, 2022). "Wrote some stuff, said some words and am beyond humbled to have received the @HRC Visibility Award" (Tweet) via Twitter.
  6. Huff, Lauren (March 31, 2023). "Bros, A League of Their Own, and more honored at 2023 GLAAD Media Awards: See full winners list". Entertainment Weekly .
  7. @V_Vico_Ortiz (April 19, 2022). "Been getting a lot of lovely congratulations but just wanted to say that it is not my birthday tomorrow. Not sure how that happened… but I was born 10/10/91 at 10:10am 🖤✨ hahahaha 😅 I'm a confused millennial in their 30s ✌🏽" (Tweet) via Twitter.
  8. @V_Vico_Ortiz (April 19, 2022). "For the girlies doing my chart I was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico 💅🏽💁🏽‍♂️✨" (Tweet). Retrieved May 11, 2022 via Twitter.
  9. "Vico Ortiz Talks 'Our Flag Means Death,' Being a Non-Binary Actor & Working with Taika Waititi". Remezcla. April 26, 2022. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
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  14. "'OFMD's Vico Ortiz Says Fan Art Encouraged Them to Get Top Surgery". Out.com. April 29, 2022. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
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