Rafael Silva
“The diversity and inclusivity of [9-1-1: Lone Star] resonates with people because that’s what the world has always looked like,” states a confident Rafael Silva. “We’ve always looked Indigenous, we’ve always looked Muslim, we’ve always looked Black, we’ve always looked trans - we’ve always looked all these things.” The Brazilian-American actor behind Lone Star’s beloved police officer Carlos Reyes is speaking with GAY TIMES over Zoom as he wraps the second season of the breakout procedural drama. Hailing from queer mastermind Ryan Murphy and his frequent collaborators Brad Falchuk and Tim Minnear, Lone Star focuses on the fire, police and ambulance departments of the fictional Station 126, located in Austin, Texas. The 10-episode first season was a colossal hit in the United States, averaging six million viewers per episode. It became the network’s highestrated new series of the 2019-20 season, so “colossal” is pretty accurate. The viewership of the series has continued to soar well into its second season - with a third on the way! - which Rafael attributes to the talents of the writers’ room and the diverse array of loveable characters, all of which are unapologetic and unabashed in their identities. “[Lone Star] shows more truth than perpetuated stereotypes of each person, of gay characters, of trans characters, of the Muslim culture, even the Texan culture,” explains Rafael. “It has resonated with a lot of people because it portrays what the world looks like today, and what it’s always looked like.”
Alongside Rafael’s character, who is gay and Latino, the central cast also boasts Natacha Karam as Marjan Marwani, a devout Muslim, Ronen Rubinstein as Tyler Kennedy “TK” Strand, a gay man struggling with
