John Leguizamo
Biography
John Alberto Leguizamo Peláez (born July 22, 1960) is a Colombian-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 Moronsin 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 significant 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). He played Sid the Sloth in the Ice Age franchise and Bruno Madrigal in Encanto (2021).
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. This historic win made Leguizamo the first Latino to win this award in Emmy history. He received further Primetime Emmy Award nominations for the 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. In 2023, he hosted the MSNBC series Leguizamo Does America.
Acting (136 movies)
Ice Age
2002
Romeo + Juliet
1996
Ice Age: The Meltdown
2006
Casualties of War
1989
Die Hard 2
1990
Moulin Rouge!
2001
A Pyromaniac's Love Story
1995
Executive Decision
1996
Summer of Sam
1999
Spawn
1997
Crónicas
2004
Surviving Sid
2008
The Honeymooners
2005
Body Count
1998
Land of the Dead
2005
Night Owl
1993
Carlito's Way
1993
Titan A.E.
2000
Love in the Time of Cholera
2007
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
2009
Spun
2003
The Happening
2008
Assault on Precinct 13
2005
Miracle at St. Anna
2008
Nothing Like the Holidays
2008
The Fan
1996
Super Mario Bros.
1993
The Babysitters
2008
Rage
2009
Encanto
2021
Collateral Damage
2002
Empire
2002
The Ministers
2009
Righteous Kill
2008
Where God Left His Shoes
2007
What's the Worst That Could Happen?
2001
Revenge
1990
The Alibi
2006
The Groomsmen
2006
John Leguizamo: Freak
1998
Vanishing on 7th Street
2010
Undefeated
2003
The Pest
1997
Gamer
2009
The Take
2008
The Lincoln Lawyer
2011
Joe the King
1999
One for the Money
2012
Hangin' with the Homeboys
1991
John Leguizamo: Sexaholix... A Love Story
2002
Ice Age: Continental Drift
2012
Street Hunter
1990
The Puerto Rican Mambo (Not a Musical)
1992
Violent Night
2022
Kick-Ass 2
2013
Walking with Dinosaurs
2013
Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas
2011
King of the Jungle
2000
Sueno
2005
Ballplayer: Pelotero
2011
John Leguizamo Live at Rikers
2022
John Wick: Calling in the Cavalry
2015
John Leguizamo: Spic-O-Rama
1993
Ride Along
2014
Fish N Chips: The Movie
2013
Bob Trevino Likes It
2025
Tin Soldier
2025
Chef
2014
The Trip 2
2012
Cymbeline
2014
Zig Zag
2002
The Hollow Point
2016
John Leguizamo: Ghetto Klown
2014
Whispers in the Dark
1992
American Ultra
2015
Sisters
2015
Fugly!
2014
John Wick
2014
Super Mario Bros: This Ain't No Video Game
2014
Frogs for Snakes
1998
Experimenter
2015
Out for Justice
1991
That Burning Question
1991
Ice Age: Collision Course
2016
Meadowland
2015
Repo Men
2010
Stealing Cars
2016
The Crash
2017
ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway
2007
Kids Are Punny
1998
Cosmic Scrat-tastrophe
2015
Poison
1991
The Infiltrator
2016
Point of Origin
2002
John Wick: Chapter 2
2017
The Latin Explosion: A New America
2015
Ice Age: The Great Egg-Scapade
2016
A.C.O.R.N.S.: Operation Crackdown
2015
11:55
2017
Regarding Henry
1991
Directing (2 movies)
| Title | Year | Job |
|---|---|---|
| Mambo Mouth | 1991 | Writer |
| John Leguizamo: Spic-O-Rama | 1993 | Writer |
| John Leguizamo: Freak | 1998 | Writer |
| John Leguizamo: Freak | 1998 | Executive Producer |
| Joe the King | 1999 | Executive Producer |
| Nuyorican Dream | 2000 | Executive Producer |
| John Leguizamo: Sexaholix... A Love Story | 2002 | Writer |
| Undefeated | 2003 | Writer |
| The Babysitters | 2008 | Producer |
| John Leguizamo: Ghetto Klown | 2014 | Writer |
| Fugly! | 2014 | Writer |
| Fugly! | 2014 | Producer |
| John Leguizamo's Latin History for Morons | 2018 | Writer |
| Raúl Juliá: The World’s a Stage | 2019 | Executive Producer |
| Critical Thinking | 2020 | Executive Producer |
| Triggered | 2022 | Producer |
| John Leguizamo Live at Rikers | 2022 | Producer |
| Tin Soldier | 2025 | Executive Producer |