Nico Santos

Nico Santos is a Filipino‑American actor and comedian who is openly gay and best known for his breakout role as Mateo, the sharp‑tongued, undocumented gay sales associate on NBC’s Superstore — a character that made him one of the most visible queer Asian actors on U.S. network television. Santos has spoken widely about how his own experiences as a gay Filipino immigrant informed Mateo’s storyline, including the intersection of queerness, immigration status, and workplace identity. His film work includes Crazy Rich Asians (2018), where he played Oliver T’sien, another beloved queer character, and he later joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Shang‑Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021). Santos is engaged to Zeke Smith, a trans activist and writer, and the couple’s public relationship has become a celebrated example of queer Asian and trans‑inclusive visibility in Hollywood. Across comedy, film, and advocacy, Santos has emerged as a major voice in contemporary LGBTQ+ representation.