In a recent statement, actor John Leguizamo who is known for hits such as Moulin Rouge!, John Wick, and Encanto, stated that casting directors generally chose white actors over Latinos. According to him, this happens even when the original roles were supposed to be played by Latin stars. Leguizamo revealed in an interview with Insider that he had once lost out on an opportunity to play a Latin character purely due to a director's aversion to casting more than one Latin actor in his film.
"This one director wanted me to be in his movie. He said, 'I love your work, I want you in the movie.' And then I hear back from him. He calls me up, and he says, 'Oh, sorry man, you can't be in my movie because I already have a Latin actress and I can't have two Latin people in the movie.'"
Regarding the name of the movie and the director involved, Leguizamo declined to disclose the details.
John Leguizamo Continues to Criticize Super Mario Bros Chris Pratt Casting
Latino Representation in the Movie Industry
During his discussion of the lack of representation of Latinos in the entertainment industry, John Leguizamo noted that the industry tends to select Latino actors who "look white." Consequently, other groups of different colors and shades are not adequately represented in movies. He also claimed that the lack of Latinos on screen is not representative of the city in which Hollywood is located. Reports from the Latino Donor Collaborative indicate that Latinos make up 2.9% of all lead roles in Hollywood. Furthermore, Leguizamo emphasized that in California, the Latino population is larger than the white population, yet they are not represented as such. He referred to this as "culture apartheid" and discussed how it is also a problem in New York's entertainment industry:
"In New York, the Latino population is equal to the white population, but you would never know it if you watched local TV or read our newspapers and magazines. The metrics are on our side, but the system is not."
During his remarks, Leguizamo mentioned that several individuals from various ethnic backgrounds had expressed pride in the work he had done as a result of his open letter.
Furthermore, he also mentioned that he is frustrated by the lack of meaningful change in the Latino sector, especially with evidence confirming that audiences will show up for Latino-themed stories. To illustrate his point, he gave an example of how Latino audiences impact the success of movies. His example was the animated film Encanto, which came out in 2021, and was considered to be one of the leading films of its kind. The animated film tells the story of a magical family in Colombia struggling to maintain their powers after mysteriously losing them. Despite COVID-19 restrictions, the film was expected to be one of the studio's most significant box office hits.
John Leguizamo Blasts James Franco's Fidel Castro Casting: 'How Is This Still Going On?'