reel.and REAL

NICO SANTOS is intent on breaking boundaries and becoming a beacon of pride. By VICTORIA GOLDIEE

- LOGAN COLE

THOUGH HE IS NOW AN ESTABLISHED NAME, NICO SANTOS’ RISE WAS THE RESULT OF YEARS OF HARD WORK. From performing at open mic comedy shows before landing his roles playing Mateo in the NBC sitcom Superstore and as the snarkily fashionable Oliver Tsien in the blockbuster Crazy Rich Asians, his career defining moments were things that he had to make happen himself.

“I grew up in Manila before moving to the US with my brother at 16,” the comedian shares with Vogue Philippines in the middle of his Cap City Comedy Club US tour. “Like many immigrants in my shoes, I had to deal with the culture shock that comes from living comfortably in the Philippines to a middle class lifestyle elsewhere.”

He shares that he was actually in the closet up until he moved out. “But I was always one of those kids who couldn’t really hide being gay. I went through a phase of trying to fit in more. But I just reached a point where I was like, “This is who I am. And I can’t hide or deny that part of myself. Engaging in art was one of the ways I felt I could reinvent myself,” he says.

Pursuing your dreams as a queer person of color means frequently getting told that you wouldn’t succeed and he is no stranger to hearing that. “I studied theater in college, but, in my first year, I was told by my lecturers that they didn’t see me succeeding in the industry and to switch to costume and design,” Nico admits. “I didn’t have the self confidence to believe in myself at the time so I agreed.”