Alec Mapa
Alejandro "Alec" Mapa (/ˈmɑːpə/; born July 10, 1965) is an American[1] actor, comedian and writer.[2] He got his first professional break when he was cast to replace B. D. Wong for the role of Song Liling in the Broadway production of M. Butterfly. He gained recognition for roles such as Adam Benet on Half & Half, Suzuki St. Pierre on Ugly Betty and Vern on Desperate Housewives. Mapa recurred as Renzo on Switched at Birth.
Alec Mapa | |
|---|---|
Mapa in February 2008 | |
| Born | Alejandro Mapa July 10, 1965 San Francisco, California, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, comedian, writer |
| Years active | 1987-present |
| Spouse | Jamison Hebert (m. 2008) |
| Children | 1 |
| Website | www |
Mapa co-hosted the Logo network reality dating game show Transamerican Love Story with Calpernia Addams in 2008. In 2013, he debuted in his own one-man show, Alec Mapa: Baby Daddy, which was made into a concert film and premiered on Showtime in 2015.
Early life
Mapa was born in San Francisco and attended George Washington High School.[2] While in high school, he played Randolph McAfee in the production of Bye Bye Birdie.
Mapa's senior year productions were Cabaret and Harvey, both in which he had the lead roles. Mapa was also a champion orator in the Humorous and Dramatic Interpretation categories of Speech.
Career
Mapa got his professional break when he was cast to understudy, and then replace B. D. Wong in the Broadway production of M. Butterfly. Mapa later played the role on the national tour. Mapa would return to Broadway in an adaptation of L'Hôtel du libre échange by Georges Feydeau and Maurice Desvallières, re-titled, "A Little Hotel on the Side" in 1992. The next year, Mapa was back on Broadway in a Stratford Festival inspired production of Timon of Athens. Off-Broadway, Mapa earned a nomination at the 2001 Lucille Lortel Awards for his performance in the Jessica Hagedorn play Dogeaters, and was featured in every play in the "Whitelands" trilogy, a series of plays about gay Asian men written by Chay Yew; "Porcelain" (1992), "A Language of Their Own" (1995), and "Wonderland" (1999).
On television, he has made guest appearances on a wide variety of programs, including The Jamie Foxx Show, Roseanne, Seinfeld, NYPD Blue, Friends, Murder One and Dharma & Greg. He had a supporting role in the short-lived 2001 comedy Some of My Best Friends. He played Adam Benet in the UPN comedy Half & Half.
He wrote and performed in a one-man play titled "I Remember Mapa", about his experiences growing up gay in San Francisco.
Mapa was a featured performer on the Logo original stand-up comedy series Wisecrack. In 2006 appeared as Vern, Gabrielle's personal shopper, on the TV series Desperate Housewives. He had a recurring role on the 2006–2010 series Ugly Betty, as Suzuki St. Pierre, the flamboyant host of a fictional gossip and news show (who, it is revealed, is actually a straight—and married—journalist named Byron Wu). He performed the voice of Rick's flamboyantly gay uncle Bakla on the 2007-2009 animated series Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in All the World.
Mapa's film credits include parts in Bright Lights, Big City, Playing by Heart, Connie and Carla and Marley & Me, among others. He was featured in the movies Super Sweet 16: The Movie and Tru Loved. He also played as a stylist in the movie You Don't Mess with the Zohan.
In 2008, Mapa hosted Logo's Transamerican Love Story, a reality dating program starring transgender woman Calpernia Addams selecting from among eight potential suitors. In the same year, he also hosted Dancing With Dogs on Animal Planet.
Mapa also performed on the 2009 Atlantis Freedom Caribbean Cruise headlining in the Arcadia Theater.
In 2010, Mapa became one of the co-hosts of Logo's The Gossip Queens, a daily series where he helps present celebrity gossip.
In his act, he jokes that he is sometimes confused with Rex Lee, another flamboyant Asian homosexual who plays Lloyd on the HBO dramedy Entourage.
In 2015, Mapa appeared on Candidly Nicole with Nicole Richie.[3]
Personal life
Mapa is gay[1] and lends his support to various projects supporting the gay, lesbian, and Asian American communities. In 2008, Mapa legally married Jamison "Jamie" Hebert, after dating since 2002.[4] On the TV series The Gossip Queens, Mapa stated in the opening episode that he and his husband had adopted a 5-year-old boy. They adopted their child in 2010.[5] Mapa is of Filipino descent.
Credits
Writer
- Half & Half (2006): "The Big Nervous Breakup Episode"[6]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Bright Lights, Big City | Yasu Wade | |
| 1988 | A New Life | Sybil | |
| 1996 | The Substance of Fire | New Receptionist | |
| 1998 | Playing by Heart | Lana | |
| 2003 | Who's Your Daddy? | Nat-San Wang | |
| 2004 | Connie and Carla | Lee / N'Cream | |
| 2005 | Hard Pill | Protester | |
| 2005 | Pollen | Howard | 12 minutes |
| 2006 | Dirty Laundry | Daniel | |
| 2008 | Marley & Me | Jorge | |
| 2008 | Tru Loved | Mr. Bushnell | |
| 2008 | You Don't Mess with the Zohan | Claude | |
| 2008 | Laughing Matters... The Men | Himself | stand-up comedy; ASIN B0010P5UOU |
| 2011 | Going Down in LA-LA Land | Himself | |
| 2011 | Half-Share | Ito | Short Film (29 minutes) |
| 2011 | Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure | Gill Samms | |
| 2011 | Winner Takes All | Simon | Short Film (15 minutes); included in the compilation film Black Briefs (2012) |
| 2012 | Family Restaurant | Daddy | Short Film (10 minutes) |
| 2014 | Alec Mapa: Baby Daddy | Himself | concert film of one-man show |
| 2014 | Such Good People | Jigme Wanchuck | |
| 2017 | A Very Sordid Wedding | Marty Wells | |
| 2017 | The Year of Spectacular Men | Overzealous Casting Director | |
| 2019 | Grand-Daddy Day Care | Ned Tooley | |
| 2020 | Chick Fight | Chuck | |
| 2021 | Queen Bees | Lito Santos |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | ABC Afterschool Special | Peng | Episode: "Supermom's Daughter" |
| 1990 | The Cosby Show | Wretched Fan | Episode: "Off to See the Wretched" |
| 1992 | Flying Blind | Lucas | Episode: "The Secret of My Great Dress" |
| 1992 | Melrose Place | Jeweler #2 | Episode: "The Whole Truth" |
| 1993 | Key West | Episode: "The Second Day in Heaven" | |
| 1993 | The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles | Nguyen | Episode: "Paris, May 1919" |
| 1994 | Hart to Hart: Crimes of the Hart | Hal Trask | |
| 1994 | Roseanne | Kyle | Episode: "Skeleton in the Closet" |
| 1995 | Hangin' with Mr. Cooper | Perry | Episode: "Halloween" |
| 1995 | Law & Order | Brian Yoshimara | Episode: "Rebels" |
| 1995 | M.A.N.T.I.S. | Troy | Episode: "The Sea Wasp" |
| 1995 | Seinfeld | Paul | Episode: "The Pool Guy" |
| 1996 | The Jamie Foxx Show | Ike Yee | Episode: "A Star Is Almost Born" |
| 1996 | NYPD Blue | Angela | Episode: "Unembraceable You" |
| 1997 | Murder One | Damien Vasquez | Episodes: "Chapter Seventeen, Year Two" and "Chapter Eighteen, Year Two" |
| 1997 | Murder One: Diary of a Serial Killer | Damien Vasquez | TV miniseries |
| 1997 | Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher | Sammy Choi | Episode: "Party at Nick's Place" |
| 1997 | NYPD Blue | Angela | Episode: "I Love Lucy" |
| 1997 | Spy Game | Andy Shawn | Episodes: "With Friends Like These..." and "Well, Nothing to Fear But Death Itself" |
| 1998 | Friends | The Housekeeper | Episode: "The One with All the Thanksgivings" |
| 1998 | Holding the Baby | Nelson | Episode: "No Man Is a Fantasy Island" |
| 1999 | Dharma & Greg | Trina | Episode: "Welcome to the Hotel Calamari" |
| 2001 | Some of My Best Friends | Vern Limoso | 8 episodes |
| 2002 | Baby Bob | Brian | Episode: "House of the Rising Son" |
| 2002-2005 | Half & Half | Adam Benet | 58 episodes |
| 2003 | Alias | NSC Techie | Episode: "The Nemesis" |
| 2004 | E! 101 Most Awesome Moments in Entertainment | Himself | Special |
| 2004 | I'm with Her | Henry Liu | Episode: "Not in My Dress You Won't" |
| 2004 | Significant Others | Parent #1 | Episode: "A School, Not Cool & a Fool" |
| 2005-2007 | Desperate Housewives | Vern | 5 episodes |
| 2005 | Wisecrack | Himself | stand-up comedy |
| 2006 | Help Me Help You | Andrew | Episode: "Inger Management" |
| 2007 | Heartland | Teddy DeSilva | Episode: "A Beautiful Day" |
| 2007-2010 | Ugly Betty | Suzuki St. Pierre | 30 episodes |
| 2007 | The Visible Vote '08: A Presidential Forum | Himself | |
| 2008 | Celebracadabra | Pilot Contestant | |
| 2008 | Dancing with Dogs | Himself (Host) | |
| 2008 | Transamerican Love Story | Himself (Host) | 8 episodes |
| 2009 | Alec Mapa: No Fats, Femmes or Asians | Himself | stand-up comedy special |
| 2009 | Annul Victory | Himself | Documentary |
| 2009 | Numbers | Clerk | Episode: "Old Soldiers" |
| 2009 | Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in All the World | Uncle Bakla (voice) | Episodes: "House of Race Cards" and "Marry X-Mas" |
| 2010 | 2010 NewNowNext Awards | Himself | |
| 2010-2011 | The Gossip Queens | Himself (Host) | 68 episodes |
| 2010 | Jonas | Chef Shiraki | Episode: "A Wasabi Story" |
| 2010 | Pride: The Gay & Lesbian Comedy Slam | Himself | stand-up comedy special |
| 2010, 2022 | RuPaul's Drag Race | Himself | 2 episodes |
| 2010 | The View | Himself | 2 episodes |
| 2011 | Rules of Engagement | Restaurant Manager | Episode: "The Power Couple" |
| 2011 | RuPaul's Drag U | Himself (Guest Judge) | "Suddenly Single" |
| 2012 | Scandalicious | Himself (Presenter) | 4 episodes |
| 2014 | Switched at Birth | Renzo | 8 episodes |
| 2015 | Major Crimes | Nurse | Episode: "The Jumping Off Point" |
| 2015 | Candidly Nicole | Himself | Episode: "Gay" |
| 2016 | Mom | Milo | Episode: "Quaaludes and Crackerjack" |
| 2016-2020 | Henry Danger | Jack Frittleman | 4 episodes |
| 2016 | 2 Broke Girls | Lawrence | Episode: "And the Lost Baggage" |
| 2018 | Raven's Home | Mapa | Episode: "The Falcon and the Raven, Part 1" |
| 2019 | Doom Patrol | Steve Larson / Animal-Vegetable-Mineral Man | 3 episodes |
| 2019 | Team Kaylie | Gerald | Episode: "Lights, Camera, Retraction" |
| 2020 | Danger Force | Jack Frittleman | Episode: "The Danger Force Awakens" |
| 2021 | RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars | Himself (Special guest) | Season 6, Episode: "The Charisma, Uniqueness, Nerve and Talent Monologues" |
| 2022 | The Villains of Valley View | Mr. Tennyson | 2 episodes |
References
- ^ a b Rotter, Joshua (August 29, 2005), , AfterElton.com, archived from the original on November 18, 2007, retrieved 2007-11-02
- ^ a b Alec Mapa at IMDb
- ^ @AlecMapa (1 September 2015). "Watch me go to war with my neighbor @nicolerichie on the next ep of #CandidlyNicole Weds 11pm on Vh-1" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Hartinger, Brent (November 9, 2008). "More Gay Celebrity Boyfriends!". After Elton. Retrieved 12 October 2012.
- ^ Thurston • •, Jack. "'We're Lucky:' Hollywood Actor & Adoptive Dad Encourages LGBTQ Foster Parenting". NECN. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
- ^ "The Big Nervous Breakup Episode" at IMDb
External links
- Official site
- Alec Mapa at IMDb