It was in August when the iconic actor John Leguizamo exploded when he found out that a Hollywood production had James Franco in the casting about the emblematic Cuban leader Fidel Castro.
“I ain’t Latino!” he expressed in a post on social media.
“How is this still going on?—How is Hollywood excluding us but stealing our narratives as well? No more appropriation Hollywood and streamers! Boycott! This F’d up! Plus seriously difficult story to tell without aggrandizement, which would b wrong! I don’t got a prob with Franco but he ain’t Latino!” Leguizamo wrote in a post.
Many Latinx actors and workers in the industry called out the negligence of Hollywood, which continues to cast white actors in non-white roles.
John Leguizamo has been one of the most vocal since he took to Instagram to express his disbelief and disappointment in him. “Latin exclusion in Hollywood is real—Don’t get it twisted! Long long history of it! And appropriation of our stories even longer! Why can’t Latinxers play Latin roles? Why can’t we play lead roles? Why can’t they flip white roles to Latin guys and gals? I have continued.
The film, Alina of Cuba: La Hija Rebelde from director Miguel Bardem, cast Franco based on Portuguese roots found on his father’s side of him and because of similar facial features and structure to Castro.
The Colombian-born actor knows about this.
Throughout his career he has demonstrated the value of Latinos in the United States and has in some ways served as an educator on Latino culture. His one-man show, Latin History for Morons, his participation in Dora The Explorer and his numerous appearances in TV and movie films have led him to be a representative voice of the community.
This week, in an open letter to Hollywood, published in the Los Angeles Times, Leguizamo says, “You can be as talented as Marlon Brando or Ingrid Bergman, you can write like William Shakespeare or Arthur Miller, you can have the screen presence of Ryan Gosling or Jennifer Lawrence. But if you look Latino, or if you have a Latino last name, the odds are against you in Hollywood.”
The letter is an example of the legitimation of culture that should be circulated in all areas of the country.
And in this letter he asks that “We need a better pipeline for Latinos in movies, TV shows and plays. We need a system for our stories and our projects. We need executives to provide the greenlight.”
To read this letter click here.
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