When Harvey Guillén auditioned for the vampire comedy What We Do in the Shadows, he had to convince the powers that be he was right for the role of Guillermo de la Cruz. Guillermo is the human assistant in a house of Satan Island vampires, who struggle with the mundane aspects of modern human life. “[What We Do in the] Shadows was not written for me. The character of Guillermo de la Cruz was written 20 years older,” Guillén tells Latino USA. But after auditioning as a “wild card,” he proved to be the best person for the role. He soon became a fan favorite and transcended the intended role of “sidekick.”
In late 2024, after six seasons, the critically acclaimed FX show with 29 Emmy Award nominations came to an end. But Guillén, 34, has not stopped working. He’s continued to grace our screens—in horror films like Companion, alongside actors Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid; playing the voice of Nightwing in the DC MAX original series Harley Quinn; and making his Broadway debut in this year’s revival of The Rocky Horror Show; and so much more.
Much like his experience being cast on Shadows, Guillén tells us that he’s made a career out of going for roles that might not have had him in mind, “with my eyes, with my height, with my body, with my voice, with my traits?” As a short, plus-sized, queer, Mexican-American actor, he was just not always what studios were looking for— that is, until he was able to show them a new version of the character they were trying to fill.
In an intimate conversation with host Maria Hinojosa, Guillén opens up about past traumas and shares how his tenacity has helped him succeed as an actor. This story aired originally in 2025 and will re-air Sunday, July 12th, 2026. Come back for more!
Featured image courtesy of Harvey Guillén.
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Host: Maria Hinojosa
Producer and reporter: Mónica Morales-García
Rebroadcast: Nicole Rothwell and Fernanda Echavarri
Editor: Andrea López-Cruzado
Social Media: Luis Luna
Engineer: Gabriela Baez
Managing Editor: Fernanda Echavarri
Executive Producers: Peniley Ramirez and Maria Hinojosa
