Pierre Jean Gonzalez has been an actor and producer on Broadway, having performed in the starring role in the U.S. tour of the hit musical “Hamilton” and directed his own short films — and all his success, he says, is all due to his Bronx upbringing.
Gonzalez, 35, told the Bronx Times that he has built his career by embracing, not hiding, where he came from and who he is — a gay man of Puerto Rican and Dominican descent from the Bronx.
When it comes to public figures and performers, “we are now demanding more authenticity,” he said.
His grandmother was the first to put down roots in the Bronx after immigrating from the Dominican Republic. Growing up on Simpson Street, Gonzalez’s family didn’t have much money but “all I remember was community,” he said. On the block, all the adults looked after all the kids and the neighborhood cast of characters was constantly there to make food and provide entertainment.
“A lot of my upbringing was so much fun,” he said. “The Bronx built us as a family.”
When he and his mother moved up around Gun Hill Road and Decatur Avenue, he said she was “always nervous” about safety, but Gonzalez never felt like he needed to “escape” the Bronx.
Even so, it took a long time for the rest of the world to appreciate what the borough has to offer. Nowadays, when Gonzalez tells people he’s from the Bronx, they react not with fear or pity but with recognition and respect. Performers like Jennifer Lopez and Cardi B have introduced the Bronx to the rest of the world, he said, and audiences just seem to want more of it.
“That kind of flavor is so much in demand,” he said.
‘Trapped for a reason’
Growing up, Gonzalez said his first love was singing, and he imagined himself becoming a smooth, dreamy R&B singer like Tyrese — but as a queer young man, he didn’t quite find space in that realm and felt he was “always hiding.”
In high school, Gonzalez was fortunate enough to have a mentor who saw his potential and introduced him to the world of acting and musical theater. Even attending a Broadway production seemed out of reach at the time, but his mentor brought him to shows and helped him line up auditions. Gonzalez was hooked.
He went on to get a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Rutgers and studied theater in London, even performing at the world-famous Globe Theatre, a replica of where Shakespeare worked. It was then, on his first trip outside of the U.S., that Gonzalez realized how much of the world was hidden from his view.
Although he loved his Bronx upbringing, he realized it meant he didn’t have a full picture of what else was out there. “I felt we were trapped for a reason,” he said — denied experiences and information that others took for granted.
But still, Gonzalez continued to use his identity as a source of strength — even when, throughout his theater education, he was sometimes asked to hide his Bronx accent in favor of “American-neutral” speech.
Today, he said, things have finally shifted. Audiences want and expect authentic performances from actors — and respectful decisions from behind the camera.
It only makes sense that a story with Bronx characters, for example, should feature Bronx actors and crew, said Gonzalez. But it wasn’t until fairly recently, especially with the post-George Floyd racial reckoning, that people have come to really expect a high level of authenticity.
“People want to know where you came from,” he said.
‘A seat at the table’
These days, Gonzalez is in-demand as a performer, but has also made a name for himself behind the camera, thanks to some pandemic-inspired pivoting.
In March of 2020, he was newly engaged and all set to play the lead role in “Hamilton” — but then the pandemic hit, theaters shut down and all those plans came to a screeching halt. Gonzalez and his fiance, Cedric Leiba Jr., needed to do something not only to keep working as creatives, but to simply survive.
Using some money they’d set aside for their wedding, they bought two cameras and began shooting an experimental short film in the Bronx. The couple’s work took off.
Before long, they were partnering with local organizations including Nos Quedamos and Pregones, the Puerto Rican Traveling Theater (PRTT) on collaborative projects. They called themselves DominiRican Productions and set out to increase the presence of queer people and people of color both on- and off-camera.
Despite the challenges of starting a company and doing creative work during the pandemic, they actually “came in at the right moment,” Gonzalez said. DominiRican Productions now has a team of filmmakers and is promoting short films on the festival circuit.
“We finally have a seat at the table,” Gonzalez said.
And of course, he did eventually get his chance to step into Lin-Manuel Miranda’s shoes. He took the role of Alexander Hamilton on the U.S. tour starting in August 2021 and continued all the way until this past February.
Now, Gonzalez has taken on another role he never dreamed of: co-producer for the revival of “The Wiz,” opening at Broadway’s Marquis Theatre on April 17, which sold out many shows on a worldwide tour ahead of its return to New York City. “The Wiz” is an all-Black musical retelling of “The Wizard of Oz” made famous by the 1978 film version starring Diana Ross and Michael Jackson.
There are few people of color in producer roles, but Gonzalez said he is using the opportunity to learn how it’s done and build on knowledge that he can share with others. His mission today is to bring new experiences to “people who want more but don’t have the access, don’t have the information” — people like him as a kid growing up in the Bronx.
In addition to “The Wiz” on Broadway, you can see Gonzalez and Leiba’s work with DominiRican Productions — including the short films “release” and “Rhythm Is Gonna Get Who?” — on their website or Instagram @dominiricanprod. Learn more about Gonzalez at his website or on Instagram @pierrlito.
This story was updated at 4:18 p.m. to clarify Gonzalez’s Dominican and Puerto Rican heritage.
Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
