In a time where representation in media matters, actor, screen writer, charity founder, and now author, Xavi de Guzman brings to the world the children’s book Peeled Fruit. The story as old as time about a mother’s love language of peeling mango for her baby, and in this story’s case, baby Fernando.
Xavi de Guzman, born and raised in Toronto, now residing in Vancouver, has been on such shows as ABC’s Take Two, Designated Survivor, and CW’s The 100. This year he has come off the Jo Koy lead Filipino comedy film ‘Easter Sunday’, as well as the Emmy nominated Netflix’s Maid starring Margaret Qualley and Nick Robinson. But it was his time off from film sets that he decided to explore a memory that he holds dearly, his mother peeling fruit for him as a child.
Growing up Filipino with immigrant parents, Xavi had a hard time identifying what it was to be categorized as Asian, considering he didn’t really identify with the more popular Chinese, Japanese, or even Korean cultures that had more prevalent communities in the city. Then entering the world of entertainment as an actor back in 2009, when diversity on screen was still a foreign Hollywood concept, getting cast as an Asian was not in the cards, which then made the connection to being Asian even more distant. It wasn’t until he took some time away from acting that he was able to travel the world, and come to a realization that the oceanic community within the Pacific held many answers to what it meant to be Filipino. Over that time till now, his understanding of his cultural identity became stronger, to where he knew that Filipino stories had a place in this world.
Peeled Fruit was also created as a tool to bring more eyes to The Play On Foundation. A Canadian charity founded by Xavi de Guzman, Ignatius Lewis, Kris-Andre Smith, and Alex Mallari Jr, with the goal to raise awareness for neurological research in brain aneurysm development and prevention. An initiative that Xavi holds close to his heart ever since the passing of their friend, Nathan Noel, October 1st, 2013. Learn more about that at https://www.letsplayon.org/
Follow Xavi on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xdeguz/
Plug into Xavi's world: https://linktr.ee/theplayonfoundation
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