A Book Of is honouring Michael for Pride by featuring him on their cover, for a total of three variants. Check out a portion of the article and photos from the accompanying photoshoot below.
June is the official American Pride Month, and along with celebrating through parties and parades, many are turning to queer media to celebrate shows and movies that bring more representation to the screen. In the fight for true representation and equality, important assets to the LGBTQ+ community are those who identify as allies and want to help support and bolster the voices of members of the queer community. Allies take the form of friends, family members, and even, in this case, actors who although not queer-identifying themselves, have immense love and respect for the LGBTQ+ community. An actor who exemplifies the qualities every ally should have is the 21-year-old Michael Cimino, the young actor/musician who plays the titular Victor, of Hulu’s Love, Victor, a show following the coming out story of a young queer teen.
When I was told that I would get the opportunity to interview Michael Cimino, one of Hollywood’s most current up-and-coming actors (who uniquely became a star during the pandemic), I immediately got to work. By “work,” I mean I binged all ten of Love, Victor‘s equally heartbreaking and heartwarming episodes in a day with a scary amount of ease, not a very difficult task. Although Love, Victor is geared towards a younger audience, the interweaving plot lines that cover everything from mental illness to first love and heartbreak are all themes easily related to by watchers of all ages, making Love, Victor truly a show that should not be missed.
When Cimino walked onto A Book Of’s set in Downtown Los Angeles, the first thing that I registered was his natural charisma and brightness. Cimino was a live wire, buzzing with life as he was smiling and laughing throughout our whole conversation. Short on time, Cimino had to be interviewed as makeup was dabbed on his face before the multi-colored shoot. Beneath bristling brushes, he squinted at me, smiled, and proceeded to reveal how in touch he is with the current state of affairs for LGBTQ+ youth, as well as the general importance of his role as an ally/actor (he takes it seriously).
