River Gallo

River Gallo is an American filmmaker, actor, screenwriter, model, and intersex rights activist. They wrote, directed, and acted in the 2019 short film Ponyboi, which was the first film to feature an openly intersex actor playing an intersex person. Gallo adapted the screenplay for Ponyboi into a feature-length film by the same name, which premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. Gallo also played the lead role in the 2024 adaptation.

Early and personal life Gallo was born in and grew up in New Jersey. When they turned twelve they learned they had been born without testicles, although the doctor did not tell them they were intersex. The doctor told them they would need to start hormone therapy and have surgery to insert prosthetic testicles so they would "look and feel like a normal man". They have since become outspoken about ending unnecessary cosmetic surgeries performed on children with atypical genitals who are not old enough to give informed consent.

Career Gallo attended the New York University, where they trained in the Experimental Theatre Wing at the Tisch School of the Arts. After graduating with a bachelor's degree in 2013, For their master's thesis at USC in 2019, they created the Ponyboi short film. The 19-minute-long piece is about an intersex Latinx runaway in New Jersey who works at a laundromat during the day and as a sex worker at night. On Valentine's Day, Ponyboi meets and falls in love with a man and begins to overcome his traumatic past. While writing the film, Gallo discovered the term "intersex" and came to realize it described them.

Gallo was a fellow in Sundance's Trans Possibilities Intensive in 2021, during which time they worked to develop the Ponyboi film further. Collider wrote that the film was "cinematic gold" that "would be nothing without River Gallo's performance". Variety gave a more critical review, praising Gallo's acting but criticizing the writing as predictable and too reliant on clichés.

Other work Gallo is the founder and CEO of the Gaptoof Entertainment production company.

Gallo was profiled along with Alicia Roth Weigel and Sean Saifa Wall in a documentary about intersex people called Every Body, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2023.

Recognition In 2019, Gallo won the GLAAD Rising Star Grant, which they said they planned to use to mentor LGBTQIA+ students in Los Angeles public schools. Gallo was named to Out magazine's 2023 "Out100" list.

Activism Gallo is an intersex rights activist, and has spoken out about issues including unnecessary surgery on intersex children. They have supported California Senate Bill 201, which would ban doctors from performing cosmetic surgeries on children with atypical genitals until they are old enough to give informed consent.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 2023 Every Body Self 2024 Ponyboi Ponyboi Also writer 2025 Fixed Frankie Voice

Television Year Title Role Notes 2014 The Heart, She Holler Episode: "Congroined Hearts" 2020 Love, Victor Kim Episode : "Love, Victor"