Rain Valdez Explained

Rain Valdez (born 1981) is an American actress, writer, and producer who rose to prominence with her award-winning short film, Ryans.[1] She stars in the web series Razor Tongue, which she created [2] [3] and which has earned her a Primetime Emmy nomination in Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series.

Valdez got her start playing Coco in season 2 of TV Land's Lopez.[4] [5] [6] She consulted on Transparent and guest starred in the show's fourth season.[7] She has written for Vice and Popsugar.[8]

Early life

Valdez was born in Manila, Philippines[7] and was raised by her mother and stepfather in Dededo, Guam.[9] [5] She began writing poems and short stories as a junior high school student.[10] She attended Simon Sanchez High School[9] in Yigo before moving to Los Angeles in 2000, waiting tables and modeling to support herself while studying acting.[5] [9] [11]

Career

Valdez began her career as a producer's assistant in 2006. In 2010, she wrote and starred in her first short, Silly Games. In 2017, she wrote and starred in her breakthrough short film, Ryans, which premiered at Outfest and was given the Jury Award for Best North American Short.[1] The same year, she was cast in TV Land's Lopez, with a recurring role.[12] [6] Also in 2017, Valdez was cast for Amazon's Transparent. In 2019, Valdez created Razor Tongue, an indie episodic romantic comedy,[13] and co-starring such actors as Alexandra Grey, Sterling Jones, Sarah Parlow, Carmen Scott, and Shaan Dasani.[14] The 7-part web series, which she wrote and stars in, had its international premiere in Toronto at InsideOut Film Festival, its US premiere in San Francisco at Frameline Film Festival of June 2019, as well as, premiering in LA at the Outfest Film Festival. Her writing and performance in the romcom short film Ryans earned her a Best North American Short Film Award at OUTSouth Queer Film Festival and Hexed earned her 3 nominations for Best Director, Best Actress and Best Short at the Madrid International Film Festival.  She is the Trailblazer Award recipient at the 2021 Outfest Legacy Awards.[15]

In 2020, Valdez appeared as a commentator in the Netflix documentary Disclosure alongside actors Laverne Cox, Jen Richards, Zeke Smith, Leo Sheng, Alexandra Billings, and others.[16] [17] In July 2020, she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series for her work on Razor Tongue.[18] In October 2020, she co-starred in the short film The Great Artist, which qualified for the Best Live Action Short Film shortlist for the 93rd Academy Awards.[19] She is currently working on her first feature Re-Live. “Re-Live” tells the story of Rowena, a transgender movie star who returns to her home in Guam for her high school reunion’s “do-over week.” [20]

Activism

Valdez has been a featured speaker at conferences such as The New School's The Festival of the New,[21] and WrapWomen's BE Conference.[1]

Rain is also the founder of ActNOW, the first and only acting class in Los Angeles prioritizing a safe space for LGBTQIA actors and teaches beyond the binary.

Personal life

Valdez is a trans woman. She initially began her career closeted, eventually deciding to live as an openly trans individual, with her stint on Transparent as her first role as an openly trans woman.[10]

On being an out trans woman, and her experience being closeted she had this to say, "My years living stealth were a privilege. Safety and ignorance is a privilege. If not everyone in my community can have that choice, then why should I? This is the moment I felt proudest as an out trans woman. The moment I realized I can never go back because of the stamps I've been creating for myself. Instead of fear or disappointment, it gave me peace to know that there can no longer be room in my heart and soul for my own internal transphobia. There's no more room for hesitation when it comes to my part in our fight for equality. Going stealth would not solve anything, at least not for me."[22]

Podcasts

DateShowEpisode
Sept. 18, 2020Yellow Glitter Podcast[23] "Moving mountains and the importance of visibility with Rain Valdez"
Feb. 26, 2020The Her Voice Podcast[24] "Rain Valdez"
Oct. 1, 2019Good Morning LaLa Land[25] "Rain Valdez"
Aug. 30, 2019Do Me A Solid[26] "RAIN VALDEZ"
Jan. 2019FilAm Creative Voices[27] "Episode 17: Rain Valdez"

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Rain Valdez | BE Conference - The Wrap.
  2. Web site: Rain Valdez's Hilarious New Series Reflects New Era for Trans Creators. September 20, 2019. www.out.com.
  3. Web site: Razor Toungue – Guam International Film Festival . www.guamfilmfestival.org . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20200706022240/https://www.guamfilmfestival.org/razor-toungue/ . 2020-07-06.
  4. Web site: TV Land Series 'Lopez' Casts Transgender Actress Rain Valdez In Season 2. Denise. Petski. February 24, 2017. Deadline.
  5. Web site: Trans Actress Rain Valdez Makes Her Debut On "Lopez". Cody. Gohl 5/2/2017. LOGO News.
  6. Web site: VICE - 'I'm Not Here to Be Your Token': My Life as a Trans Actress. www.vice.com. 2 August 2017 .
  7. Web site: Meet Fil-Am transgender, actress, director and producer. Yong. Chavez. ABS-CBN News. 13 June 2017.
  8. Web site: I Gave Up Living "Stealth" as a Trans Woman, and I'm Never Looking Back. Rain. Valdez. October 1, 2017. POPSUGAR News.
  9. Web site: Former Guam resident joins George Lopez show. Tihu. Lujan. The Guam Daily Post. 29 March 2017 .
  10. Web site: Rain Valdez Has A Razor Tongue. Jejune Magazine. 4 January 2024 .
  11. Web site: Rain Valdez of 'Transparent' Says She Has "Passing Privilege". The Hollywood Reporter. 17 July 2018.
  12. Web site: TV Land Series 'Lopez' Casts Transgender Actress Rain Valdez In Season 2. www.yahoo.com. 24 February 2017 .
  13. Web site: Sharpen Your Axe with Razor Tongue. March 24, 2020. Independent Magazine.
  14. Web site: RAZOR TONGUE. festival.outfest.org.
  15. Web site: Rain Valdez. . 2023-03-23 . Rain Valdez. . en-US.
  16. Web site: Why Laverne Cox Lives for 'Yentl,' and How 'Disclosure' Invents a Trans Cinematic Gaze. Jude. Dry. June 18, 2020.
  17. Web site: 'Disclosure' on Netflix: Film Review. Peter. Debruge. June 19, 2020.
  18. Web site: 72nd Emmys include exciting nominations for Rain Valdez, Laverne Cox, Billy Porter, 'Schitt's Creek,' 'We're Here' and more, but trans 'Pose' talent snubbed. July 28, 2020. GLAAD.
  19. Web site: OSCAR Contender Live Action Short Film Created During the Pandemic. 2021-01-25. Monterey County Weekly. en. 2021-01-30. https://web.archive.org/web/20210130031707/https://www.montereycountyweekly.com/news/state/oscar-contender-live-action-short-film-created-during-the-pandemic/article_5de924cc-7d02-5ed5-aa93-a5bbb215d33a.html. dead.
  20. Web site: Urban . Sasha . 2022-01-22 . Maricel Soriano Cast in Rain Valdez Rom-Com 'Re-Live' (EXCLUSIVE) . 2023-03-23 . Variety . en-US.
  21. Web site: Rain Valdez's schedule for The Festival of New. thefestivalofnew2019.sched.com.
  22. Web site: Valdez . Rain . 2017-10-01 . I Gave Up Living "Stealth" as a Trans Woman, and I'm Never Looking Back . 2023-03-23 . POPSUGAR News . en-US.
  23. Web site: Yellow Glitter Podcast - Moving mountains and the importance of visibility with Rain Valdez. Yellow Glitter. Podcast. Google Podcasts.
  24. Web site: The Her Voice Podcast - Rain Valdez. The Her Voice. Podcast. Google Podcasts.
  25. Web site: Good Morning LaLa Land - Rain Valdez. Good Morning LaLa. Land. Google Podcasts.
  26. Web site: Do Me A Solid: RAIN VALDEZ on Apple Podcasts. Apple Podcasts. 29 April 2023 .
  27. Web site: FilAm Creative Voices Ep 17: Rain Valdez - Filam Creative: Voices. Spotify. 10 January 2019.