Alec Mapa
Encyclopedia
Alejandro "Alec" Mapa is an American actor, comedian and writer.
, was born in San Francisco and attended George Washington High School (San Francisco)
. Mapa is openly
gay
and lends his support to various projects supporting the gay, lesbian
, and Asian American
communities. 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'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.
He 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 Jamie Foxx Show, Roseanne
, Seinfeld
, NYPD Blue
, Friends
, Murder One
and Dharma & Greg
. He co-starred with Jason Bateman
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
. He recently appeared as Vern, Gabrielle's gay
best friend, on the hit ABC series Desperate Housewives
. He currently plays recurring roles in Ugly Betty
, as Suzuki St. Pierre, the gay on-screen host (and the alias of straight—and married—journalist Byron Wu) of the fashion-oriented television channel that covers the inside gossip from Mode and other fashion magazines, and the animated series Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in All the World
, as Rick's flamboyantly gay uncle Bakla.
Mapa's film credits include parts in Bright Lights, Big City
, Playing by Heart
, and Connie and Carla
, 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
. His latest film appearance was on the movie "Marley and Me" where he appeared to pick up Marley after Marley ran away to chase some birds on the beach.
In 2008, Mapa hosted 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
who plays Lloyd on the HBO dramedy Entourage
.
Personal life
Mapa, a Filipino AmericanFilipino American
Filipino Americans are Americans of Filipino ancestry. Filipino Americans, often shortened to "Fil-Ams", or "Pinoy",Filipinos in what is now the United States were first documented in the 16th century, with small settlements beginning in the 18th century...
, was born in San Francisco and attended George Washington High School (San Francisco)
George Washington High School (San Francisco)
George Washington High School is a public high school in Richmond District, San Francisco, California. The school is a part of the San Francisco Unified School District...
. Mapa is openly
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
and lends his support to various projects supporting the gay, lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
, and Asian American
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
communities. 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.
Career
One of Mapa's earliest appearances was in 1980 as a drama student at Washington High School's production of Bye Bye Birdie where he starred as Randolph McAfee.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.
He got his first professional break when he was cast to replace B.D. Wong in the Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
production of M. Butterfly
M. Butterfly
M. Butterfly is a 1988 play by David Henry Hwang loosely based on the relationship between French diplomat Bernard Boursicot and Shi Pei Pu, a male Peking opera singer....
. On television, he has made guest appearances on a wide variety of programs, including Jamie Foxx Show, Roseanne
Roseanne (TV series)
Roseanne is an American sitcom broadcast on ABC from October 18, 1988 to May 20, 1997. Starring Roseanne Barr, the show revolved around the Conners, an Illinois working class family...
, Seinfeld
Seinfeld
Seinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
, NYPD Blue
NYPD Blue
NYPD Blue is an American television police drama set in New York City, exploring the internal and external struggles of the fictional 15th precinct of Manhattan...
, Friends
Friends
Friends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
, Murder One
Murder One (TV series)
Murder One is an American legal drama series that first aired on the ABC network in the United States in 1995. The series was created by Steven Bochco, Charles H. Eglee, and Channing Gibson.-Premise:...
and Dharma & Greg
Dharma & Greg
Dharma & Greg is an American television sitcom that aired from September 24, 1997, to April 30, 2002.It starred Jenna Elfman and Thomas Gibson as Dharma and Greg Montgomery, a couple who married instantly on their first date despite being complete opposites...
. He co-starred with Jason Bateman
Jason Bateman
Jason Kent Bateman is an American television and film actor. After appearing in several 1980s and 1990s sitcoms including It's Your Move, and The Hogan Family, Bateman came to prominence in the early 2000s for playing Michael Bluth on Arrested Development, for which he won a TV Land, a Golden...
in the short-lived 2001 comedy Some of My Best Friends
Some of My Best Friends
for the 1971 film, see Some of My Best Friends Are...Some of My Best Friends is an American sitcom shown on CBS from February 28 until April 11, 2001...
. He played Adam Benet in the UPN
UPN
United Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...
comedy Half & Half
Half & Half
Half & Half is an American sitcom that aired on UPN from September 23, 2002, to May 15, 2006. The show focuses on the lives of two paternal half-sisters in their twenties who were estranged throughout their childhood, and are finally developing a close relationship...
.
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
Logo (TV channel)
Logo is an American digital cable television channel owned by Viacom's MTV Networks division. Launched in June 2005, the channel's programs are geared towards the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community...
original stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...
series Wisecrack
Wisecrack
Wisecrack is a 2005 stand-up comedy series from the LGBT television network Logo. The show was taped at the West Hollywood, California gay club The Abbey...
. He recently appeared as Vern, Gabrielle's gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
best friend, on the hit ABC series Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
. He currently plays recurring roles in Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which premiered on ABC on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series revolves around the character Betty Suarez and is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombian telenovela soap opera Yo soy Betty, la fea...
, as Suzuki St. Pierre, the gay on-screen host (and the alias of straight—and married—journalist Byron Wu) of the fashion-oriented television channel that covers the inside gossip from Mode and other fashion magazines, and the animated series Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in All the World
Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in All the World
Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in All the World is an American-Canadian stop motion animated sitcom created by Q. Allan Brocka, who also acts as director. It is a spin off from Brocka's 1999 short film of the same name, and debuted on the LGBT focused Logo network in July 2007 and on the...
, as Rick's flamboyantly gay uncle Bakla.
Mapa's film credits include parts in Bright Lights, Big City
Bright Lights, Big City (film)
Bright Lights, Big City is a 1988 drama film starring Michael J. Fox, Kiefer Sutherland and Phoebe Cates, based on the novel of the same name by Jay McInerney. It was the last film directed by James Bridges before his death in 1993.-Plot:...
, Playing by Heart
Playing by Heart
Playing by Heart is a 1998 comedy-drama film, which tells the story of several seemingly unconnected characters.-Plot:Among the characters are a mature couple about to renew their vows ; a woman who accepts a date offer from a stranger ; a gay man dying of AIDS and his mother who has...
, and Connie and Carla
Connie and Carla
Connie and Carla is a 2004 American comedy film directed by Michael Lembeck and starring Nia Vardalos, Toni Collette, and David Duchovny.The film was shot in Vancouver and featured a number of local drag queens.-Plot:...
, among others. He was featured in the movies Super Sweet 16: The Movie
Super Sweet 16: The Movie
Super Sweet 16: The Movie is an MTV television film, based on the series My Super Sweet 16. It stars teen pop stars Aly & AJ and features performances by Hellogoodbye and Pretty Ricky...
and Tru Loved
Tru Loved
Tru Loved is a 2008 independent feature film written and directed by Stewart Wade.-Plot:Sixteen-year-old Tru has been raised in San Francisco by two lesbian mothers and two gay fathers...
. He also played as a stylist in the movie You Don't Mess with the Zohan
You Don't Mess with the Zohan
You Don't Mess with the Zohan is a 2008 American comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan, written by Carlito Cabardo, and produced by and starring Adam Sandler. This is the fourth film which has starred Sandler and has been directed by Dugan...
. His latest film appearance was on the movie "Marley and Me" where he appeared to pick up Marley after Marley ran away to chase some birds on the beach.
In 2008, Mapa hosted Transamerican Love Story
Transamerican Love Story
Transamerican Love Story is an American reality television program featuring transgender woman Calpernia Addams and hosted by Alec Mapa. It originally aired on February 11, 2008 on Logo, the LGBT television network...
, a reality dating program starring transgender woman Calpernia Addams
Calpernia Addams
Calpernia Sarah Addams is an American author, actress, musician, and a spokesperson and activist for transgender rights and issues.-Biography:...
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
Rex Lee
Rex Lee is an American actor. He is best known for his role on the HBO original series, Entourage, as Lloyd Lee.-Early life:Lee was born in Warren, Ohio...
who plays Lloyd on the HBO dramedy Entourage
Entourage (TV series)
Entourage is an American comedy-drama television series that premiered on HBO on July 18, 2004 and concluded on September 11, 2011, after eight seasons...
.
Television
- ABC Afterschool SpecialABC Afterschool SpecialThe ABC Afterschool Special is an American television anthology series that aired on ABC from 1972 to 1996, usually in the late afternoon on week days. Most of the episodes were dramatic presentations of situations, often controversial, of interest to children and teenagers. Several episodes were...
(1987) - The Cosby ShowThe Cosby ShowThe Cosby Show is an American television situation comedy starring Bill Cosby, which aired for eight seasons on NBC from September 20, 1984 until April 30, 1992...
(1990) - Melrose Place (1992)
- Flying Blind (1992)
- The Young Indiana Jones ChroniclesThe Young Indiana Jones ChroniclesThe Young Indiana Jones Chronicles is an American television series that aired on ABC from March 4, 1992, to July 24, 1993. The series explores the childhood and youth of the fictional character Indiana Jones and primarily stars Sean Patrick Flanery and Corey Carrier as the title character, with...
(1993) - RoseanneRoseanne (TV series)Roseanne is an American sitcom broadcast on ABC from October 18, 1988 to May 20, 1997. Starring Roseanne Barr, the show revolved around the Conners, an Illinois working class family...
(1994) - Hart to Hart: Crimes of the Hart (1994)
- SeinfeldSeinfeldSeinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
(1995) - Hangin' with Mr. CooperHangin' with Mr. CooperHangin' with Mr. Cooper is an American television sitcom that originally aired on ABC from 1992 to 1997, starring Mark Curry and Holly Robinson. The show took place in Curry's hometown of Oakland, California. Hangin' with Mr. Cooper was produced by Jeff Franklin Productions, in association with...
(1995) - Law & OrderLaw & OrderLaw & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
(1995) - M.A.N.T.I.S.M.A.N.T.I.S.M.A.N.T.I.S. is an American Science fiction television series that aired for one season on the Fox Network between August 1994 and March 1995. The original two-hour pilot was produced by Sam Raimi and developed by Sam Hamm. It stars actor Carl Lumbly. The show is unique in that it depicts an...
(1995) - The Jamie Foxx ShowThe Jamie Foxx ShowThe Jamie Foxx Show is an American television sitcom that aired on the WB Network from August 28, 1996 to January 14, 2001. The series starred Jamie Foxx, Garcelle Beauvais, Christopher B. Duncan, Ellia English, and Garrett Morris.-Synopsis:...
(1996) - NYPD BlueNYPD BlueNYPD Blue is an American television police drama set in New York City, exploring the internal and external struggles of the fictional 15th precinct of Manhattan...
(1996–1997) - Murder OneMurder One (TV series)Murder One is an American legal drama series that first aired on the ABC network in the United States in 1995. The series was created by Steven Bochco, Charles H. Eglee, and Channing Gibson.-Premise:...
(1997) - Spy GameSpy GameSpy Game is a 2001 American spy film directed by Tony Scott and starring Robert Redford and Brad Pitt. The film grossed $62,362,785 in the United States and $143,049,560 worldwide.-Plot:...
(1997) - Nick Freno: Licensed TeacherNick Freno: Licensed TeacherNick Freno: Licensed Teacher is an American sitcom which aired on the WB from 1996 until 1998. The executive producers of the program, Dennis Rinsler and Marc Warren, drew on their own experiences as former teachers in New York and actually based the character that Mitch Mullany played on their...
(1997) - FriendsFriendsFriends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
(1998) - Holding the BabyHolding the BabyHolding the Baby was a 1997 UK sitcom television series produced by Granada Television. It lasted for two seasons. The series' average audience in 1997 was 6.85 million viewers, making it the 16th-highest rated British sitcom that year....
(1998) - Dharma & GregDharma & GregDharma & Greg is an American television sitcom that aired from September 24, 1997, to April 30, 2002.It starred Jenna Elfman and Thomas Gibson as Dharma and Greg Montgomery, a couple who married instantly on their first date despite being complete opposites...
(1999) - Some of My Best FriendsSome of My Best Friendsfor the 1971 film, see Some of My Best Friends Are...Some of My Best Friends is an American sitcom shown on CBS from February 28 until April 11, 2001...
(2001) - Baby BobBaby BobBaby Bob is an American sitcom that aired on CBS as a midseason replacement in March 2002. The Baby Bob character had previously been on television since February 2000, appearing in commercials for FreeInternet.com...
(2002) - Half & HalfHalf & HalfHalf & Half is an American sitcom that aired on UPN from September 23, 2002, to May 15, 2006. The show focuses on the lives of two paternal half-sisters in their twenties who were estranged throughout their childhood, and are finally developing a close relationship...
(2003–2006) - AliasAlias (TV series)Alias is an American action television series created by J. J. Abrams which was broadcast on ABC for five seasons, from September 30, 2001 to May 22, 2006...
(2003) - I'm with HerI'm with HerI'm with Her is an American sitcom which aired for one season on ABC.-Synopsis:The series, loosely based on creator Chris Henchy's relationship with wife Brooke Shields, begins on that chance meeting...
(2004) - Desperate HousewivesDesperate HousewivesDesperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
(2005–2007) - Help Me Help YouHelp Me Help YouHelp Me Help You is an American television situation comedy that aired from September 26, 2006 to December 12, 2006. It was first broadcast at 9:30pm Tuesdays on ABC in the United States and on Global in Canada...
(2006) - Ugly BettyUgly BettyUgly Betty is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which premiered on ABC on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series revolves around the character Betty Suarez and is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombian telenovela soap opera Yo soy Betty, la fea...
(2007–2010) - HeartlandHeartland (U.S. TV series)Heartland was an American television drama series airing on TNT. The series was based in the high-stakes world of heart-transplant surgery at "St. Jude" hospital in Pittsburgh based largely on the transplant center at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center...
(2007) - Transamerican Love StoryTransamerican Love StoryTransamerican Love Story is an American reality television program featuring transgender woman Calpernia Addams and hosted by Alec Mapa. It originally aired on February 11, 2008 on Logo, the LGBT television network...
(2008) - The View (2010)
- Jonas L.A. (2010)
- The Gossip Queens (2010)
Filmography
- Bright Lights, Big CityBright Lights, Big CityBright Lights, Big City may refer to: *""Bright Lights, Big City" ", a 1961 song by Jimmy Reed*Bright Lights, Big City , a 1984 novel by Jay McInerney*Bright Lights, Big City , a 1988 film based on McInerney's novel...
(1988) - A New Life (1988)
- PollenPollenPollen is a fine to coarse powder containing the microgametophytes of seed plants, which produce the male gametes . Pollen grains have a hard coat that protects the sperm cells during the process of their movement from the stamens to the pistil of flowering plants or from the male cone to the...
(1988) - Hard Pill (1996)
- Who's Your Daddy?Who's Your Daddy? (film)Who's Your Daddy? is a 2003 comedy film directed by Andy Fickman.-Synopsis:Chris Hughes , an adopted and geeky Ohio high school senior discovers that his recently deceased birth parents are the proprietors of a vast pornography empire and he is the inherited heir...
(2003) - Playing by HeartPlaying by HeartPlaying by Heart is a 1998 comedy-drama film, which tells the story of several seemingly unconnected characters.-Plot:Among the characters are a mature couple about to renew their vows ; a woman who accepts a date offer from a stranger ; a gay man dying of AIDS and his mother who has...
(2003) - Connie and CarlaConnie and CarlaConnie and Carla is a 2004 American comedy film directed by Michael Lembeck and starring Nia Vardalos, Toni Collette, and David Duchovny.The film was shot in Vancouver and featured a number of local drag queens.-Plot:...
(2004) - Murder One: Diary of a Serial Killer (2004)
- The Substance of FireThe Substance of FireThe Substance of Fire is a play by Jon Robin Baitz.At its core is Isaac Geldhart, a childhood survivor of the Holocaust, who arrived in New York City an orphan, reinvented himself as a bon vivant, married well, and found fame and fortune as a champion of authors who are passionate about their work...
(2005) - Dirty LaundryDirty Laundry (film)Dirty Laundry is a 2007 drama film written, directed, and starring Maurice Jamal. It was produced by 20th Century Fox and distributed by Codeblack Entertainment. It is available on DVD and is rated PG-13.-Plot summary:...
(2007) - Tru LovedTru LovedTru Loved is a 2008 independent feature film written and directed by Stewart Wade.-Plot:Sixteen-year-old Tru has been raised in San Francisco by two lesbian mothers and two gay fathers...
(2008) - You Don't Mess with the ZohanYou Don't Mess with the ZohanYou Don't Mess with the Zohan is a 2008 American comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan, written by Carlito Cabardo, and produced by and starring Adam Sandler. This is the fourth film which has starred Sandler and has been directed by Dugan...
(2008) - Marley & MeMarley & Me (film)Marley & Me is a 2008 American comedy-drama film directed by David Frankel. The screenplay by Scott Frank and Don Roos is based on the memoir of the same name by John Grogan...
(2008) - High StakesHigh Stakes (film)Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure is a direct-to video film and High School Musical spin-off starring Ashley Tisdale. The film looks at Sharpay Evans' life after her graduation trying to get a role in a Broadway show. The film was released as a Blu-ray and DVD combination pack on April 19, 2011. The...
(2011)