<Tr> <Th> Occupation </Th> <Td> Actor, producer, mentor </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Years active </Th> <Td> 1994--present </Td> </Tr> <P> Wilson Cruz (born Wilson Echevarría; December 27, 1973) is an American actor known for playing Rickie Vasquez on My So - Called Life, Angel in the Broadway production of Rent and the recurring character Junito on Noah's Arc . As an openly gay man of Puerto Rican ancestry, he has served as an advocate for gay youth, especially gay youth of color . </P> <P> Wilson Cruz was born in Brooklyn, New York, to parents of Puerto Rican descent . His family eventually moved to Rialto, California, where he attended Eisenhower High School, graduating in 1991 . At age 19, Cruz came out to his parents as gay, first to his mother and then his father . While his mother was initially hurt and shocked, she eventually accepted the news . His father, however, threw him out of the house, and Cruz spent the next few months living in his car and at the homes of friends . He later reconciled with his father . </P>

Who played ricky on my so called life