A young, handsome actor of Puerto Rican heritage, Cruz gained a devoted following in a regular TV role that was a landmark for an American primetime dramatic series. Playing the sensitive, sexually ambivalent high school student Rickie Vasquez in the critically acclaimed "My So-Called Life" (ABC, 1994-95), Cruz was frequently found in the girls' room hanging out and applying makeup with his pals. Rickie's painful "coming out" process was a major series subplot which culminated in the final episode. Creator and co-executive producer Winnie Holzman utilized incidents from the openly gay