Alec Mapa
The host with the most, and so much more. America’s favorite Gaysian!
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. He later appeared in R.E.M.’s seminal video for the song “Losing My Religion” as the boy tied to a tree with an arrow in his heart, representing St. Sebastian.
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 recently 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, and did the best impression ever of an Atlantis cruiser finding out what day it is.
