MTV To Introduce Pedro Zamora To New Generation
April 1 2009, Published 12:59 p.m. ET
A pioneer of HIV activism, and one's of reality TV's most vibrant personalities, the late Pedro Zamora was more than worthy of a feature film.
Now he gets one -- Pedro, a biopic of the Cuban American who brought an agenda of HIV awareness to MTV's The Real World: San Francisco in 1993, premieres tonight on MTV at 8 p.m.
Though he died in 1994 at the age of 22, Zamora's influence and message -- which caught the attention of then-President Bill Clinton -- resonated through the screen. History shows how Zamora brought a his very real situation and imparted wisdom into the consciousness of young people through the medium of reality TV, which was still in its embryonic stages at the time.
Katelynn Cusanelli, a transgendered cast member of 2008's Real World:Brooklyn, said Zamora helped her embrace her individuality.
"It was him and Ruthie (Alcaide, an open bisexual from Real World's eighth season), pretty much, from Hawaii those were my role models growing up on television."
The film, which stars Alex Loynaz, was penned by Dustin Lance Black, who recently won an Oscar for his work in Milk.
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(Clip: MTV)