10 Colombian-American flavours
Colombian-American actor John Leguizamo turns 52 today. Shuib Taib looks at some of his works
TO WONG FOO THANKS FOR EVERYTHING, JULIE NEWMAR (1995) John Leguizamo plays one of three drag queens who travel across the US. Their car breaks down, leaving them stranded in a small town. According to Leguizamo in his autobiography, his frequent improvisation angered Patrick Swayze so much that Swayze tried to punch him in the face. At the 1996 Golden Globes, Leguizamo was nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture.
ROMEO + JULIET (1996)
Leguizamo plays Tybalt Capulet, Juliet’s cousin in this adaptation, updated to the hip modern suburb of Verona. Shakespeare described Tybalt swordsmanship as “showy”. To transform this into flamboyant gunplay, Leguizamo worked with a professional choreographer to create a flamenco-inspired style. The cast received a nomination for Best Cast Ensemble at the 1996 Awards Circuit Community Awards.
SPAWN (1997)
Leguizamo plays Clown/The Violator, the antagonist in this movie which is also the first flick featuring an African American as a lead comic book superhero. Apart from eating live maggots on pizza for this film, Leguizamo revealed that while he was filming, he had to go to the restroom very badly. However, as it took almost an hour to get out of the suit he was wearing that he ended up relieving himself while still in it. Leguizamo was nominated for Favourite Horror Supporting Actor at the 1998 Blockbuster Entertainment Awards.
FREAK (1998)
Directed by Spike Lee, the film is a live performance of Leguizamo’s one-man show on Broadway of the same name. Leguizamo’s show was semi-autobiographical as he talked about many aspects of his life growing up, and his journey to try to be accepted by his father. The show was a commercial and critical success, prompting Lee to cast Leguizamo in the lead for his next film, Summer Of
Sam, the following year. At the 1999 Primetime Emmy Awards, Leguizamo won Outstanding Performance in a Variety or Music Programme award.
SUMMER OF SAM (1999)
Leguizamo plays the lead in Spike Lee’s take on the Son Of Sam murders in New York City during the summer of 1977, with a focus on an Italian-American Northeast Bronx neighbourhood residents who live in fear and distrust of one another. At the 2000 Alma Awards, Leguizamo was nominated for Outstanding
Actor in a Feature Film.
KING OF THE JUNGLE (2000)
Leguizamo plays Seymour, a mentally-challenged young man living in New York. Seymour’s happy New York Knicks fan existence comes to a tragic end after he witnesses the assassination of his mother, a renowned civil rights activist. Determined, desperate and deranged, Seymour goes on a one-man journey to find her killers and bring them to justice. At the 2002 Alma Awards, Leguizamo received a nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture.
MOULIN ROUGE (2001)
A young Scottish poet/writer, Christian, falls in love with the star of the Moulin Rouge, cabaret actress and courtesan Satine. At the 74th Academy Awards, the film was nominated for eight Oscars, including Best Picture. At the 2002 Screen Actors Guild Awards, Leguizamo was nominated for Outstanding Performance by the Cast of a Theatrical Motion Picture which he shared with Jim Broadbent, Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor and Richard Roxburgh.
WHERE GOD LEFT HIS SHOES (2007)
Unemployed boxer Frank Diaz (Leguizamo) and his family live in a homeless shelter for months when, on Christmas Eve, there is word that an apartment may be available. The catch is that Frank must have a job before the end of the day. So he hits the cold streets of New York, his resentful stepson in tow, to find a job so that his family can have a real home on Christmas morning. Leguizamo was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Imagen Foundation Awards 2008.
NOTHING LIKE THE HOLIDAYS (2008)
A Puerto Rican family living in the area of Humboldt Park in West Chicago faces what may be its last Christmas together. Aside from the movie receiving a nomination for Best Feature Film at the 2009 Imagen Foundation Awards, Leguizamo walked away with Best Actor in Film award at the Alma Awards in the same year.
THE MINISTERS (2009)
An NYPD detective attempts to avenge the death of her father, but unwittingly becomes involved with one of his killers. Leguizamo’s portrayal of his character Dante won him Best Actor award at the Imagen Foundation Awards 2010.