Alec Mapa

Alec Mapa

Alec Mapa, February 2008
Born Alejandro Mapa
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

Filmography

Genre Year Title Role Episodes Notes
TV series 1987 ABC Afterschool Special Peng "Supermom's Daughter"
Film 1988 Bright Lights, Big City Yasu Wade
Film 1988 New Life, AA New Life Sybil
TV series 1990 Cosby Show, TheThe Cosby Show Wretched Fan "Off to See the Wretched"
TV series 1992 Flying Blind Lucas "Secret of My Great Dress""The Secret of My Great Dress"
TV series 1992 Melrose Place Jeweler #2 "Whole Truth""The Whole Truth"
TV series 1993 Key West "Second Day in Heaven""The Second Day in Heaven"
TV series 1993 Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, TheThe Young Indiana Jones Chronicles Nguyen "Paris, May 1919"
TV film 1994 Hart to Hart: Crimes of the Hart Hal Trask
TV series 1994 Roseanne Kyle "Skeleton in the Closet"
TV series 1995 Hangin' with Mr. Cooper Perry "Halloween"
TV series 1995 Law & Order Brian Yoshimara "Rebels"
TV series 1995 M.A.N.T.I.S. Troy "Sea Wasp""The Sea Wasp"
TV series 1995 Seinfeld Paul "Pool Guy""The Pool Guy"
TV series 1996 Jamie Foxx Show, TheThe Jamie Foxx Show Ike Yee "Star Is Almost Born""A Star Is Almost Born"
TV series 1996 NYPD Blue Angela "Unembraceable You"
Film 1996 Substance of Fire, TheThe Substance of Fire New Receptionist
TV series 1997 Murder One Damien Vasquez "Chapter Seventeen, Year Two"
"Chapter Eighteen, Year Two"
TV miniseries 1997 Murder One: Diary of a Serial Killer Damien Vasquez
TV series 1997 Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher Sammy Choi "Party at Nick's Place"
TV series 1997 NYPD Blue Angela "I Love Lucy"
TV series 1997 Spy Game Andy Shawn "With Friends Like These..."
"Well, Nothing to Fear But Death Itself"
TV series 1998 Friends HousekeeperThe Housekeeper "One with All the Thanksgivings, TheThe One with All the Thanksgivings" a.k.a. "The One with the Thanksgiving Flashbacks"
TV series 1998 Holding the Baby Nelson "No Man Is a Fantasy Island"
Film 1998 Playing by Heart Lana
TV series 1999 Dharma & Greg Trina "Welcome to the Hotel Calamari"
TV series 2001 Some of My Best Friends Vern Limoso "Pilot"
"Fight Night"
"Blah, Blah, Blah"
"A Brief Encounter"
"Shaggy Dog Story"
"The Marriage Counselor"
"Scenes from an Italian Party"
"Kiss Me Guido"
08 episodes
TV series 2002 Baby Bob Brian "House of the Rising Son"
TV series 2002 Half & Half Adam Benet "Big Crappy BirthdayThe Big Crappy Birthday Episode" 01 episode; 58 episodes total
TV series 2003 Alias NSC Techie "NemesisThe Nemesis"
TV series 2003 Half & Half Adam Benet 07 episodes; 58 episodes total
Film 2003 Who's Your Daddy? Nat-San Wang
Film 2004 Connie and Carla Lee / N'Cream
TV special 2004 E! 101 Most Awesome Moments in Entertainment Himself
TV series 2004 Half & Half Adam Benet 15 episodes; 58 episodes total
TV series 2004 I'm with Her Henry Liu "Not in My Dress You Won't"
TV series 2004 Significant Others Parent #1 "School, Not CoolA School, Not Cool & a Fool"
TV series 2005 Desperate Housewives Vern "Color and Light" 05 episodes total
TV series 2005 Half & Half Adam Benet 23 episodes; 58 episodes total
Film 2005 Hard Pill Protestor
Short film 2005 Pollen Howard 12 minutes
TV series 2005 Wisecrack Himself stand-up comedy
TV series 2006 Desperate Housewives Vern "Beautiful Girls"
"The Miracle Song"
05 episodes total
Film 2006 Dirty Laundry Daniel
TV series 2006 Half & Half Adam Benet 11 episodes; 58 episodes total
TV series 2006 Help Me Help You Andrew "Inger Management"
TV series 2007 Desperate Housewives Vern "Come Play Wiz Me"
"Into the Woods"
05 episodes total
TV series 2007 Heartland Teddy DeSilva "Beautiful DayA Beautiful Day"
TV series 2007 Ugly Betty Suzuki St. Pierre "How Betty Got Her Grieve Back"
"Family/Affair"
"Betty's Wait Problem"
"A Nice Day for a Posh Wedding"
"I See Me, I.C.U."
"Bananas for Betty"
06 episodes; 30 episodes total
TV special 2007 Visible Vote '08: A Presidential Forum, TheThe Visible Vote '08: A Presidential Forum Himself
TV series 2008 Celebracadabra Pilot Contestant
TV special 2008 Dancing with Dogs Himself (Host)
Video 2008 Laughing Matters... The Men Himself stand-up comedy; ASIN B0010P5UOU
Film 2008 Marley & Me Jorge
TV series 2008 Transamerican Love Story Himself (Host) "Getting to Know You"
"Something's Cookin'"
"Love's a Beach"
"I Love the Nightlife"
"I Like the Way You Move"
"Meet the Folks"
"Season Recap"
"Season Finale"
Film 2008 Tru Loved Mr. Bushnell
TV series 2008 Ugly Betty Suzuki St. Pierre "Zero Worship"
"Odor in the Court"
"The Kids Are Alright"
"Jump"
"Crimes of Fashion"
"Betty Suarez Land"
"Ugly Berry"
"Crush'd"
"Tornado Girl"
09 episodes; 30 episodes total
Film 2008 You Don't Mess with the Zohan Claude
TV special 2009 Alec Mapa: No Fats, Femmes or Asians Himself stand-up comedy
Documentary 2009 Annul Victory Himself
TV series 2009 Numb3rs Clerk "Old Soldiers"
Animated TV series 2009 Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in All the World Uncle Bakla "House of Race Cards"
"Marry X-Mas"
voice actor
TV series 2009 Ugly Betty Suzuki St. Pierre "Sisters on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown"
"There's No Place Like Mode"
"A Mother of a Problem"
"The Born Identity"
"In the Stars"
"Curveball"
"The Fall Issue"
"The Butterfly Effect: Part 1"
"Level (7) with Me"
"The Bahamas Triangle"
"Be-Shure"
11 episodes; 30 episodes total
TV special 2010 2010 NewNowNext Awards Himself
TV series 2010 Gossip Queens, TheThe Gossip Queens Himself (Host) 50 episodes; 68 episodes total
TV series 2010 Jonas L.A. Chef Shiraki "Wasabi StoryA Wasabi Story"
TV special 2010 Pride: The Gay & Lesbian Comedy Slam Himself stand-up comedy
TV series 2010 RuPaul's Drag Race Himself "Snatch GameThe Snatch Game"
TV series 2010 Ugly Betty Suzuki St. Pierre "Passion of the BettyThe Passion of the Betty"
"Smokin' Hot"
"Fire and Nice"
"Hello Goodbye"
04 episodes; 30 episodes total
TV series 2010 View, TheThe View Himself
Guest Co-Host
02 episodes
Film 2011 Going Down in LA-LA Land Himself
TV series 2011 Gossip Queens, TheThe Gossip Queens Himself (Host) 18 episodes; 68 episodes total
Short film 2011 Half-Share Ito 29 minutes
TV series 2011 Rules of Engagement Restaurant Manager "Power CoupleThe Power Couple"
TV series 2011 RuPaul's Drag U Himself (Guest Judge) "Suddenly Single"
Film 2011 Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure Gill Samms
Short film 2011 Winner Takes All Simon 15 minutes; included in the compilation film Black Briefs (2012)
Short film 2012 Family Restaurant Daddy 10 minutes
TV series 2012 Scandalicious Himself (Presenter) 04 episodes
TV series 2014 Switched at Birth Renzo

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Rotter, Joshua (August 29, 2005), "Half & Half's Alec Mapa Goes All Out", AfterElton.com, retrieved 2007-11-02
  2. 2.0 2.1 Alec Mapa at the Internet Movie Database
  3. Hartinger, Brent (November 9, 2008). "More Gay Celebrity Boyfriends!". After Elton. Retrieved 12 October 2012.
  4. "The Big Nervous Breakup Episode" at the Internet Movie Database

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Alec Mapa.