As the multitalented, transgender Angel in both the stage and film versions of the acclaimed musical “Rent,” Wilson Jermaine Heredia wowed audiences for years with a standout performance among standout performances.

Heredia was born and raised in Brooklyn. Despite his strong acting and music talents, he originally studied medicine and considered going into advertising. But strong influences from his musically inclined mother and father – even though they weren’t in showbiz – helped convince him to perform. Developing his interest in acting on the side, legend has it that Heredia was