Marco, oh Adamo

Lately there have been major marathons of Degrassi: The Next Generation on The N. While away for school I didn't really have the time to catch up but, now that it's summer I swear I have watched every single episode leading up to the new current ones airing now. Well, that's all besides the point, fascinated with Adamo Ruggiero's character, Marco I did some research and found some articles that are really interesting and were pretty touching as well. His story is moving here is some of the article from Frontier magazine.


Did you have any reservations about playing a gay teenager before you came out as gay yourself?

I spoke to a few friends and knew that this was something I was dealing with. When I walked into that audition room I wasn’t sure that the character would be gay until I read the script and saw where it was going. At that point I didn’t quite grasp the magnitude of the character. I was just thinking, “It’s my first show!” When you’re a kid, you’re just thinking about all the exciting things about it. My relationship with playing a gay character was a huge process of over seven or eight years. I accepted myself and put it in to Marco and used him as a way to connect with other young people.

What kind of fan mail did you get from other gay teens?

I got a lot from young gay kids saying they were watching the show. They felt like they had a friend in this completely alone universe they were living in. A lot of them would say they were gay and didn’t know how to come out to their parents, or that they’re gay and would watch Degrassi when their parents weren’t around and Marco was the only gay person they knew. Some kids would say horrible things like they’d been abused or the victims of gay bashing and would ask for my advice. When I was still growing up and insecure about who I was, getting those letters was overwhelming.

How did coming out affect your career?

When I made the conscious decision there was a huge Degrassi screening in New York and we went out to meet fans and my eyes made contact with a kid who just mouthed “thank you” to me and then he was lost in the crowd. I thought, “This was more than a coincidence to me. This is who I am. With these letters and the kids I’m meeting, this is something I have to do.” Most people around me were like “do it” and some people
were asking how it would affect my career. But I just didn’t give a shit. I thought I might never have this voice again. I may not even be cast and be a successful actor so I can’t let this moment slide when it’s most important. Since then my career has been better than ever. I’ve made a movie, I got a kid’s show and I did my first play. I’ve had the best year since declaring my gayness.

Since you've become a role model, do you feel a responsibility to develop projects that honestly depict gay characters?
Definitely. When I read [Make the Yuletide Gay] I completely loved it. It wasn’t just an honest depiction of kids coming out and the pressures they feel, but with a time like this with Prop. 8 and a kid coming out who’s met with a positive reception, I felt it was something we needed to see more of. I was so happy to do this film. I have such huge ambitions. I’ve spoken with the producers of Degrassi and told them “I want Marco to do this...” A lot of people have asked if I’m afraid of being typecast, but I really want the gay roles right now. I want to ride this wave and play a bunch of different characters that are going through different things. It’s
more important than people think.

Frontier Magazine: Adamo Ruggiero

If your interested even more there is a better article I found from last year in Fab Magazine, here it is:

Fab Magazine: Adamo Ruggiero