Curly Velasquez Talks Culture and Creative Hustle | Takeout and Talk

TV personality and host Curly Velasquez is a busy, busy man. Fresh off the announcement that he’s now the VP of Development for media company LatiNation, he finds a moment to chat with me from their Los Angeles-based offices. He’s quick to warn me, though, that we may experience a disruption or two because of the oftentimes chaotic nature of production, which I understand quite intimately, myself, after 15 years in the business. 

It appears he’s joining me from an editor’s booth, which almost feels appropriate considering he’s now responsible for conceiving and greenlighting new digital projects for the Latino-centered organization. Because of the hectic nature of starting a new job, Curly isn’t able to order anything ahead of time for our conversation. (For my part, I’ve ordered rotisserie chicken and baked potato from RT Rotisserie in San Francisco). But I appreciate that he mentions several local L.A. Mexican restaurants that he loves to frequent and “donate” his delivery dollars to, including Los Anaya Taqueria, Birrieria Chalio, and Mirate. He casually notes that, to save money, he’d love to marry a Mexican man whose mother is willing to teach him how to make mole and enchiladas “the right way” instead. Now, that’s a YouTube series I’d watch. 

Curly and Latino digital content are practically synonymous at this point. After first gaining prominence almost a decade ago with BuzzFeed’s Pero Like series - which he helped create - it’s safe to say that he’s probably one of the first Latino content creators that come to mind for a lot of us. I mean, he’s still making viral videos; he co-hosts the Super Secret Bestie Club podcast with his Pero Like colleague (and actual bestie) Maya Murillo; and hosts the PBS-affiliated series, Crash Course: Latin American Literature. That’s in addition to the acting and writing he does on the side. He’s, honestly, the true definition of a real hustler. 

And he tells me that he’s taking his new LatiNation position very seriously, calling it the best job he’s ever had. And that’s not an exaggeration. He literally has it labeled ‘Best Job’ on his car’s GPS system. He jokes that he’s constantly thanking his bosses for the “f***ing honor” of doing what he’s best at - creating work that showcases and honors the Latino community. 

“Despite my Instagram name - ‘thecurlyvshow’ - I just know that it’s not ‘thecurlyvshow,’ it’s the ‘us’ show, and that’s how I want it to stay,” he says. “I’m stretching out into my network and being like, ‘Hey, in times when Latinos, we get forgotten, this place is wanting to remember us and celebrate us and not only reminisce on the things that we’ve created but open up the doors for new creators.’ And that’s what excites me, always. And we’ve been growing, and we’re continuing to grow.” 

And he’s certainly grown as an individual and as an openly gay Salvadoran-American man. Despite portraying “sassy” characters early on in his career, he says that’s not entirely representative of his true identity. He even admits to feeling a sense of pain and shame when rewatching old content that featured more performative behavior that was being written for him. 

“I always tell people, ‘Don’t look at my content - get to know me for me.’ When I go on dates, I’m like, ‘Don’t watch my content - get to know me for me.’ When I started working [at LatiNation], people were like, ‘You’re so much different in real life than you are in your content.’ And I’m like, ‘Oh yeah, I want to marry both.’ And so my content as of lately, if you watch anything where I’m just chilling in my car, that’s the real me. Me talking and being like, ‘Let’s talk about Virgos today,’ like that’s the real me.” 

Astrology, the universe, the cosmos - they all make an appearance during our hour-long hang. We talk about the privilege of manifestation: “People in Gaza can’t talk about the universe; families that are being affected by ICE right now can’t talk about the universe and manifestation.” We acknowledge the characteristics of both Virgos and Cancers: I’m a textbook sentimental Cancer, which I apparently have in common with three of Curly’s ex-boyfriends. And since we’re just in the midst of Love Season, I ask him about his desires for a relationship and what he’s learned from past partnerships. 

“I don’t think that I would have been here had it not been for my amazing ex-boyfriends that I had - like God bless them,” Curly says. “And I really do hold them close to me because I think that they were pivotal in making me who I am as a human. And I apply that to every other relationship that I’ve had.”

And that includes the relationship he has with himself. He continues to show his body love with tattoos that speak to his inner spirit and with moments of gratitude and prayer.

“I’m thankful to be alive,” he says, quite frankly. “I'm the most grateful to be able to be here and witness everything around me.”