What We Do within the Shadows’ Best Man Is Guillermo de la Cruz

What We Do within the Shadows is considered one of my favourite exhibits at the moment airing. It focuses on the foibles of a home stuffed with vampires who repeatedly have a rotating forged of buddies and familiars pop in. The resident acquainted, Guillermo de la Cruz (Harvey Guillén), is one other fixed, and he’s arguably the guts of the present.

He can also be a badass. Probably the baddest badass within the sequence. And as a chubby Latino enjoying a human being in a present stuffed with supernatural powerhouses, the truth that Guillermo de la Cruz cannot solely maintain his personal, however completely fucking destroy any of the undead creatures he’s surrounded with, is totally unbelievable. As a plus-size actor of colour, Guillén advised the Advocate earlier this 12 months, he has needed to always struggle, even along with his brokers, to be taken severely and to land roles that mirror his expertise and coaching.

Watching Guillermo be large on display screen, and kick ass and take names, is a splendidly validating factor to see. Bigger actors are already fairly scarce on display screen, and normally relegated to roles that play up their dimension for comedy. Guillermo, nonetheless, doesn’t need to keep away from or make excuses for something; he will get to be precisely who he’s and he will get to be the most effective fighters within the sequence, stunts and all. He’s competent, harmful, and takes on challenges that might have every other human working for the hills. Although he’s been displaying off his preventing abilities since season two (when he embraced his legacy as considered one of Dracula foe Van Helsing’s descendants), season three and the present season 4 have given him some completely epic smackdowns.

Honestly, considered one of my favourite elements of What We Do within the Shadows is when Guillermo will get to place the smackdown on his “master,” Nandor the Relentless (Kayvan Novak), in season three. As Guillermo and Nandor get into it and Nandor is thrown on his again. Guillermo then climbs on high of a coffin, yells “Plancha!” and jumps over to physique slam Nandor. Most of you possibly can most likely guess that this can be a traditional lucha libre transfer, and it’s excellent. This is peak tv. I like an motion star who can maintain his personal and be comedic with out ever making the joke about his weight.

Season 4 episode “The Night Market” gave us one other completely epic struggle scene after Nandor is goaded into volunteering his acquainted (technically, his bodyguard) for a cage match through which Guillermo is pitted towards different familiars. His first bout is towards a person who seems such as you would count on a burly pit fighter to look. He’s large, shirtless, buff, and is the present champion. And Guillermo wipes the ground with him. And each different acquainted. This B-plot is so enjoyable and satisfying to look at as a result of everybody underestimates Guillermo due to the way in which he seems—and each single struggle he will get into, he wins. And there’s not an enormous deal manufactured from it both! He simply goes in, does his factor, will get in a number of backflips, picks up a dozen completely different weapons, and kicks ass. Hail to the king.

So right here’s to you, Guillermo de la Cruz! A chubby badass, a vampire killer, the softest boy, he who brings dying to the timeless. I hope you and Nandor get to kiss not less than as soon as. But not earlier than you get in a number of extra fights.

What We Do within the Shadows airs Tuesdays on FX and streams on Hulu the subsequent day.

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