John Leguizamo, (born July 22, 1964 in Bogotá, Colombia), is an Emmy winner and a Golden Globe Award nominated comedian, actor and producer of Colombian-Puerto Rican descent.

Leguizamo was born in Bogotá, Colombia. His father, Alberto Leguizamo, was a Puerto Rican Realtor living in Colombia who met and married a young Colombian woman by the name of Luz. In 1968 the couple emigrated with their children to the United States and settled down in the Jackson Heights section of Queens in New York City. where Leguizamo received his primary and secondary education.

As a student at Murry Bergtraum High School, Leguizamo would write comical material and test it out on his classmates. He was voted "Most Talkative" by his fellow classmates. After graduating from high school, Leguizamo enrolled at New York University where he took theater classes.

Leguizamo started out as a stand-up comic doing the New York nightclub circuit. In 1984, he made his T.V. debut with a small part in Miami Vice. His other roles include:

• 1985 - Mixed Blood
• 1989 - Casualties of War.
• 1991 - Hanging with the Homeboys.

In 1991 he also he wrote and took part in the Off-Broadway production Mambo Mouth, where he played seven different characters. Mambo Mouth won an Obie Award and an Outer Critics Award. He was listed as one of 12 "Promising New Actors of 1991" in "John Willis' Screen Worlds Vol. 43".

In 1993, Leguizamo wrote and participated in Spic-O-Rama, where he made fun of the stereotyping of Latinos in the U.S.. The production won a Drama Desk Award and four Cable ACE Awards. The 1993 movie production Super Mario Brothers where he played the role of "Luigi Mario", uplifted his acting career in Hollywood.

Other movies have since followed, such as:

• Carlito's Way (1993) as "Benny Blanco" alongside Al Pacino,
• Romeo + Juliet (1996) as "Tybalt",
• The Fan (1996) as "Manny",
• Executive Decision (1996) as "Captain Rat",
• The Pest in 1997, as con man Pestario "Pest" Vargas, in which he starred alongside his wife at one point, Yelba Osorio whom he later divorced.
• Doctor Dolittle (1998) as "Rat#2",
• Summer of Sam (1999) as Vinny
• Moulin Rouge! (2001) as "Toulouse Lautrec".

In 2000, Leguizamo played two genies in the Emmy Award winning miniseries Arabian Nights. Leguizamo has participated in over 53 films, including The Alibi where he will play the role of "Hannibal" and which is in the post-production stages as of 2005.

Leguizamo also created, executive produced, wrote for, and starred in the 1995 Latino-oriented variety show called House of Buggin'. The show showcased Leguizamo's well-known ability to assume a wide variety of colorful, energetic characters. The show ran less than a year on Fox.

In 1998, he debuted on Broadway in the production of Freak, which was also turned into an HBO film by director Spike Lee. Leguizamo has produced 10 films, including Piñero and made 13 TV guest appearances.

Later, in 2003, he voice-acted Globox from Rayman 3. The game versions with his voice acting were PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox, PC, and Mac.

During the 2005-2006 television season, Leguizamo joined the cast of the show ER, playing Dr. Victor Clemente, a new attending who is keen on introducing the staff of County General to better ways of treating patients and cutting-edge technology. Clemente, however, was plagued with personal problems and was fired from the hospital near the end of the season.

Selected filmography

• The Meltdown (2006)
• The Groomsmen (2006)
• Land of the Dead (2005)
• The Honeymooners (2005)
• Assault on Precinct 13 (2005)
• Crónicas (2004)
• Undefeated (2003)
• Ice Age (2002)
• Collateral Damage (2002)
• Empire (2002)
• Spun (2002)
• Moulin Rouge! (2001)
• Arabian Nights (2000) (TV)
• Titan A.E. (2000) (voice)
• Summer of Sam (1999)
• The Pest (1997)
• Spawn (1997)
• Romeo +Juliet (1996)
• The Fan (1996)
• Executive Decision (1996)
• To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995)
• Carlito's Way (1993)
• Super Mario Bros. (1993)
• Hangin with the Homeboys (1991)
• Die Harder (1990)
• ''Casualties of War (1989)

See also

• List of famous Puerto Ricans
• Famous Colombians

External links

• Interview (11/7/2005) on being on ER
• House of Buggin' on www.jumptheshark.com
• Interview for Land of the Dead at Dread Central

1964 births | Living people | Puerto Rican actors | Puerto Rican-American actors | Colombian actors | Colombian-American actors | ER actors | Mario actors | Miami Vice actors

John Leguizamo | ジョン・レグイザモ