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Justin Suarez
Encyclopedia
Justin Suarez is a fictional character on the American comedy-drama
series Ugly Betty
which is an adaptation of the Colombia
n telenovela
Betty la fea
. He is portrayed by actor Mark Indelicato
. Justin lives with his mother Hilda
, his aunt Betty
, and his grandfather Ignacio
. His biological father is Santos who is murdered in the finale of Season 1.
Justin is quite fashion
conscious and exhibits model-like behavior, such as commenting on his own body image and being food conscious. His knowledge about the fashion industry, from reading MODE, where Betty works, and watching Fashion TV, is among the reasons his aunt influences him. Justin exhibits stereotypical gay behavior which propels some of the storylines including his involvement in performing arts
. As a young teenager, his adolescent sexuality
was still being developed in storylines until the end of the series. It is revealed in Season 4 that Justin is gay
.
Slate magazine named the character as one of the reasons they were looking forward to the return of the show in fall 2007.
" his mother says to Justin's father Santos, "He's comfortable with who he is and so am I." Justin shows an interest in the performing arts
and home economics
. He is a fan of Fashion TV and idolizes Martha Stewart
and Gene Kelly
. His knowledge about the fashion industry, from reading MODE and watching Fashion TV, is one of the reasons his aunt influences him.
On the subway as he, Hilda, and Santos are to see Hairspray
, Justin sings the opening number "Good Morning Baltimore" to the audience of the subway, meant towards Santos to tell him all about the show. One passenger calls him a fairy, much to the anger of Santos. In the Season 1 finale, Justin plays Tony in his school's production of West Side Story; he won the role after putting walnuts in the sandwich he gave to the actual lead after Justin learned he had an allergy
to products containing nuts. As he is on stage, Justin sings the interludes while everyone's story temporarily concludes the season. As his character in the musical is shot and dies on stage, his father Santos is shot and killed during a hold-up at a convenience store.
, Justin attends a public high school where he is bullied on the very first day. He ends up relying on Marc for emotional support. Things turn around when his mom rounds up enough money to send him to a private
performing arts school. Questions of his sexual orientation come up during the homecoming
at the school, when Marc sees Justin bullied but not responding. Marc encourages Justin to befriend one of the cheerleaders, and both Justin and Marc end up helping update the cheerleading squad's uniforms and routine. At the homecoming rally, the same cheerleader apologizes to Betty and Marc to warn about the school jocks' prank on Justin. In the rally, Justin is named the school's homecoming queen but following Marc's advice to take control and turn the joke around, Justin gives the tiara
and flowers to his mother Hilda to make up for her homecoming, which she missed as she was pregnant with Justin.
Justin starts hanging out more with his "serious actor" friends, and is accepted into a performing-arts class. He takes up smoking in order to impress his friends, and despite repeated denials that he is gay, appears to develop feelings for Austin, a boy in his acting class. The boys kiss during an argument over a girl they both claim to like, and later begin to date secretly. Hilda's fiance Bobby accidentally breaks the secret to the family after finding the boys kissing on the porch one night. When the family reacts by planning an over-the-top "Coming Out" party for Justin, Marc intervenes and convinces them to let Justin come out to them in his own way. Justin eventually does when he quietly asks Austin to dance during Hilda's wedding reception.
s. A February 2007 piece in USA Today
said on the subject, "Justin's sexuality has never been addressed on the show, but Betty creator Silvio Horta
, who is gay and came out
to his Cuban-American family at age 19, says the character will experience "the journey" as he matures. "I see myself in him," Horta says. "Growing up, I certainly felt like an outsider at times. But there's this sweet innocence in Justin that sees the positive." Horta later commented more definitively on Justin's sexuality, saying, "[Justin]'s twelve and we want to let things proceed as they would normally. There's so much to explore with this kid as he comes into adolescence and what it would be like if he were gay...which he probably is."
Indelicato has said about Justin, "My fan mail is mostly kids, especially kids that don't really fit in and people don't really understand them. They go, 'Thank you, because you're helping me to be understood by my peers,' and anybody else who doesn't understand them." He has also said that he avoids websites, forums and blogs about the show because of the negative feedback and remarks made towards his character on the show. Ana Ortiz, who plays Hilda, said "One of my absolute favorite character traits of Hilda is that she feels that as long as he's happy, I'm happy. I'm not going to change him, I'm not going to judge him. He's happy. How many people can say they have a happy, well-adjusted kid? Not many. So she's like, 'If it's not broke.'"
Comedy-drama
Comedy-drama is a genre of theatre, film and television programs which combines humorous and serious content.-Theatre:Traditional western theatre, beginning with the ancient Greeks, was divided into comedy and tragedy...
series 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...
which is an adaptation of the Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
n telenovela
Telenovela
A telenovela is a limited-run serial dramatic programming popular in Latin American, Portuguese, and Spanish television programming. The word combines tele, short for televisión or televisão , and novela, a Spanish or Portuguese word for "novel"...
Betty la fea
Betty la fea
Yo soy Betty, la fea is a popular soap opera filmed in Colombia, written by Fernando Gaitán and produced between 1999 through 2001 by the Colombian network RCN . More than a dozen versions of the telenovela have been made in other countries...
. He is portrayed by actor Mark Indelicato
Mark Indelicato
Mark Indelicato is an American actor, singer, fashion blogger, and photographer best known for his role in the ABC comedy series Ugly Betty, as Justin Suarez, the fashion-obsessed nephew of series protagonist Betty Suarez....
. Justin lives with his mother Hilda
Hilda Suarez
Hilda Suarez Talercio is a fictional character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. She is portrayed by Ana Ortiz. Hilda's character is the American adaptation's equivalent to Julia Solano Galindo de Pinzón, Beatriz Pinzón Solano's mother, and is loosely based on creator Silvio Horta's older...
, his aunt Betty
Betty Suarez
Beatriz "Betty" U. Suarez is a central fictional character and heroine of the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. She is portrayed by America Ferrera, who won a 2007 Golden Globe and 2007 SAG award for her portrayal of the character, as well as the Outstanding Actress in a Comedy award for the role...
, and his grandfather Ignacio
Ignacio Suarez
Ignacio Suarez is a fictional character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. He is portrayed by Tony Plana. Ignacio's character is equivalent to Hermes Pinzón Galarza, father to Beatriz Pinzón Solano.-Background:...
. His biological father is Santos who is murdered in the finale of Season 1.
Justin is quite fashion
Fashion
Fashion, a general term for a currently popular style or practice, especially in clothing, foot wear, or accessories. Fashion references to anything that is the current trend in look and dress up of a person...
conscious and exhibits model-like behavior, such as commenting on his own body image and being food conscious. His knowledge about the fashion industry, from reading MODE, where Betty works, and watching Fashion TV, is among the reasons his aunt influences him. Justin exhibits stereotypical gay behavior which propels some of the storylines including his involvement in performing arts
Performing arts
The performing arts are those forms art which differ from the plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artist's own body, face, and presence as a medium, and the latter uses materials such as clay, metal or paint which can be molded or transformed to create some physical art object...
. As a young teenager, his adolescent sexuality
Adolescent sexuality
Adolescent sexuality refers to sexual feelings, behavior and development in adolescents and is a stage of human sexuality. Sexuality is often a vital aspect of teenagers' lives...
was still being developed in storylines until the end of the series. It is revealed in Season 4 that Justin is gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
.
Slate magazine named the character as one of the reasons they were looking forward to the return of the show in fall 2007.
Season 1 (2006–2007)
While Hilda tries to convince Betty to try a line of work other than the fashion industry, Justin supports Betty and convinces her to continue and pursue her dreams. Justin is quite fashion conscious and exhibits model-like behavior, such as commenting on his own body image and being food conscious. This behavior concerns Hilda, who would rather see Justin act more like a "normal" boy; however, in the episode "Lose the BossLose the Boss
"Lose the Boss" is an episode from the dramedy series Ugly Betty, which aired on November 23, 2006. In the United States, Canada and Australia, it is the ninth episode but it's the tenth overall and was written by Oliver Goldstick and directed by Ken Whittingham...
" his mother says to Justin's father Santos, "He's comfortable with who he is and so am I." Justin shows an interest in the performing arts
Performing arts
The performing arts are those forms art which differ from the plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artist's own body, face, and presence as a medium, and the latter uses materials such as clay, metal or paint which can be molded or transformed to create some physical art object...
and home economics
Home Economics
Home economics is the profession and field of study that deals with the economics and management of the home and community...
. He is a fan of Fashion TV and idolizes Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart is an American business magnate, author, magazine publisher, and television personality. As founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, she has gained success through a variety of business ventures, encompassing publishing, broadcasting, and merchandising...
and Gene Kelly
Gene Kelly
Eugene Curran "Gene" Kelly was an American dancer, actor, singer, film director and producer, and choreographer...
. His knowledge about the fashion industry, from reading MODE and watching Fashion TV, is one of the reasons his aunt influences him.
On the subway as he, Hilda, and Santos are to see Hairspray
Hairspray (musical)
Hairspray is a musical with music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman and a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, based on the 1988 John Waters film Hairspray. The songs include 1960s-style dance music and "downtown" rhythm and blues...
, Justin sings the opening number "Good Morning Baltimore" to the audience of the subway, meant towards Santos to tell him all about the show. One passenger calls him a fairy, much to the anger of Santos. In the Season 1 finale, Justin plays Tony in his school's production of West Side Story; he won the role after putting walnuts in the sandwich he gave to the actual lead after Justin learned he had an allergy
Allergy
An Allergy is a hypersensitivity disorder of the immune system. Allergic reactions occur when a person's immune system reacts to normally harmless substances in the environment. A substance that causes a reaction is called an allergen. These reactions are acquired, predictable, and rapid...
to products containing nuts. As he is on stage, Justin sings the interludes while everyone's story temporarily concludes the season. As his character in the musical is shot and dies on stage, his father Santos is shot and killed during a hold-up at a convenience store.
Season 2 (2007–2008)
Three weeks after his father's death, Justin is bored with summer camp so he sneaks into the Meade Publications building to spy on MODE magazine. After he is caught, Betty arranges for him to become an intern for a few weeks before school as an alternative to summer camp. However, his enthusiasm of being an intern has already caused an unusual ripple effect for the Suarezes, as he told Marc, who was training him, everything about their family including Ignatio's illegal status, resulting in Betty giving in to Wilhelmina in exchange for getting Ignacio back into the United States. His thoughts of his late father has begun to settle in after he visits the store where he was shot after the clerk told him Santos was a hero and he must be just like him, Justin told him that he wasn't like his father. When Justin returned home, he chose his father's basketball for the one keepsake he would retain, and made a change in personality. He had affected a contempt for his old interests, stopped getting good grades, skipping school, hanging out with thugs, and has been shown drinking beer and making out with a girl in efforts to adopt a more "macho" image. This all comes to a head after Justin is arrested for stealing and crashing Hilda's car. Hilda decides it's time to confront him and Justin finally realizes he was spiraling out of control and if he didn’t stop he could end up being no different than the thug who killed his father.Season 3 (2008–2009)
Early on in the third season, Justin clashes with a bully at school. When Justin tries out for a Broadway musical, he is shocked to find that the bully, Randy, is also trying out. They are still hostile and competitive with one another at first; but when they fail to get the role they start to bond. Shortly afterwards Randy stops being friends with him due to peer pressure about Justin's effeminacy. Later on, Justin applies for a performing arts school, only to be rejected.Season 4 (2009–2010)
After being rejected from a performing arts schoolAlternative school
Alternative school is the name used in some parts of the world to describe an institution which provides part of alternative education. It is an educational establishment with a curriculum and methods that are nontraditional...
, Justin attends a public high school where he is bullied on the very first day. He ends up relying on Marc for emotional support. Things turn around when his mom rounds up enough money to send him to a private
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
performing arts school. Questions of his sexual orientation come up during the homecoming
Homecoming
Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni of a school. It most commonly refers to a tradition in many universities, colleges and high schools in North America...
at the school, when Marc sees Justin bullied but not responding. Marc encourages Justin to befriend one of the cheerleaders, and both Justin and Marc end up helping update the cheerleading squad's uniforms and routine. At the homecoming rally, the same cheerleader apologizes to Betty and Marc to warn about the school jocks' prank on Justin. In the rally, Justin is named the school's homecoming queen but following Marc's advice to take control and turn the joke around, Justin gives the tiara
Tiara
A tiara is a form of crown. There are two possible types of crown that this word can refer to.Traditionally, the word "tiara" refers to a high crown, often with the shape of a cylinder narrowed at its top, made of fabric or leather, and richly ornamented. It was used by the kings and emperors of...
and flowers to his mother Hilda to make up for her homecoming, which she missed as she was pregnant with Justin.
Justin starts hanging out more with his "serious actor" friends, and is accepted into a performing-arts class. He takes up smoking in order to impress his friends, and despite repeated denials that he is gay, appears to develop feelings for Austin, a boy in his acting class. The boys kiss during an argument over a girl they both claim to like, and later begin to date secretly. Hilda's fiance Bobby accidentally breaks the secret to the family after finding the boys kissing on the porch one night. When the family reacts by planning an over-the-top "Coming Out" party for Justin, Marc intervenes and convinces them to let Justin come out to them in his own way. Justin eventually does when he quietly asks Austin to dance during Hilda's wedding reception.
Sexual orientation
Prior to the character's coming out in Season 4, Justin was the subject of much media speculation concerning his sexuality, although there was never a definitive statement on the subject either on the show or from the show runnerShow runner
Showrunner is a term of art originating in the United States and Canadian television industry referring to the person who is responsible for the day-to-day operation of a television seriesalthough such persons generally are credited as an executive producer...
s. A February 2007 piece in USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
said on the subject, "Justin's sexuality has never been addressed on the show, but Betty creator Silvio Horta
Silvio Horta
Silvio Horta is an American writer and producer most notable for adapting the hit Colombian telenovela Yo Soy Betty La Fea into the ABC series, Ugly Betty. Horta serves as head writer and executive producer on the series....
, who is gay and came out
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....
to his Cuban-American family at age 19, says the character will experience "the journey" as he matures. "I see myself in him," Horta says. "Growing up, I certainly felt like an outsider at times. But there's this sweet innocence in Justin that sees the positive." Horta later commented more definitively on Justin's sexuality, saying, "[Justin]'s twelve and we want to let things proceed as they would normally. There's so much to explore with this kid as he comes into adolescence and what it would be like if he were gay...which he probably is."
Indelicato has said about Justin, "My fan mail is mostly kids, especially kids that don't really fit in and people don't really understand them. They go, 'Thank you, because you're helping me to be understood by my peers,' and anybody else who doesn't understand them." He has also said that he avoids websites, forums and blogs about the show because of the negative feedback and remarks made towards his character on the show. Ana Ortiz, who plays Hilda, said "One of my absolute favorite character traits of Hilda is that she feels that as long as he's happy, I'm happy. I'm not going to change him, I'm not going to judge him. He's happy. How many people can say they have a happy, well-adjusted kid? Not many. So she's like, 'If it's not broke.'"