John Leguizamo

"Leguizamo" redirects here. Not to be confused with Leguísamo.
In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Leguizamo and the second or maternal family name is Peláez.

John Leguizamo
Leguizamo in 2014
Born
John Alberto Leguizamo Peláez[1]

(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 active1984–present
Spouses
Yelba Osorio
​
​
(m. 1994; div. 1996)​
Justine Maurer
​
(m. 2003)​
Children2
Comedy career
Medium
  • Film
  • stand-up
  • television
Genres
Subject(s)

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 began his career as a stand-up comedian in New York City. After several years of doing supporting roles in film and television, he rose to fame with major roles in the fantasy adventure Super Mario Bros. portraying Luigi Mario and the crime drama Carlito's Way portraying Benny Blanco (both from 1993), followed by a role as drag queen Chi-Chi Rodriguez in the road comedy To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995), for which he received a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor nomination. Other films Leguizamo has since appeared in include Romeo + Juliet (1996), The Pest (1997), Summer of Sam (1999), Moulin Rouge! (2001), Empire (2002), Love in the Time of Cholera (2007), Righteous Kill (2008), The Lincoln Lawyer (2011), The Counselor (2013), John Wick (2014), John Wick 2 (2017), and The Menu (2022). As a voice actor, he narrated the sitcom The Brothers García (2000–2004) and played Sid the Sloth in the Ice Age franchise and Bruno Madrigal in Encanto (2021).[3]

Leguizamo is also known for his television roles including Freak (1998) for which he received the 1999 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program.[4] This was a historic win, making Leguizamo was the first ever Latino to win this award in Emmy history.[5] He received further Primetime Emmy Award nominations for the Paramount miniseries Waco (2018) and the Netflix limited series When They See Us (2019). He has also appeared on ER, The Kill Point, Bloodline, and The Mandalorian.[6] In 2023, he hosted the MSNBC series Leguizamo Does America.[7]

  1. ^ a b 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. ^ "The Brothers Garcia Reboot The Garcias Is Coming to HBO Max with Original Cast". Movieweb. April 30, 2021. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
  4. ^ "John Leguizamo". emmys.com. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
  5. ^ "15 History-Making Latinos at the Emmys". AARP. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  6. ^ "Bloodline Season 2: John Leguizamo Nabs 'Violent' Series-Regular Role". TVLine. August 20, 2015. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
  7. ^ Reyes, Raul A. (April 13, 2023). "'Leguizamo Does America' takes viewers on a road trip, Latino style". NBC News. NBCUniversal. Retrieved April 14, 2023.


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