John Leguizamo didn’t mince his words in his speech at the 76th Emmy Awards when it came to diversity and inclusion in Hollywood.
Right at the beginning of his speech, the “The Menu” actor described himself as “one of Hollywood’s DEI people.” “The D is for hard work, the E is for excellence, the I is for imagination. Everyone in this room tonight has dedicated their lives to hard work, excellence and imagination,” Leguizamo said.
“For years, I didn’t complain about the few roles that were offered to my people – the hot bombshell, the Latin lover, the maid, the gang member. It turns out that not complaining doesn’t change anything,” Leguizamo said Sunday night. The actor then highlighted some of the many Latinx characters played by non-Latino actors over the years, from Al Pacino, who played Cuban gangster Tony Montana in “Scarface,” to Natalie Wood, who played Puerto Rican Maria in “West Side Story.”
“I’ve been complaining for the past few years. A few months ago, I took out a full-page ad in the New York Times asking Emmy voters to recognize candidates of color. It’s a good thing I decided to do that before I found out how much a full-page ad in the New York Times costs.”
Leguizamo then highlighted the Latino actors and actresses who were nominated this year. Those mentions included Selena Gomez in “Only Murders in the Building,” who, he joked, “carried Steve Martin. Martin Short for three whole seasons,” “Griselda” star Sofia Vergara, “True Detective: Night Country” showrunner Issa López and “Baby Reindeer” star Nava Mau. He also praised Season 4 of “True Detective,” which starred Indigenous actress Kali Reis, and praised Mau for being the first transgender person ever nominated for an Emmy for acting in a miniseries.
He also had a special joke for Emmy-winning actress Liza Colón-Zayas, saying she was the lead in “the charming story of white people obsessed with Michelin stars and making kale taste good.” As he made the joke, star Ayo Edebiri nodded seriously.
After joking that his Times ad changed Hollywood “overnight,” the star turned more serious. “What I see here tonight makes me, well, almost happy and certainly less angry, because tonight is one of the most diverse nominees in my history,” Leguizamo said. “We need more stories from marginalized groups: Black, Asian, Jewish, Arab, LGBTQ+ and disabled. And this show tonight is proof that our industry is making progress.”
More to follow …
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