Tuesday, March 31, 2009

AS SEEN ON TV: PEDRO ZAMORA & "THE REAL WORLD" CAST

On Wednesday night, MTV will premiere "Pedro", a movie about the life of Pedro Zamora, who appeared on 'The Real World: San Francisco'. The movie will simulcast on mtvU, LOGO and MTV Tr3s at 8PM, with a special introduction by former President Bill Clinton.

From the press release supplied by MTV:

In 1994, Zamora captured the hearts of millions as the first-ever openly gay, HIV-positive main character on TV—on MTV’s 'The Real World: San Francisco'. Zamora’s time in the house on Lombard Street brought a face to the AIDS crisis. President Bill Clinton has long credited Zamora with personalizing and humanizing the epidemic, and he will introduce "Pedro" when it makes its world television premiere April 1st.

“To this day, Pedro Zamora remains an extraordinary example of what a huge impact one young person can make in our world,” President Clinton said. “I’m glad to have known him, and I’m grateful his life has been able to inspire and enrich so many others.”

Told through the eyes of his friends and family, the film "Pedro" celebrates the extraordinary life a young man who found out he was HIV positive at 17, then made the courageous decision to dedicate his life to speaking out about the disease. Zamora testified before the United States Congress to argue for more explicit HIV/AIDS educational programs aimed at youth of color before auditioning for 'The Real World' in 1993.

Zamora’s story heightened awareness of the AIDS/HIV epidemic in America, and now 15 years after his death MTV will tell his story. From his early life in Cuba to his death at the age of 22, "Pedro" will give viewers a look into the life of this great man.

Pictured above are the actors from the TV movie, portraying the cast of that San Francisco chapter of 'The Real World'. Pedro is in the striped blue shirt.

Another, more infamous, resident of the Frisco house is behind him to the far left: Puck.

It just seems a shame that if they really wanted to get this message out, they wouldn't have scheduled it opposite 'American Idol' and 'Lost'.....

BCnU!
Toby O'B

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