John Alberto Leguizamo Peláez (/ˌlɛɡwɪˈzɑːmoʊ/, LEG-wih-ZAH-moh; Colombian Spanish:[leɣiˈsamo]; born July 22, 1960 or 1964[note 1]) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and film producer. He has appeared in over 100 films, produced over 20 films and documentaries, made over 30 television appearances, and has produced various television projects. He has also written and performed for the Broadway stage receiving four Tony Award nominations for Freak in 1998, Sexaholix in 2002, and Latin History for Morons in 2018. He received a Special Tony Award in 2018.
Leguizamo was born in Bogotá, Colombia, the son of Luz Marina Peláez and Alberto Rudolfo Leguizamo.[1] His father was once an aspiring film director and studied at Cinecittà in Rome, Italy, but eventually dropped out due to lack of finances.[8]
John has Indigenous Colombian (Muisca), European (especially Iberian), and some African ancestry.[1] His paternal grandfather was a wealthy Colombian landowner, and his great-great-grandfather, Higinio Cualla, was Mayor of Bogotá for sixteen years in the late 1800s, and was considered an important modernizer of the city.[1] Before this discovery, Leguizamo had claimed that he was Puerto Rican on his father's side, which was one of the reasons he was selected as the Puerto Rican Day Parade Global Ambassador of the Arts,[9] and marched in the parade on June 12, 2011.[10] It was determined that Leguizamo's maternal lineage includes the 16th-century Spanish conquistador Sebastián de Belalcázar, as well as Jerónimo Betuma, a 17th-century indigenous Colombian of noble birth.
When Leguizamo was 3 years old,[11] his family emigrated to New York City,[12] where they lived in various neighborhoods in Queens, including Jackson Heights.[13][14] He later credited growing up as one of the first Latino children in the neighborhood as formative in his acting ability: "It was tough. There were lots of fights. I would walk through a park and be attacked, and I had to defend myself all the time. But this helped me to become funny so that I wouldn't get hit." His parents divorced when he was 13 and lived with his mother growing up.[15][16][17][18] Leguizamo and his family constantly moved apartments in Queens, attending multiple elementary schools. Leguizamo was arrested twice as a teenager, once for jumping a turnstile at a New York City Subway station and another time for truancy. His family later sent him to Colombia for a year where he stayed with his relatives.[19]
Leguizamo attended Joseph Pulitzer Middle School (I.S.145) and later Murry Bergtraum High School. As a student at Murry Bergtraum, he wrote comedy material and tested it on his classmates. He was voted "Most Talkative" by his classmates. After graduating from high school, he began his theater career as an undergraduate at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, from which he eventually dropped out in favor of a career in stand-up comedy. Post-NYU, Leguizamo enrolled at LIU Post and at HB Studio,[20] where he took theater classes.
Career
Early career
Leguizamo signing playbills in 2008
Leguizamo started out as a stand-up comic doing the New York nightclub circuit in 1984, and in 1988, he performed at The Public Theater in two shows, including as Puck in A Midsummer Night's Dream in which he appeared with Fisher Stevens.[21] He made his television debut in 1986 with a small part in Miami Vice. His other early roles include: a friend of Madonna's boyfriend in her "Borderline" video (1984); Mixed Blood (1985), Casualties of War (1989). In the 1990s he played a terrorist in Die Hard 2 (1990), Hangin' with the Homeboys (1991), the robber in Regarding Henry (1991), Super Mario Bros. (1993), and Night Owl (1993). In 1991, Leguizamo also wrote and performed in the Off-Broadway production Mambo Mouth, where he played seven different characters. Mambo Mouth won an Obie Award and an Outer Critics Award. He was listed as one of 12 "Promising New Actors of 1991" in "John Willis' Screen Worlds Vol. 43".
In 1992, he starred in Whispers in the Dark as John Castillo. In 1993 Leguizamo portrayed Luigi in the film Super Mario Bros., based on the Mario video game franchise. Despite being considered a critical and financial failure universally, the film was considered to be his breakthrough role, allowing him to appear in better comedic roles in the following years. That same year, he had a prominent role in Brian De Palma's Carlito's Way as Carlito Brigante's nemesis, "Benny Blanco from the Bronx," which also boosted his career in serious roles. In 1993, Leguizamo wrote and performed in Spic-O-Rama, where he made fun of the stereotyping of Latinos in the United States. The production won a Drama Desk Award and four Cable ACE Awards. Both Mambo Mouth and Spic-O-Rama were later filmed for presentation on HBO.
In 2000, Leguizamo portrayed both Genies in Arabian Nights, a TV mini-series adaptation of the epic One Thousand and One Nights. In 2001, RCA/BMG Records released John Leguizamo LIVE, a CD compilation of Leguizamo's stage routines. Among the bits are a primer Leguizamo gives on the history and culture of Latinos in America, which with the dubious tale of the mating of an Inca princess with a Spanish conquistador, thus creating the original dysfunctional Latin family, each member of which is voiced by Leguizamo. The CD also includes a musical intermission, with two salsa/hip-hop tunes, "The Night Before Christmas" and "Gotta Get Some", and footage from Leguizamo's tours and two interactive games, "Spanish Fly Pick-Up Line".
In 2004, he guest-starred on Dora the Explorer as Captain Pirate Piggy. During the 2005–06 television season, Leguizamo joined the cast of the show ER, playing the emotionally disturbed Dr. Victor Clemente, a new attending who is keen on introducing the staff of County General to better ways of treating patients and cutting-edge technology. Clemente, however, was plagued with personal problems and was fired from the hospital near the end of the season. Dr. Clemente's departure from the show was a blessing for Leguizamo. He revealed to CraveOnline that he was not happy working on the television program. "I was depressed doing ER," he admitted, "I started gaining weight, I was eating doughnuts, I started smoking again. I'm eating McDonald's, things that I know when I'm depressed I do. I tried to kill myself internally."[23]
In 2006, Leguizamo starred in the television pilot for Edison, a 2006 CBS drama about a Los Angeles detective (played by Leguizamo) who relied on impersonations and disguises to solve crimes. Other cast members included Currie Graham and Deidrie Henry. Kevin Rodney Sullivan directed from a script by Ron Milbauer and Terri Hughes. Leguizamo and David Hoberman also served as executive producers. In October 2006, Leguizamo's memoir, Pimps, Hos, Playa Hatas and All the Rest of My Hollywood Friends: My Life, was released. During an interview on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, he stated that his memoir was very candid about experiences involving other celebrities he had worked with. He stated that working with Arnold Schwarzenegger on Collateral Damage (2002) was one of the most enjoyable experiences he'd had as an actor, that Schwarzenegger's accent let him say things that others would think were sexist or homophobic if said by someone else, and that Steven Seagal was an egotist with diva tendencies.[24]
In 2007, he played Michael Beltran in the movie The Babysitters. In 2008, he co-starred in the movie The Happening, written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan.[25] In July 2007, Spike TV aired its drama series The Kill Point, which starred Leguizamo, Donnie Wahlberg, and Michael Hyatt. The show was an eight-part series revolving around ex-war veterans whose bank robbery went wrong, thus ending in a hostage situation. Despite high ratings, The Kill Point was not renewed for a second season. A year later, Leguizamo guest-starred on Sesame Street as Captain Vegetable, who tells Elmo to eat his vegetables.
2010–2016
Leguizamo at the Chicago Theatre in 2014
In 2010, Leguizamo also guest-starred on The Electric Company as himself, rhyming about commas and quotation marks. In June 2010, Leguizamo opened his semi-autobiographical one-man theater show, Klass Klown (later renamed Ghetto Klown), based on his memoir Pimps, Hos, Playa Hatas, and All the Rest of My Hollywood Friends: My Life. After the show ran at various theaters in the United States and Leguizamo performed an "unplugged" version of it under the title John Leguizamo Warms Up at a Chicago theater, it opened on Broadway in March 2011 at the Lyceum Theatre.[26][27][28][29] The show, about Leguizamo's path from obscurity to stardom, opened to many positive reviews and was extended through July 10, 2011. A CD of the show was released. In 2011, Leguizamo received the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Solo Performance[30] and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Solo Performance for his performance in the show.[31] In September 2011, Leguizamo began an international tour of Ghetto Klown in Los Angeles.[32] On July 13, 2012, PBS debuted Tales From a Ghetto Klown, a documentary about Leguizamo's life and the show's development. On November 16, 2013, John taped Ghetto Klown at The New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, NJ for HBO.[33]
In 2015, Abrams ComicArts published the graphic novel adaptation of Leguizamo's one-man Broadway show, Ghetto Klown. As with the live show, the graphic novel explores the actor/comedian's life and career, beginning with his adolescence in Queens, New York, his involvement in 1980s avant-garde theater, his feature film career, and some of the colorful characters he encountered throughout his life. Leguizamo describes the work:
"Ghetto Klown is the history that I probably never should have told anyone but my therapist, but it's a real lesson that even if you suffer a certain amount (a lot) of self-doubt and anxiety, you can still accomplish great things. It's a lesson I'm really excited to impart to a whole new audience."
The comic is illustrated by Christa Cassano.[37] In 2016, Leguizamo played the role of Ozzy Delvecchio in the second season of the Netflix original series Bloodline. Also in 2016, he produced the Q Brothers' Othello: The Remix at off-Broadway's Westside Theatre.[38]
2017–present
Leguizamo in 2013
In 2017, Leguizamo sang on "Almost Like Praying", a charitable song written and composed by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Proceeds from the song went to the Hispanic Federation to assist relief efforts for those in Puerto Rico who were affected by Hurricane Maria.[39] Also in 2017, he debuted Latin History for Morons,[40] a show about the participation of Latin Americans throughout US history. The show premiered at the Public Theater before moving to Studio 54. Latin History for Morons was nominated for the 2018 Tony Award for Best Play.[41] That year, he also was presented with a Special Tony Award for his body of work and for his commitment to bringing diverse stories and audiences to Broadway for three decades.[42] In January 2018, Leguizamo was announced as the host of the 63rd Obie Awards held in May 2018 at Terminal 5.[43]
In 2018, Leguizamo played undercover ATF agent Jacob Vazquez in the Paramount Network miniseries Waco. The following year, Leguizamo played Raymond Santana's father Raymond Santana Sr. in the Netflix miniseries When They See Us. Leguizamo wrote the original musical Kiss My Aztec, with book by Leguizamo and director Tony Taccone, music by Benjamin Velez, and lyrics by Velez, Leguizamo, and David Kamp. It was developed at the Public Theater in 2018 and premiered at Berkeley Repertory Theater and La Jolla Playhouse in 2019, where it received critical acclaim.[44][45][46][47][48][49] Leguizamo also received Smithsonian Magazine's 2018 American Ingenuity Award in the History category.[50]
In 2004, Leguizamo was one of the celebrity supporters of Voto Latino, co-founded by Rosario Dawson.[73] In 2012, he co-founded NGL (Next-Generation Latinx) Collective to create content for Latinx audiences.[74] Backed by GoDigital Media Group, in 2022 NGL merged with mitú "to create the largest digital-first "Latinx powerhouse" in the US."[75] Leguizamo has also been heralded as a preservationist for the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation.[76]
Leguizamo has also been an activist directly through his artistic work. In 2017, he opened Latin History for Morons at The Public, and it later went to Broadway. Netflix filmed it in 2018, advocating that "teaching Latin history is the first step toward conquering prejudice."[79] In 2020, Leguizamo's directorial debut, Critical Thinking, was released. He starred in the biographical drama set in 1998 about an inner-city teacher and students who compete in the US National Chess Championship.[80] He said that he wanted to, "create a universal message of hope and spread this message to the world."[81] In 2022, he performed Ghetto Klown "at Rikers Island Correctional Facility for an audience of justice-involved young men."[82]
Leguizamo is an outspoken critic of Hollywood's whitewashing in the casting of movies. In 2022, he spoke out against the casting of James Franco to portray Fidel Castro in the upcoming film Alina of Cuba: La Hija Rebelde, stating "I don't got a prob with Franco but he ain't Latino!"[83] In a 2023 interview with TMZ, Leguizamo, who previously starred in the 1993 Super Mario Bros film, criticized The Super Mario Bros. Movie for having actors Chris Pratt and Charlie Day voice the Italian-American Mario and Luigi, saying "No I will not [be watching]. They could've included a Latin character, like I was groundbreaking and then they stopped the groundbreaking. They messed up the inclusion. They dis-included. Just cast some Latin folk! We're 20% of the population. The largest people of color group and we are underrepresented."[84]
Leguizamo is an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. In 2023, he, alongside other figures, appeared in a video produced by Teen Vogue and online magazine Them called Dear Trans Youth affirming his support for transgender youth.[85]
PhemonX #1 with Aram Rappaport, Joe Miciak, and Chris Batista (November 10, 2021)
PhenomX #2 with Aram Rappaport, Joe Miciak, and Chris Batista (December 8, 2021)
PhemonX #3 with Aram Rappaport, Joe Miciak, and Chris Batista (January 11, 2022)
Phenomx #4 with Aram Rappaport, Joe Miciak, and Chris Batista (February 9, 2022)
Notes
^There are conflicting sources regarding Leguizamo's birth year. While sources prior to Finding Your Roots airing state his age as having been born on July 22, 1964,[2] the episode of Finding Your Roots in which he appears briefly shows a family tree which states a birth date of July 22, 1960.[1]13:00
References
^ abcdeStated on Finding Your Roots Season 8, Episode 7: Incredible Journeys, February 15, 2022.
^Zook, Kristal Brent (July 19, 2001). "Comedy That Hits Close to Home". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 18, 2021. Born in Bogota, Colombia, to a Puerto Rican father and a Colombian mother of Indian ancestry, Leguizamo was raised in the multiethnic Jackson Heights neighborhood of Queens.
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