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As he brainstormed ways to showcase the wonders of Latino culture across the United States, from Puerto Ricans to Cubans, Mexicans to Colombians, Central Americans to South Americans. John Leguizamo made a plan. “We wanted to find Latin excellence across America and disguise it in a travel/gourmet show,” he says. “It sneaks in some missing cultural content and important facts.” The result was the six-part MSNBC series Leguizamo Does America. The title is a continuation of “Debbie Does Dallas,” and he intended to “make America what Debbie did.” In fact, you’ll find this Emmy Award-winning comedian, actor, and performer visiting Los Angeles, Puerto Rico, Chicago, Washington DC, Miami, and New York City to explore Latino theater, culture, cuisine, expression, and activism. I was. “Why did I do this? Because we’re America’s largest ethnic group, America’s oldest ethnic group, and we’ve been gone for 500 years.” Watch our exclusive video interview above.
A Colombian-American, Leguizamo has been a vocal advocate for Latinx representation for decades, standing up for a culture he believes has always been stymied. “That’s why I did this show,” he says. “It was about finding out what was going on in the Latino community. We talked to Republicans, we talked to Democrats. I wanted people to be as honest as possible about what was going on so they could get a real picture of what was going on.”
One of the reasons for Leguizamo’s intense interest in this subject, in addition to his own ethnicity, is the belief that the attention of Latino culture has been shamefully underestimated in its number and influence. “The system has almost eliminated us, but fortunately we have experienced the digital revolution and finally have the data and the facts. It’s what’s driving all this change, because we can track it.When I first came to this scene, Latino families had Nielsen The box was zero, meaning Latino households weren’t counted in all the television we’ve seen since the 1950s, and apparently there’s been no representation in front of the cameras for a long time. Desi Arnaz. It wasn’t because we didn’t try hard enough, or because we weren’t talented, but we were less than 1% of the faces in front of the camera.
“This year, our representation in front of the cameras is up to 6%, which is great. But that’s the size of our population, so it should be 20%. I think we are improving.”
Indeed, Leguizamo himself has been one of the most consistent figures on screen and stage since the 1990s, and is currently Emmy-qualified for two other projects besides “Leguizamo de America.” One is Prime Video’s “Speculative Fiction” limited series his thriller, starring his nine-part “The Power.” Toni Collette Husband of Seattle mayor and Leguizamo, mixed-race couple.A premise based on the novel of Naomi Aldermanfound that all teenage girls around the world have developed the genetic ability to electrocute people at will, and that ability is spreading to older women. “Teenage daughter (Aurii Cravalho) also gain power,” he says. “It’s a wild metaphor for what’s going on in America when it comes to abortion rights, transgender rights, critical racial theory, and all the crazy stuff that’s going on right now.”
Leguizamo also has a featured role in Showtime’s five-part “Waco: The Aftermath,” a sequel to the original “Waco” series in which the actor was a regular, and was nominated for a 2018 Emmy Award. Nominated. April marked the 30th anniversary of the Waco siege/massacre, where members of the Branch Davidian Cult fought with federal agents in hell and shootings, resulting in the loss of 75 lives. A follow-up miniseries detailed both the siege and the trials of the surviving Branch His Davidians and his members.
“There are still marginalized groups with white anger,” says Leguizamo. “There are different factions such as the Proud Boys, Q-Anon, Oath Keepers, etc. I am interested in these groups who feel resentful and marginalized. We are under attack, we are stockpiling arms, and these are terrible times, as they were in the days of the dynasty of David.”
“Leguizamo Does America” airs on Peacock, “The Power” airs on Amazon Prime and “Waco: The Aftermath” airs on Showtime.
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