“Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me,” one of FORBES’ Best Graphic Novels of 2019 by Mariko Tamaki and illustrated by Rosemary Valero-O’Connell, will be directed by Tommy Dorfman (I Wish You All The Best, Love, Victor, 13 Reasons Why) and casts Fil-Am rising star, Sam Morelos, as lead.
The graphic novel is set in Berkeley and follows Frederica “Freddie” Riley, who struggles to navigate high school and her relationship with Laura Dean, confirmed to be played by Ava Phillippe. The story focuses on the hardships of adolescence and queer relationships, specifically the toxic ones. The way this story deals with its characters is unique in the sense that there is no dramatic “I have to come out of the closet” coming-of-age story; Freddie is already out. We have plenty of movies where coming out is pretty much the whole story, and now we’re seeing the subtle shift of more nuanced queer stories that actually dive deeper into the queer experience. We love to see that kind of step forward in representation!
Sam Morelos is known for their role as Nikki in Netflix’s “That ’90’s Show” and Abby in Hulu’s “Summer of ’69.” The Netflix title was Morelos’ breakout role and has continued to gain traction, making their mark as a talented Fil-Am performer. While attending a performing arts high school, California School of the Arts – San Gabriel Valley, a talent search was displayed on the school bulletin, and they only applied because of FOMO, while their friends were sending in their auditions. They told Vogue Philippines, “I still didn’t think that anything would come of it, because I was like ‘It’s Netflix!’ They’re probably seeing hundreds of kids for this role too, so I’m just going to have fun! And I think that was the most important part of my audition process because I didn’t go into it having any expectations. I was just there and I showed up because I was doing the thing that I loved to do, which is act and tell stories.” There’s one takeaway – just show up for the things you care about, you never know where it’ll take you, and in Sam’s case, acting with some of the most seasoned actors in the game for their first role!
Sam has also gone on to become an advocate for Queer AAPI identity in their press tour for “Summer of 69,” telling JoySauce:
“Something that I added in That ’90s Show and also in Summer of ’69, my characters have been and always will be Filipino, and that’s something that will never go away. Filipino is the lens that I am filtering every single character through. That is the body, the vessel, and the skin. There’s no taking that off, and I don’t want to. Pushing Filipino stories to the forefront is something that’s important to me. Something that uplifts my community is something important.
And also, uplifting queer and trans stories and filmmakers and storytellers is an important thing to me as someone in love with a trans person and someone who is gender-nonconforming. I am non-binary. Trans joy is critical to me in a day and age where people are actively trying to take it away. The fact is that we’re trans, and we matter, and we can exist with joy when no one wants us to. Those stories are important to me.”
While being a new star in Hollywood, Sam Morelos is an undeniable light in the industry, and we’re excited to see them in this upcoming adaptation of “Laura Dean Keeps Breakin Up with Me.”
G.A.P.I.N.G. Magazine 
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