When you think of John Leguizamo, various movies come to mind. He played the up and coming gangster punk, Benny Blanco from the Bronx in Carlito’s Way, Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet, Toulouse-Lautrec in Moulin Rouge, and Sid the sloth in Ice Age. What makes this actor so talented is his ability to do any character that is thrown at him. As this actor continues to master his art, he now faces new challenges that are unique to him as a Latino. In this exclusive interview, we talk to John about his latest movie, Land of the Dead, where he plays a mercenary named Cholo. We also talk about his other projects such as The Alibi, Crónicas, Sueño, Ice Age 2: The Meltdown and fine-tuning his Spanish speaking capabilities.

John Leguizamo: Did you see the movie? What did you think?

Latino Review: It was cool it was really cool. I’m curious though; it had a Latino feel to it, was that already like that or was it because you came on board?

John Leguizamo: I think its cause I came on board; I mean he did put a Latino feel in it... like my characters’ name being Cholo. And then I made some self-hating comments in the movie.

Latino Review: Do you mean the comment about the Mexican worker?

John Leguizamo: Yeah. A little bit of self-hate.

Latino Review: I like it, and its cool with me, but I was like... wow, is it on purpose?

John Leguizamo: That’s Romero. He’s political, very political...like socially political. So you know there’s going to be some sort of commentary. I mean you know who the zombies are supposed to be right? They’re the blue-collar workers.

Latino Review: Of course, that’s obvious.... especially the lead zombie being like a mechanic or a gasoline attendant.

John Leguizamo: Yeah, you know he’s a brother and all the zombies are like evolving... trying to get into the mix.

Latino Review: Yeah especially the circus clown, you know that’s a blue-collar worker too.

John Leguizamo: Yeah, I didn’t think of that, a clown is a blue-collar worker, your right.

Latino Review: Oh yeah, you know the whole carnival scene, that’s the hardest working blue-collar worker there is, with all the traveling they do.

John Leguizamo: Were you scared at all?

Latino Review: Well I’m a horror fan so I’m use to it, but my friends were jumping up and down in their seats the whole movie.

****MINOR SPOILER*****
John Leguizamo: Did they jump when the zombie jumps at me in the liquor store?

Latino Review: Yeah that was a big one. Was that your idea?

John Leguizamo: No, that was all George. You know he’s real meticulous about the whole thing you know.

Latino Review: It was good though because there’s a lot of misdirection in that scene.

John Leguizamo: How bout the kid behind the counter?

Latino Review: You mean the security guard?

John Leguizamo: Yeah the security guard...

Latino Review: Yeah that got me too, I was expecting something from behind him, but instead the zombie jumps out at him on the ground behind the counter. I thought he was going to pick up the cigars then get up and get jumped from behind but Romero totally switch it around.

John Leguizamo: Yeah you know I thought that too and I thought...I wonder why I was expecting that from behind.

Latino Review: You know why? Because leading up to that there were a lot of scares from behind so you were anticipating something else from behind.

*****END SPOILERS*****
Latino Review: So this is your first horror film.

John Leguizamo: Yeah.

Latino Review: Are you a fan of horror films?

John Leguizamo: I am. I was much more of a fan when I was younger obviously.

Latino Review: Right, with things such as Chiller Theater and stuff like that.

John Leguizamo: Yeah Chiller Theater and Creature Feature that we had in New York City. I mean come on, what teenager doesn’t enjoy something like that watching it with a girl grabbing on to you? You know that’s a plus. Being frightened was so exciting because there’s nothing you’re scared of when you’re a teenager you know? You think you’re amazing and indestructible.

Latino Review: What did you think of the scene where the zombies walk through the river?

John Leguizamo: I haven’t seen the whole movie yet so I might not know about it.

Latino Review: There’s a scene that’s similar to an old Godzilla movie where Godzilla walks under water to get to another island.

John Leguizamo: Well one reporter told me it was kind of like illegal aliens crossing the border?

Latino Review: I didn’t even think of that. I thought of Godzilla.

John Leguizamo: Well that’s the beauty of movies because everything can be interpreted differently with different connotations, which is great. And then possibly the makers of Godzilla were an influences to George also.

Latino Review: True. George’s career goes back along ways.

John Leguizamo: Well he’s 68.

Latino Review: Actually he could have influenced the makers of Godzilla or the other way around.

John Leguizamo: Right... right, that’s true.

Latino Review: Now without blowing the ending, were you satisfied with your characters journey?

John Leguizamo: I mean I did the movie because of George, the script and my character. I love my character Cholo, I love the way he was developed, the way he was conflict, the way he had ulterior motives he was so up on the American dream and worked so hard for it. He was like a mercenary, you know? When I first read about him I thought of him as a mercenary... a hired con man, like in a western.

Latino Review: He’s sort of like a Snake Plissken character.

John Leguizamo: Yeah. Yeah. I really enjoyed that character regardless of the shooting conditions.

Latino Review: Now I have to ask you because of our Latino audience.... When you did the movie Sueño, you played a musician, are you a musician in real life?

John Leguizamo: No I played guitar when I was younger, and in college, but I had to train a lot and had a lot of guitar classes with a musical coach for the movie, and I played with all the guys in the movie because we would go to my hotel room and fucking jam with all the guys all night until I had fucking calices, and my hands were aching.

Latino Review: Did you stick to the playing?

John Leguizamo: No I didn’t man, I wish I did, I don’t have the time I have kids and then movies. I bought a guitar a little while after the movie, so hopefully when I have a little time I’ll play the guitar more.

Latino Review: Well you sound like a guitar player, I know guitar players that just have guitars lying around but never pay them.

John Leguizamo: I have two!

Latino Review: There you go.

John Leguizamo: I have two and don’t play them, so I am a guitar player!

Latino Review: Can you talk about Crónicas?

John Leguizamo: Yeah Crónicas is going to be an amazing movie. It’s my first Spanish language movie. Its produced by Alfonso Cuaron, from Y tu mamá también. Jorge Vergara produced it, the owner of Las Chivas soccer team...he also produced Y tu mamá también. This movie is hot, it got great reviews at the Cannes Film Festival, official selection at Sundance, official selection in San Sebastian, it won in Guadalajara for best actor...its great edgy dark, it has you fucking gasping for breath... because it’s not your typical thriller, it s not your typical Hollywood film. It’s not a going too be a happy ending, its still character driven and still horrifying and based on a true story.

Latino Review: So kind of like Seven?

John Leguizamo: Like Seven but realistic and based on a true story because it’s based on this one guy who got the dubious honor of having the world record for having the most kills as a killer. He killed 109 people.

Latino Review: And you play a reporter right?

John Leguizamo: I play a reporter who’s tracking him down.

Latino Review: Did you do any special research with profilers or anything like that?

John Leguizamo: I went more with investigative reporters in Ecuador, I went to Ecuavisa and I would go every morning to the morgue at 6 am and there would be a body and the next of kin would go to identify it, and then we would try to film and interview them. Then we would watch as they did the autopsy on them.

Latino Review: So is that something you would consider doing one day?

John Leguizamo: People who do that, its so dark man. It’s so unreal, because most of the victims are under twenty, and some of them died the night before so there’s no smell you know? I didn’t have to deal with the smell, but these autopsy surgeons, are so jaded...man. They would be like eating and cracking jokes then cutting people open. Then all of sudden this river of blood would just flow out...its just crazy what their doing. It’s like poker you know? They would be all serious about what their doing and me, I would have to leave the room! I had to walk out and catch my breath each time and then go back in again. It wasn’t pleasant. Then the parents would have to come in and identify the child...its rough, it was rough.

Latino Review: How was it having to speak Spanish in the film? Are you into doing that now?

John Leguizamo: I think there’s this whole Latin movement in cinema, like you had the Italian films in the 50’s, the French new wave in the 60’s, now the this whole Latin movement with Amores Perros, Y tu mamá también, and Motorcycle Diaries. The movies out of Latin America have this passion in their story telling that’s really beautiful and I want to be a part of that. That’s why I did this movie; I was working with top talent.

Latino Review: So how is your Spanish speaking?

John Leguizamo: Better! I wasn’t as fluent and I’m kinda jealous at the command that they had. I had to work really hard to be as confident and loose. The next one I’ll be better. I got to go to the country even earlier. This time I went... I went 3 weeks ahead...next time I got to 2 months ahead and talk Spanish every fucking day.

Latino Review: How about The Alibi...can you talk a little about that?

John Leguizamo: Oh I don’t know yet. It’s not sold. It’s going to be sold the 22nd, or I think the next couple of weeks.

Latino Review: I was curious because it’s about a company that spies on people you suspect are cheating.

John Leguizamo: It’s a company that helps you cheat.

Latino Review: My question is... have you ever spied on any one you thought was cheating on you?

John Leguizamo: You always kind of suspect. Don’t you always try to trick them by saying I’m going away somewhere and then you come right back.

Latino Review: Well I don’t know that’s pretty elaborate. Have you done that?

John Leguizamo: Yeah of course.

Latino Review: Really?

John Leguizamo: Yeah.

Latino Review: So what about Ice Age 2? Can you tell me about the story?

John Leguizamo: I’m not allowed to divulge a lot but I do sing in it. I still play the sloth, and Drea de Matteo plays my girlfriend in it and Queen Latifah plays Ray Romano’s girlfriend ...she’s a mammoth and Drea is a sloth.

Latino Review: So everyone gets involved in some sort of hijinx?

John Leguizamo: Craziness. I think its going to be funnier than the first one believe it or not. It tests in September, and come out in March 2006.

Latino Review: You’ve worked with Frank Reyes before. What about the future?

John Leguizamo: We’ve got plans. We fancy ourselves like Scorsese and De Niro, I call him Scorsese and he calls me De Niro, we want to see ourselves in all of our movies together.

Latino Review: Does he call you De Niro or dinero ($$$)?

John Leguizamo: Dinero Deniro cause I’ll hook it up! (Laughs). So yeah, we’re trying to figure out our next couple of flicks together...we’re already trying to set up working on something.... something that he wrote.

Latino Review: Can you talk about it?

John Leguizamo: I don’t want to talk about something that’s not set up yet.

Latino Review: What genre is it?

John Leguizamo: Drama. Like Empire...drama, serious shit.

Latino Review: What about doing a Cantinflas film?

John Leguizamo: I would love to do that, but I still have to work on my Spanish more.

Latino Review: You’d be perfect for it.

John Leguizamo: I want to, dude, I have this next Spanish movie and it’s like my 3rd Spanish movie, I think I need like 2 or 3 more under my belt. See I’m ok, but with verbal dexterity, I don’t have that yet...I’d have to work like fucking three years of my life trying to get that flow that he had and that beauty you know?

Latino Review: And is there a script for it or anything?

John Leguizamo: We’ve talked to several people that are still trying to get the rights to the book.

Latino Review: How about the Cantinflas estate?

John Leguizamo: Yeah we have to talk to them because they own the book.

Latino Review: Would you work with Guillermo Del Toro again on anther project?

John Leguizamo: Of course, in a heartbeat...I love him.

Latino Review: And when does Crónicas come out?

John Leguizamo: In July.

Latino Review: Will it be wide release or limited?

John Leguizamo: July 8th is New York and L.A, and then expands to Miami, Texas and Chicago.

Latino Review: You’re a bit vocal about politics ...what did you think about Fahrenheit 911?

John Leguizamo: I thought it was great, how brave for him to do that documentary and how important it was, it was huge. I mean media today is not news any more it’s more entertainment. News today is John Stewart really.

Questions? Comment? Email me: edgar@latinoreview.com.