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Larry ‘Wolfboy’ Gomez {Interview}

Jon Berrien
Latest posts by Jon Berrien (see all)


  From trotting the globe as a circus performer to acting in Hollywood, Larry Gomez is making moves.  Yes, he may stand out because of his hair, Larry suffers from a rare condition called hypertrichosis, but lets get one thing straight- Larry is not defined by his hair, rather he defines it! He was born in Mexico, but currently resides in Los Angeles, CA. GroundSounds caught up with Larry at his current place of work, The Venice Beach Freak Show.  

What is it like working at the Venice Beach Freak Show?

I really enjoy working here and interacting with the tourist that come through from the boardwalk. I also enjoy my co-workers; we are an eclectic group of people, each bringing a different spice to life.  I was born with hypertrichosis, which means a lot of hair.

What are people’s reactions to your hair?

I get all different types of reactions, some curious, some scared, some excited, some women actually really like it, they think that it is more manly, I don’t mind.  In the big picture though I am human just like everyone else.

Have you ever shaved? If not would you ever?

No, I have never shaved, for the right price I would do it.

Larry you performed in the circus for many years, what did you do?

Mostly trapeze and the trampoline, both of them were hard to learn at first, but I loved it, and when you love something it makes the process of learning easier. Plus I had my younger brother learning with me, he was born with hypertrichosis too.

How did you and your brother get your start as circus performers?

I don’t remember, I was very young when I was introduced to the circus, maybe 10, my younger brother Danny was around 8 years old.  I think it was a family member who got us involved with the trapeze at first.

What did you enjoy most about performing?

I really enjoyed interacting with the people.  When I would perform for big crowds, I always felt a jolt of energy, a euphoric rush of excitement it was amazing.  I also enjoyed the money!

Which one of your accomplishments in life are you the most proud of?

When I was in the Festival of Circus in Mexico, that was a dream for everybody, myself included.  It was a big honor and a huge accomplishment for me. It has also been pretty cool being featured on a lot of shows, I have been on a lot of latin stations, Maury, Guiness Book of World Records, the Discovery channel, TLC, Ripley’s and more.

You also appeared in Water for Elephants, what was it like being on set?

That was a really cool experience being on set of a big budget Hollywood film is always exciting.  The crew on that film were so kind.