Alec Mapa

Alec Mapa
Alec Mapa, February 2008
Born	Alejandro Mapa (1965-07-10) July 10, 1965 San Francisco, California, United States
Occupation	Actor, Comedian, Writer
Spouse(s)	Jamison Hebert (m. 2008)
Website
www.alecmapa.com

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 later gained notoriety for the roles of Adam Benet in Half & Half and Suzuki St. Pierre in Ugly Betty which are his best known roles. He is also known for his recurring role as Vern in Desperate Housewives.

He co-hosted with Calpernia Addams the Logo network reality dating game show Transamerican Love Story. He is currently recurring in the role of Renzo in Switched at Birth.

Early life

Mapa was born in San Francisco and attended George Washington High School.^[2] While in high school, he played Randolph McAfee in a 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 first professional break when he was cast to replace B.D. Wong in the Broadway production of M. Butterfly. 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.

Personal life

Mapa is openly 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.^[3] On the TV series The Gossip Queens, Mapa stated in the opening episode that he and his husband had recently adopted a 5 year old boy. Mapa is Filipino American.

Credits

Writer

• Half & Half (2006): "The Big Nervous Breakup Episode"^[4]

Filmography

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Alec Mapa.

• Official site
• Alec Mapa at the Internet Movie Database