Karen Anzoategui stars as Daysi Cantu in the popular hit series
Out genderqueer actor and solo performer Karen Anzoátegui stars as Daysi Cantu in the popular hit series, East Los High.
Now premiering its third season, the series is popular and powerful. Anzoátegui plays a newcomer to East Los High, Daysi: queer, out, and proud she looks all set to be a hit with Jocelyn.
It’s refreshing to see a positive portrayal of a queer character and it’s possibly the first time Hulu has presented a non-conforming/gender fluid character. That, and other factors, garnered the series a recent Emmy nomination for best New Media Drama.
As one of the newest cast members in East Los High, Anzoategui has a lot to say about her role and why it is important.
“Playing the only gender fluid, non conforming character on a Latina/o series feels like regular life because most of the time, I am the only one that does not fit into the gender spectrum. It reflects real life.”
She is educating audiences with her portrayal, many of whom have not “been exposed to a character that breaks these boundaries and challenges their concepts of gender.It feels great and empowering to know I am playing such a groundbreaking character in New Media and with one of the biggest platforms pioneering internet television, Hulu.”
Her character of Daisy goes through a lot on the show: from being bullied at school, Daysi finds their way at the school by starting East Los High’s GSA club as a resource for others who are being bullied by homophobic/transphobic classmates. This is very familiar to Anzoategui, who was also bullied by classmates and even the administrators alike while attending Catholic High School in the San Gabriel Valley.
In fact, Anzoategui was so wrongfully treated that they decided to write a solo play based on their experiences, Catholic School Daze. Following this project, Anzoategui worked on a documentary to assist LGBTQi youth who had become suicidal. They also wrote and performed another solo theater show, Ser!, which world
premiered at the Los Angeles Theatre Center, was nominated for 5 LAWeekly Awards and won 2 Weeklies.
Yes, Anzoategui is a performer to watch out for!