Lío Mehiel’s ‘After the Hunt’ role marks a milestone for trans Latines in Hollywood

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Lío Mehiel has been working for a moment like “After the Hunt” for a long time.

Luca Guadagnino’s film unfolds at Yale University, where popular professor Alma (Julia Roberts) faces a crisis that could end her career. She’s caught between a complicated relationship with her student, Maggie (Ayo Edebiri), and a long-standing friendship with her colleague, Hank (Andrew Garfield), as a scandal unfolds.

In the movie, the actor stars as Alex, Maggie’s boyfriend. This film is the biggest project of the director’s career so far, and it premiered at the Venice Film Festival in August.

Mehiel explains that being an artist often involves a lot of work done in isolation, where it can feel like no one is paying attention. He says artists need to rely on their own inner motivation and dedication to persevere, believing that eventually, their work will connect with others and make the effort worthwhile.

This achievement is the result of years of hard work. Mehiel, who moved from Puerto Rico at age five, quickly began pursuing their passion for the arts in New York City, starting with salsa dancing and then acting. By fifth grade, they were auditioning for Broadway shows and ultimately landed a role in the 2003 revival of “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” alongside Ashley Judd and Jason Patric.

I was so impressed to learn about how this incredible performer really came into their own, both as a person and creatively. It all started gaining momentum in 2023 with their role as Feña in the film “Mutt.” What really struck me was their dedication – they actually emailed the director directly, telling him they’d do anything to get the part! The movie beautifully portrays a day in the life of a young trans man in New York, navigating old connections after his transition. Their performance was so moving, it earned them a Special Jury Award at Sundance – and rightfully so! It really launched them as a performer to watch, and I’m so excited to see what they do next.

After the positive reaction to ‘Mutt,’ I was really excited to see what this artist would do next – not just with their career, but also how they’d contribute to the bigger conversation about how queer and trans people are shown in movies and TV. The next year, they came back to Sundance with a film called ‘In the Summers,’ and it won the U.S. Dramatic Grand Jury prize – a huge accomplishment, especially because it was the first time a film directed by a Latina director had ever won that award. Like with ‘Mutt,’ this film, which was beautifully shot, featured a trans character, and I was really moved by how honestly it portrayed the complicated relationship between that character and their father, who was played by the famous Puerto Rican rapper Residente.

Mehiel’s art consistently explores what it means to have a body. This past summer, they created a performance installation at the Salton Sea called “angels of a drowning myth.” Photos show Mehiel nude, partially underwater, next to a cast of their chest made after undergoing top surgery. This striking image—a body depicted twice—highlights both the strength and fluidity of their form, and the beauty they perceive within and around it. Mehiel’s work goes beyond typical representations of bodily transformation, celebrating the complexities of queer experience and resisting the pressure to simply be seen.

Mehiel explains that ‘After the Hunt’ is a great example of authentic representation because the story focuses on Alex’s everyday life – like coming home after a run and relaxing with their partner – rather than making their identity as a queer and trans person the central focus.

I’ll never forget the first time I saw Alex on screen – it was so perfectly them. It wasn’t just the unexpectedly vulnerable image of their bare chest, but how it instantly changed my understanding of this character I’d been led to believe was a really intense, uncompromising activist. Everyone initially presented Alex as someone embodying this ‘woke’ culture, ready to challenge everything Alma Roberts represents. But quickly, I realized there was a lot more to them than that simple label.

They explain that Alex doesn’t speak for all LGBTQ+ people with political views, or those who might protest. They believe Luca and Nora, the scriptwriters, intentionally moved beyond focusing solely on identity. Instead, they created characters with depth and complexity, allowing them to be flawed and realistic individuals.

While “After the Hunt” deals with difficult ethical issues related to sexual assault accusations on a college campus, the creator, Mehiel, also hopes the show will give audiences a chance to connect with characters like Maggie and Alex, who are often overlooked in similar narratives.

They expressed excitement about the increased visibility of queer and trans people and relationships. Having a major star like Julia Roberts in this film means a wider audience will see it, and importantly, it will also introduce them to a complex queer and trans character – someone who, like any other person, has both relatable and flawed moments.

I’ve been following Mehiel’s work for years, and what really strikes me is their dedication to showing a wider range of queer and trans representation – not just that we exist, but how we exist, in all our diversity, on stage, on screen, and ultimately, in the real world. Especially now, when so many people are actively trying to hurt our communities, I think it’s incredibly important to just see us, authentically and normally, and Mehiel really delivers on that.

More than anything, sharing these experiences builds understanding and helps people feel at ease. The current political environment is particularly difficult for the Latine and transgender communities, and a lot of that stems from a lack of familiarity with who they are.

The core idea behind “After the Hunt” is simple: you can’t truly know what someone else is experiencing. And assuming you do can be really harmful.

According to Mehiel, the movie is designed to make viewers reflect on themselves. It challenges their preconceived notions and doesn’t offer easy answers.

For Mehiel, this film marks a special moment in a career that’s already taking off. This year alone, they starred in a new play at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, led production for a fundraiser supporting the Trans Justice Funding Project, and continued to develop their skills as an artist, writer, and filmmaker. Looking back, the film isn’t just a stepping stone, but a reminder of their growth and future ambitions. Now available in theaters and soon on Prime Video, it’s a chance for more people to experience their unique talent.

They felt a strong connection to the film, saying it felt like a natural fit for them. They’re also confident in their abilities and eager to collaborate with accomplished directors, specifically mentioning Julia Ducournau as a dream collaborator.

Simply put, they feel prepared and capable of finally making their long-held dreams a reality.

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2025-10-24 20:31