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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 2601:589:4900:fdc:e445:30:aca7:118b (talk) at 23:53, 16 November 2024 (He does have Colombian citizenship, he is not just American, he is Colombian-American, this must be recognized). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

John Leguizamo
Leguizamo in 2014
Born	John Alberto Leguizamo Peláez (1960-07-22) July 22, 1960 (age 64) or (1964-07-22) July 22, 1964 (age 60) Bogotá, Colombia
Citizenship	Colombia United States
Occupations	Actor comedian producer screenwriter
Years active	1984–present
Spouses	Yelba Osorio ​ ​(m. 1994; div. 1996)​ Justine Maurer ​(m. 2003)​
Children	2
Comedy career
Medium	Film stand-up television
Genres	Improvisational comedy observational comedy character comedy blue comedy musical comedy satire
Subject(s)	Latin American culture childhood self-deprecation family sex marriage parenting race relations racism human sexuality everyday life

John Alberto Leguizamo Peláez (/ˌlɛɡwɪˈzɑːmoʊ/, LEG-wih-ZAH-moh; Colombian Spanish: [leɣiˈsamo]; born July 22, 1960 or 1964) is a Colombian-American |title=John Leguizamo to Receive Special Tony Award |url=https://www.broadway.com/buzz/192024/john-leguizamo-to-receive-special-tony-award/ |work=Broadway Buzz |location=NYC |date=May 1, 2018 |access-date=March 9, 2021}}</ref> In January 2018, Leguizamo was announced as the host of the 63rd Obie Awards held in May 2018 at Terminal 5.

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. Leguizamo also received Smithsonian Magazine's 2018 American Ingenuity Award in the History category.

In 2020, Leguizamo played Gor Koresh in season 2, episode 1 of the Disney+ series The Mandalorian. In 2021, he played Estragon opposite Ethan Hawke as Vladimir in Waiting for Godot and Wallace Shawn with The New Group Off Stage as a video performance during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, Leguizamo provided the voice of Bruno Madrigal in the Disney animated film Encanto, which received the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. In 2022 he acted in the critically acclaimed Mark Mylod-directed comedy-horror film The Menu alongside Anya Taylor-Joy and Ralph Fiennes, where he played a washed-up movie star attending an exclusive restaurant with his assistant played by Aimee Carrero. Leguizamo based his character on Steven Seagal, with whom he co-starred in Executive Decision. In 2022, he played Scrooge in the Christmas action comedy Violent Night.

In 2023, he briefly hosted The Daily Show after Trevor Noah's departure; Leguizamo was part of a series of rotating guest hosts. His brief tenure was a ratings hit, becoming the second most watched of the rotating guests only behind Al Franken. Other guest hosts included Sarah Silverman, Hasan Minhaj, Roy Wood Jr., Wanda Sykes, Leslie Jones, Kal Penn, Chelsea Handler, and Marlon Wayans. It also was announced he would host the MSNBC series Leguizamo Does America, premiering on Sunday April 16. In summer 2023, his play, Our Hood, an adaptation of Thornton Wilder's Our Town, had its first reading at the Guthrie Theater under the direction of Maija Garcia.

Leguizamo is the host for the PBS series, "American Historia: The Untold History of Latinos", that premiered September 27, 2024.

Personal life

Leguizamo married actress Yelba Osorio in 1994 and divorced in 1996 after two years of marriage.

He married Justine Maurer, a costumer on Carlito's Way, on June 28, 2003. Leguizamo is Catholic and Maurer is Jewish. They have two children, daughter Allegra Sky Leguizamo (born 1999) and son Ryder Lee "Lucas" Leguizamo (born 2000). They live in Manhattan.

In 2008, Leguizamo received the Rita Moreno HOLA Award for Excellence from the Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors (HOLA). In 2011, he received the Made in NY Award from New York City. In 2018, Leguizamo received an Honorary Degree from Marymount Manhattan College. Leguizamo gave the commencement speech to the Class of 2022 at Vassar College.

Activism

In 2004, Leguizamo was one of the celebrity supporters of Voto Latino, co-founded by Rosario Dawson. In 2012, he co-founded NGL (Next-Generation Latinx) Collective to create content for Latinx audiences. Backed by GoDigital Media Group, in 2022 NGL merged with mitú "to create the largest digital-first "Latinx powerhouse" in the US." Leguizamo has also been heralded as a preservationist for the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation.

In 2016, Leguizamo authored a searing op-ed in The New York Times, calling out Donald Trump's "racist rhetoric" and urging Latinos to vote. As of 2022, he is on the board of directors for the National Museum of the American Latino.

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." 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. He said that he wanted to, "create a universal message of hope and spread this message to the world." In 2022, he performed Ghetto Klown "at Rikers Island Correctional Facility for an audience of justice-involved young men."

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!" 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 . 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."

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.

Filmography

Film

Selected credits

• Casualties of War (1989)
• Die Hard 2 (1990)
• Regarding Henry (1991)
• Hangin' with the Homeboys (1991)
• Super Mario Bros. (1993)
• Carlito's Way (1993)
• To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995)
• Romeo + Juliet (1996)
• The Fan (1996)
• Executive Decision (1996)
• The Pest (1997)
• Spawn (1997)
• Dr. Dolittle (1998)
• Summer of Sam (1999)
• Titan A.E. (2000)
• Moulin Rouge! (2001)
• Ice Age (2002)
• Empire (2002)
• Spun (2002)
• Crónicas (2004)
• Land of the Dead (2005)
• Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006)
• The Happening (2008)
• Miracle at St. Anna (2008)
• Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009)
• One for the Money (2011)
• The Lincoln Lawyer (2011)
• Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012)
• Kick-Ass 2 (2013)
• The Counselor (2013)
• Ride Along (2014)
• Chef (2014)
• John Wick (2014)
• Experimenter (2015)
• Meadowland (2015)
• American Ultra (2015)
• Sisters (2015)
• Ice Age: Collision Course (2016)
• The Infiltrator (2016)
• John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)
• Nancy (2018)
• Critical Thinking (2020)
• The Survivor (2021)
• Encanto (2021)
• The Menu (2022)
• Violent Night (2022)
• Ice Age 6 (2026)

Television

Selected credits

• Miami Vice (1986–1989)
• Mambo Mouth (1991)
• House of Buggin' (1995)
• Freak (1998)
• Arabian Nights (2000)
• The Brothers Garcia (2000–2004)
• ER (2005–2006)
• My Name Is Earl (2006)
• The Kill Point (2007)
• Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas (2011)
• Ice Age: The Great Egg-Scapade (2016)
• Bloodline (2016–2017)
• Waco (2018)
• Latin History for Morons (2018)
• When They See Us (2019)
• The Mandalorian (2020)
• Fairfax (2021–2022)
• The Power (2023–present)
• Leguizamo Does America (2023)
• The Green Veil (2024)
• Firebug (TBA)

Theater

Awards and nominations

Discography

Charted songs

Bibliography

Books

• Mouth (Bantam Books, 1993)
• a Dysfunctional Comedy (Bantam, 1994)
• a Semidemiquasipseudo Autobiography (Riverhead Books, 1998)
• Hos Playa Hatas and All the Rest of My Hollywood Friends My Life (Ecco Press, 2006)
• Works of John Leguizamo Freak Spicorama Mambo Mouth and Sexaholix (Harper Collins, 2008)
• Klown (Abrams Books, 2015)

Comic Books

• 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

1. 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, the episode of Finding Your Roots in which he appears briefly shows a family tree which states a birth date of July 22, 1960.

References

1. ^ Stated on Finding Your Roots Season 8, Episode 7: Incredible Journeys, February 15, 2022.
2. "50 people turning 50 in 2014". CNN. October 3, 2014. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
3. McPhee, Ryan (January 17, 2018). "John Leguizamo will Host the 2018 Obie Awards". Playbill.
4. "Review: Berkeley Rep's 'Kiss My Aztec!' brings past to present and future". Datebook. June 7, 2019.
5. "'Kiss My Aztec' turns the historical hysterical". San Francisco Examiner. June 7, 2019.
6. "BWW Review: KISS MY AZTEC! at Berkeley Repertory Theatre is a Hilarious, Socially Hip Historical Romp Through the Aztec Empire". Broadway World. June 18, 2019.
7. "Review: John Leguizamo's 'Kiss My Aztec!' a splashy and entertaining musical ode that puts a twist on history". The San Diego Union-Tribune. September 9, 2019.
8. "La Jolla Playhouse's 'Kiss My Aztec!' Takes a Wildly Satirical Look at Colonial History". Times of San Diego. September 10, 2019.
9. "Review Roundup: What Did Critics Think of KISS MY AZTEC! at La Jolla Playhouse?". Broadway World. September 12, 2019.
10. "2018 American Ingenuity Award Winners". Smithsonian Magazine. Smithsonian. Archived from the original on December 12, 2018. Retrieved October 31, 2018.
11. "Waiting for Godot". The New Group. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
12. Song, Katie (November 5, 2021). "'Encanto' Star John Leguizamo on Why the Film Is So Important: 'I Never Thought I'd See This In My Lifetime'". Variety. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
13. "John Leguizamo Based 'The Menu' Character On Steven Seagal: "He's Kind Of A Horrible Human"". Deadline Hollywood. November 20, 2022. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
14. Kit, Borys (February 14, 2022). "John Leguizamo, Beverly D'Angelo Join David Harbour in Violent Night (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter.
15. "'The Daily Show' Ratings: How the Rotating Celebrity Hosts Stacked Up". TheWrap. April 18, 2023. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
16. Cite error: The named reference auto was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
17. "John Leguizamo on Exploring Latin History With MSNBC's 'Leguizamo Does America'". The Hollywood Reporter. April 16, 2023. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
18. "Our Hood". Latinx Shakespeares. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
19. "VOCES American Historia: The Untold History of Latinos". PBS.
20. "DOG-LOVER LEGUIZAMO WANTS WIFE TO TAKE A WALK". New York Daily News. November 21, 1996.
21. Ghetto Klown - HBO - 0:56:00 and 1:20:00
22. "Knot Ready". People.
23. "John Leguizamo". TV Guide.
24. "Art Imitates Life for John Leguizamo". Archived from the original on April 19, 2014. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
25. "his daughter, Allegra, 15, and son, Lucas (Ryder Lee), 14" "Little Paln Island Resort & Spa". Miami Living Magazine.
26. "Lucas Leguizamo - Voice Actor". yatedo.com. Archived from the original on August 26, 2016.
27. "Lucas Leguizamo - EpicBuzz". Archived from the original on August 17, 2016.
28. "Nickelodeons 23rd Annual Kids Choice Awards Arrivals Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images". www.gettyimages.com.
29. "Inside Actor John Leguizamo's New York City Brownstone, an Antique Lover's Paradise". Architectural Digest. March 2, 2023.
30. "Leguizamo Among Honorees For MADE IN NY Awards". Broadway World. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
31. Szalai, Georg (June 6, 2011). "Matt Damon, John Leguizamo, Late Sidney Lumet Honored With 'Made in NY' Awards". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
32. "John Leguizamo and Debora L. Spar to Receive Honorary Degrees". Marymount Manhattan College. April 12, 2018. Retrieved November 25, 2018.
33. "Commencement Speaker John Leguizamo Celebrates the Resilient Class of 2022". Vassar College. May 24, 2022. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
34. "August 2004: Voto Latino Launches". Voto Latino. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
35. Lee, Wendy (August 2022). "John Leguizamo Has a Plan to Grow the Latinx Presence in Entertainment". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
36. King, Ashley (August 4, 2022). "NGL Collective Merges with mitú to Create 'Latinx Powerhouse'". Digital Music News. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
37. Fish, Jesse. "John Leguizamo's East Village". The Local East Village. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
38. Leguizamo, John (October 21, 2016). "'Too Bad You're Latin'". The New York Times. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
39. "New Board Chair, Executive Leadership Named to Friends of the National Museum of the American Latino". The National Museum of the American Latino. February 2, 2021. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
40. Genzlinger, Neil. "Why John Leguizamo Is So Invested in Telling the Country About Latino History". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
41. Henderson, Odie. "Critical Thinking". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
42. D'Alessandro, Anthony (July 27, 2020). "John Leguizamo Feature Directorial Debut 'Critical Thinking' Picked Up By Vertical Entertainment". Deadline. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
43. "John Leguizamo Live at Rikers". Tribeca Film Festival. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
44. Trepany, Charles. "James Franco to play Fidel Castro in 'Alina of Cuba' following sexual misconduct lawsuit". USA Today. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
45. Sharf, Zack (April 3, 2023). "Former Luigi Actor John Leguizamo Says 'Hell No' to Watching 'Super Mario Bros. Movie' Due to Casting: 'They Messed Up the Inclusion'". Variety.
46. Kurtz, Judy (March 31, 2023). "Elliot Page, Margaret Cho, John Leguizamo among celebs offering 'message of solidarity to trans youth'". The Hill. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
47. Song peaks on the US Billboard Hot 100:
    • "All of You": "Billboard Hot 100: Week of February 19, 2022". Billboard. February 19, 2022. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
48. Song peaks in Canada:
    • "All of You": "Billboard Canadian Hot 100: March 5, 2022". Billboard. March 5, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
49. "Billboard Global 200: Week of February 12, 2022". Billboard. February 12, 2022. Retrieved February 8, 2022.

External links

• John Leguizamo at IMDb 
• John Leguizamo at the Internet Broadway Database
• John Leguizamo at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
• John Leguizamo at the TCM Movie Database
• John Leguizamo at AllMovie

• 1960s births
• 20th-century American comedians
• 20th-century American dramatists and playwrights
• 20th-century American male actors
• 21st-century American comedians
• 21st-century American male actors
• Age controversies
• American LGBTQ rights activists
• American male comedians
• American male film actors
• American male stage actors
• American male television actors
• American male video game actors
• American male voice actors
• American people of Spanish descent
• American stand-up comedians
• Audiobook narrators
• Catholics from New York (state)
• Colombian emigrants to the United States
• Comedians from Queens, New York
• Drama Desk Award winners
• Hispanic and Latino American dramatists and playwrights
• Hispanic and Latino American male actors
• Hispanic and Latino American male comedians
• Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute alumni
• Living people
• Long Island University alumni
• Male actors from Bogotá
• Male actors from Queens, New York
• Murry Bergtraum High School alumni
• Obie Award recipients
• People from Jackson Heights, Queens
• Primetime Emmy Award winners
• RCA Records artists
• Special Tony Award recipients
• Tisch School of the Arts alumni