In The Five Acts of Diego Leon, Leon was born in a small Mexican town, but quickly makes his way to Hollywood, ready to play the Latin lover on the silver screen. Off-screen, though, his personal life had to be kept a secret, because Leon was secretly gay in a time of extreme homophobia. 

Diego discovers his talent and love for performance in a village dance, celebrating a feast day. Later, his grandparents give him music lessons, in this fascinating “first act” about his early years in Mexico. He knows from a pretty young age that his future is in Hollywood, and this book shows a really glamorous, cutthroat Hollywood, all glitz and dark secrets. 

I’ve been listening to the podcast You Must Remember This, about the secrets and stories of old Hollywood, which also talks about the Latin lover trope at this time. Diego Leon is sometimes Diego Cortez, for a more dramatic casting. Although others in Hollywood are quietly queer too, if even the slightest rumor about his sexuality got out, his career would be over. 

In keeping with the five acts theme in the title, the book takes on different focuses as it covers different aspects of Diego’s life. This makes the book a bit inconsistent, as some sections are much stronger than others.  Even with all the secrets, some sections drag a bit, and some of the characters are difficult to care for.  

Diego himself  is sometimes a hard protagonist to root for, since he’s often hurtful, especially to the women around him. He can be calculating and manipulative, in a glamorous old-Hollywood way, of course. He’s able to use a romantic liaison to propel his career, which made for an interesting story, but not a really sympathetic hero. 

I felt like he treated women cruelly, as part of his deception, and while I empathized with his deception (keeping his sexuality and his relationships a secret was a massive challenge!), I still couldn’t accept some of his actions. Still, the excitement and secrets of this story make this worth reading.