In recent years, John Leguizamo has been proactive in his advocacy for Latino representation in Hollywood with self-made projects like Latino History for Morons and John Leguizamo Does America. He has also been critical of films like Alina of Cuba and Super Mario Bros for not casting Latino actors/actresses in prominent roles. During the Spring, the Tony Award winner traveled to Washington D.C., so he could lobby politicians about building the National Museum of the American Latino. The 63-year-old has grown leaps and bounds since the early 1990s when he was primarily viewed as a sketch comedian. Decades before he evolved into a "serious" actor and activist, he was unbeknownst to the media, and his agent suggested that he change his last name to something commonly recognized as European to bypass the stagnant pitfalls of typecasting in Hollywood. He even avoided the sun so that his skin wouldn't get too tan.

"My agents suggested that I give myself an Italian last name so that people would believe that I was Italian and not Latin," Leguizamo said during an interview with El País. "I have a Latina friend who submitted her photos to different castings, some with her Latin name and others with an American name. She got callbacks to the ones that received her American name. That’s how things work here...But I refused; I would never do that. I would rather not find a job than pretend to be someone else."

Ironically, the Colombian-American actor would go on to play an Italian character in movies like the original Super Mario Bros (1993) and Carlito's Way (1993)--a topic that many fans have broached over the years, as his work as an activist became more visible. Leguizamo acknowledges the commentary during his Q&A with El País.

“White American actors have been taking Latino roles away from us for decades! Remember Charlton Heston in Touch of Evil? And Al Pacino did it twice! For me, playing an Italian was my revenge. If they’re going to steal roles from me, I’m going to steal them too.”

While his approach may have ruffled some feathers in the entertainment industry, the Encanto star has also opened a lot of doors and eyes with historical facts and numbers that validate his concerns.

Source: FandomWire