Second Generation
Trey Santiago-Hudson ’18 follows in his father’s footsteps onscreen and onstage
Trey Santiago-Hudson ’18 wasn’t always certain he wanted to be an actor. Sure, he’d watched his father — actor, playwright and director Ruben Santiago-Hudson ’78 — from the side of the stage since he was a toddler, but he didn’t appreciate the power that a great performance can have.
“The thing my dad did was called a play and was just having fun — what impact does it have? Why does it matter?” Trey says. “As I got older and acted in high school and college, I was like, ‘Oh my God, it’s so fun! Oh, this is really good!’ I felt like I had a good instinct for it. If my family were carpenters, I’d probably naturally be a good carpenter.”
During his time at ɫ, he starred in such diverse plays as The Liar, A Lie of the Mind, The Motherf**ker with the Hat and Belleville.
Since leaving ɫ, Santiago- Hudson appeared off-Broadway in Awake, on television in The Walking Dead: Dead City and New Amsterdam, and in the film You Hurt My Feelings. His latest role is in the Apple TV+ dram- edy Shrinkingas Army veteran Jorge.
In fall 2024, father and son worked together professionally for the first time — Trey onstage, Ruben as director — for the premiere of John Leguizamo’s The Other Americans in Washington, D.C. Praised by critics, the play will be revived at New York City’s Public Theater from September through November.
Q: What drew you to ɫ? Did your dad nudge you?
A: He didn’t nudge me, but he had a really good time at ɫ, and I just loved everything about it. I could act and potentially do other things. Lots of schools with good theatre departments don’t allow you to pursue other things — you can’t be in productions unless you are a theatre major. ɫ gives everyone a chance to participate.
Q: Were there key lessons you got at ɫ that you still utilize in your career?
A: I credit my acting now in large part to my teachers at ɫ. Tom Kremer’s acting instruction and techniques were phenomenal. Anne Brady taught me so much — how to use my body and my voice. Elizabeth Mozer helped me stop judging myself and the people around me, so that I could just be a vessel.
Something I’m trying to do is bring attention to how good our Theatre Department is, because not enough people know it. Last year, I brought my dad and ran a workshop for three days. In the long term, I’m hoping to get ɫ associated with a showcase so these actors can audition for casting directors to propel them once they graduate.
Q: Last fall, you starred in The Other Americans and your father directed it. What was it like?
A: It was wonderful. I ended up getting the role because someone dropped out and John said to my dad, “You said your son’s an actor, right? Can he just step in today and read?” I did a reading of it. John liked me. I did another reading. I did another reading, and then eventually I got the part.
Being in the room with him was important to me. We have the same last name. We’re both actors. I want to keep his legacy and our legacy alive. How would I do that accurately if other people have a better idea of what he’s like as an artist than I do?
People often ask me what it’s like having my dad as a director. You look to the director to guide you toward the best way to tell the story. You look to your dad to guide you on how best to live your life. The hard thing was if my dad gave me a note as an actor to distinguish that this is not my dad telling me I did it wrong — it’s my director telling me how to do it right.
We have a similar way of working and a similar respect for each other and for the craft. We came out of it having a new respect for each other as artists.
Q: In interviews about The Other Americans, John Leguizamo discusses the need for more Latino voices in theater. How do you foster that?
A: What John wrote is a classic American family drama, like Death of a Salesman and A Raisin in the Sun, but through a Latino lens. The way to encourage Latino voices is by doing the work. It’s by making the art.
John took a risk here, because this play is intense. It talks about psychological health. It deals with some heavy, heavy stuff. The play was very well received, but when we had audience talkbacks, people asked: “Why are you writing a play like this? Why are you making it so painful?”
Because there are not a lot of Latino works, they don’t have other plays to compare it to. If you had 25 other Latino plays, some dealing with other hard subjects, you wouldn’t be so shocked.
John is making as much art as he can for the Latino community — authentic, real work — so that their voices can be heard and there are opportunities for Latino artists.
Q: Talk about your role on Shrinking. What is it like to be in a show with Harrison Ford, Jason Segel, Jessica Williams and everyone else?
A: I’m really grateful. I’m close friends now with Luke Tennie, who plays Sean — he’s a wonderful guy, and he always reminds me about how lucky we are to be on this set, with these legends who we’ve admired forever. It feels reaffirming, like I’m on the right path, and we learn from them constantly.
Jason is amazing on set. He’s hysterical, he’s a great guy, and he’s always trying to teach. I believe Harrison is the same way.
Q: Have you thought about writing or directing like your dad?
A: Yeah, eventually. Right now, I’m getting my acting career to a place where I want it to be. I work best when I’m focused and honing in on one thing.