The charming new series, “With Love,” now available on Amazon Prime Video, chronicles the romantic relationships of members of the Diaz family over the course of five holidays. The first episode has Jorge Jr. (out gay Philly native Mark Indelicato) introducing his boyfriend Henry (out gay actor Vincent Rodriguez III) to his family, which include his sister Lily (Emeraude Toubia), his trans cousin, Sol (trans actress Isis King), and his parents Beatriz (Constance Marie) and Jorge Sr. (Benito Martinez), among others. Subsequent episodes set during New Year’s Eve, Valentine’s Day, Independence Day, and the Day of the Dead, show how the show’s various relationships ebb and flow as characters and couples are faced with adversity.
In a recent zoom interview, Indelicato spoke with PGN about playing Jorge and the series’ queer visibility.
You grew up in Philly. Can you talk about your local roots?
I grew up in Bucks County. I was born in Bristol, and I lived in Levittown until we moved to Los Angeles when I was 11 to start filming “Ugly Betty.” All of my family still lives in Philly. Every time I go home it is very nostalgic, because I’ve lived outside of Philly more than I lived in Philly. Somehow, my Philly accent comes back in weird ways. [Laughs] Normally it comes out when I’m really, really mad or really, really drunk. [Does a Philly accent] “Coke and a hoagie, man!”
How did you identify with Jorge? He’s, well, complicated.
He’s pretty neurotic — and I say that with reverence. I didn’t identify with his organizational skills, but I did identify with his neurosis about how his family is going to feel about this man he is bringing home for the holidays. Are they going to like [Henry]? Jorge gets in his own head easily and tends to spiral out, and I relate to that a lot.
Do you think Jorge plays into or subverts gay stereotypes? He is very particular about his skin care.
I don’t think any stereotypes that might have been utilized in the portrayal of Jorge are damaging. Some stereotypes are based in truth. Skin care, or being fashionable, I don’t find that to be untrue about all cis gay men. It is not a universal truth, but what is? I found that it wasn’t comedy for comedy’s sake. This is who he is. He cares about the way that he looks. I found that to be refreshing. The only time I get miffed by gay stereotypes if they rooted in malice or meant to be derogatory. And this show isn’t doing that.
“With Love” is also notable for featuring bisexual, transgender, and genderqueer visibility. What are your thoughts about the show’s queer content?
It’s always such a joy to see queer characters not in the background of a show. They are at the forefront and leading the show. That’s amazing to see, and a testament to how far we’ve come. But there is still much work to be done. What the show gets at is love is love. It sounds corny. But there are complexities in all of the relationships, not just because it is two cis gay men or a heterosexual couple. It is not about the gender or orientation of the character. Relationships are hard and complex and varied.
Jorge and his sister are codependent. How do you read the Diaz family dynamics?
Jorge and Lily are extremely close. There is no sibling rivalry between them. Do they have disagreements? Of course! But at the end of the day, they are each other’s ride-or-dies. That is something that when we talk about representation — it is incredible to see queer characters, and characters of color — but what drew me to this character was how pure this relationship between these siblings is. Even when they are wrong, or make mistakes, their intentions are always pure. They genuinely want to protect and want what’s best for each other. That’s a relationship I don’t see much. The show is called “With Love,” but we are also talking about platonic love, and Lily and Jorge are very much in love with each other and that relationship in terms of the overarching narrative, and the theme. It was something that I didn’t know I needed to see or know that I wanted to see — that such a pure genuine non-threatening relationship between two siblings who are not in competition in love. They are truly each other’s biggest fans. That is very hopeful.
Do you manage your stress over relationships better than Jorge?
I don’t. That’s why it hasn’t worked out yet for me. I’m working on it. [Laughs]
Love is messy and complicated. Jorge wants grand romantic gestures. What are your observations on love and what is romantic to you?
That’s the hardest question that anyone has ever asked me! What is romantic to me? I don’t need big romantic gestures. In fact, things like that embarrass me. I don’t want my boyfriend to stand up and sing to me in a roomful of people. Personally, it’s sweet to watch it, but in the real world I would not want that. If you can buy me a nice Italian dinner. Food is the way to my heart.
What can you say about Jorge’s impulsive nature? He is fun because he lives in the moment.
I like his impulsive nature. It lends itself to the comedy. He does put his foot in mouth, which is fun to play. He thinks about things after he does them. Luckily, with the hell that Jorge puts Henry through, somehow this man is still in love with him. [Laughs] I would read the episodes and think: Why is Henry not breaking up with him? Henry’s an angel. Jorge’s nature is about how deeply he feels. He leads with his heart. I wish I was a little bit more like that.