Jane the Virgin actress Gina Rodriguez is a woman constantly on the move. She’s set to star as Carmen Sandiego in not one, but two projects for Netflix and is on a nationwide campaign to stop “period poverty” in the U.S. Last year, she announced her engagement to actor Joe LoCicero and on May 6th, they finally tied the not. They’re also looking at IMDb to see what LoCicero has been in. Rodriguez has mentioned the two met on the set of the CW sitcom, set to end its five-season run this year, but the actor has appeared more than once. Because we here at Remezcla are nothing if not thorough, we sat through all three of LoCicero’s on-set appearances to chart their love story.
This story was originally published on August 9, 2018, and was updated May 23, 2019 to reflect that Rodriguez and LoCicero are now married.
Don Quixote the Stripper in "Chapter Thirty-Nine"
This is the moment Rodriguez and LoCicero first met, with him dressed as Don Quixote gyrating in front of her. Well, let’s provide some context: in “Chapter Thirty-Nine” we see Jane (Rodriguez) prepping for her bachelorette party leading up to her wedding with Michael (Bret Dier). She wants a tame, classy affair while her mother and best friend, Lina (Diane Guerrero) want something more exotic. Jane’s also tasked with giving a speech for prospective new students at the college she works at, and through a mix-up Lina’s stripper – dressed as Don Quixote, the character from the novel Jane is teaching – arrives early to show Jane his “Sancho Panza.” Cue Jane’s embarrassment as LoCicero’s armor-clad stripper gets down while amazed students start taking pictures. At one point Jane’s stuck in a chair with the stripper’s leg over her head. We’d like to think love blossomed in that moment.
Prince Charming the Stripper in "Chapter Sixty-Three"
So, you might be inclined to say someone just loves watching LoCicero strip, and that might be the case considering in his second appearance on the show sees him play another character prepped to doff his duds. But, this third season episode gives necessary context for why that is. Jane is now working as wedding coordinator for her mother, Xiomara’s (Andrea Navedo) wedding to Rogelio (Jaime Camil). The bachelorette party is set, but neither Xo nor Jane is feeling particularly interested in partying and proceed to get drunk. But Jane forgot to cancel the stripper! Cue LoCicero’s Prince Charming, there to indulge Xo’s fantasy of being whisked away by her prince. Where’s the context, you ask? Jane mentions he’s the same stripper from the previous season and that “he’s the only [stripper] I knew.” And considering Rodriguez and LoCicero were dating by the time this aired, Jane’s happy dance seems all the more authentic.
Added bit of trivia: this episode sees One Day at a Time showrunner Gloria Calderon-Kellett pop-up as one of the executives on Rogelio’s telenovela. (She actually appeared on three additional episodes.)
The Masked Figure in "Chapter Seventy-Four"
If you’re hoping third time’s a charm on LoCicero as a stripper, you’re out of luck. Actually, there’s zero indication that he’s playing the role considering he’s clad in black and we just see his gloved hands. “Chapter Seventy-Four” involves Petra (Yael Grobglas) fighting to prove she didn’t murder her twin sister, Anezka. Her attorney, played by Rosario Dawson (pictured above), mentions that the evidence damning Petra is a few screws removed from Anezka’s balcony. Just when the two think they’re in the clear, LoCicero’s mysterious masked figure arrives to drop some screws in. It’s a bit of a cop-out role, but hey, all the more reason for die-hard fans to notice it.