About

RIVER GALLO (they/them) is a GLAAD Award-winning Salvadoran-American filmmaker, actor, writer, and intersex advocate from New Jersey. 

Gallo is the creator, writer, and star of PONYBOI, the first narrative feature created by and starring an out intersex artist. Directed by Esteban Arango, the neo-noir thriller premiered in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. River starred alongside Victoria Pedretti, Dylan O'Brien, and Murray Bartlett. The film was released theatrically by Fox Entertainment Studios in 2025, and went on to win Best Narrative Feature at NewFest, Best Performance for Gallo at the Torino Film Festival, honors from the New Jersey Film Critics Circle, and a 2026 GLAAD Media Award nomination for Outstanding Film – Limited Theatrical Release. Following the film’s success, Gallo signed a first-look deal with Fox Entertainment Studios to develop scripted television and feature projects.

Their original Ponyboi short film premiered at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival and was executive produced by Emma Thompson and Stephen Fry. In 2023, Gallo appeared in the acclaimed documentary Every Body, from Academy-award nominated director Julie Cohen, and was directing mentee through Ryan Murphy’s HALF Initiative, shadowing episodes of American Horror Story: Delicate. They also voice “Doberman Frankie” in Netflix’s animated feature Fixed.

Beyond film, Gallo has collaborated with brands including Maison Margiela, Facebook, Crocs, Abercrombie & Fitch, and made their New York Fashion Week runway debut for Chromat. Their honors include the GLAAD Rising Star Award, DAZED 100 list, Indiewire’s 10 LGBTQIA+ Film and TV Creators on the Rise.

Prior to their feature debut, River starred in multiple short films, a stage production of KING LEAR at the Annenberg Theater in Los Angeles, the Breaking the Binary Theater Festival, and the 24 Hour Plays on Broadway in New York. In the commercial space, River directed advertising spots for Facebook. River has collaborated and modeled for Abercrombie & Fitch, Crocs and made their New York Fashion Week debut walking for Chromat’s FW2021 show.

Gallo holds degrees from NYU Tisch and USC School of Cinematic Arts, and is based between Los Angeles and New York.

River is represented by CAA

and We Speak Models.