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John Leguizamo Actually, Really He loves Latin history. “I am a history addict. I am a history buff,” laughs the actor, writer and producer. “Latin history has become my thing—my passion—and I try to sneak in it wherever I can.”
Detailed directory And Attractive Star performed a version of that in his famous one-man Broadway show. Latin history for the moron – A creative journey that eventually inspires elements of a new adventure. That’s it. Leguizamo does AmericaA travel show exploring the well-known and lesser-known layers of Latino cultural history across the US.
The docuseries, which will air on MSNBC and Peacock, will tread territory known and unknown as viewers take a food-and-dance-filled cultural journey through six locations — New York, Miami, Washington, Chicago, Los Angeles and Puerto Rico. . As the Emmy-winner tours each area, he uncovers the region’s unique cultural history as it is tied to Latino identity.
The journey scene has satisfying elements, but only Leguizamo can bring it to life. In one of the few times in television history that a major travel series has been led by a Latino host, the actor joins the ranks alongside Kim Haas, who debuted her PBS series. Afro-Latino Travels In 2020.
Before his MSNBC show premiere, The Hollywood Reporter He spoke to Leguizamo about the show’s inspirations; embrace both diversity and generality in Latin experiences; Powerful filmmaking process; Why he joined MSNBC; And where he wants to go if he gets a second season.
There is very little Latino representation on the travel scene. Can you talk about why you wanted to do this show and how it could expand on what travel shows have traditionally been?
Oh, that’s a very good question. I use the travel show method as contraband content because I want all of America to have Latino envy and wish they were born Latino. That is my mission, and to make Latinos very proud of being Latinos. I felt that a travel show was the best way to deliver my message in the most fun, exciting, unique and unique way. I went all over America in search of Latin excellence. I went through the first six cities of my Latino comedy circuit – 26 cities across America with large Latino populations, and I picked the first six cities. I met these great artists, chefs, politicians and activists. Then we sat down, ate, drank a little, danced a little, and laughed a lot, and this was a recipe.
You really commend yourself in places where you share a larger cultural identity, but you’re not always the community that shines. How do you get people to trust you and walk that line?
I was a Latino New York City kid, and I was so scared I didn’t want to leave my neighborhood. I was a Latino traveling across America. I’ve always been scared, but my visits have opened up the world to me. I go, “Wait a minute.” I went to Chicago. “Yes, Yo. This is mainly Latin. what Are all the Mexicans and Puerto Ricans here?” Then they took me to San Francisco. I go, “I don’t know. Then, I get there, and it’s like a big Latino crowd. Then they take me to Texas and I go, “Texas? I don’t want to go to Texas. Then boom: Houston, Dallas, Corpus Christi, San Antonio, McAllen, Austin, El Paso – big tour – Denver, Colorado, Miami, of course, Tampa, West Palm Beach, Orlando, Boston. I’m going to all these cities and I’m meeting a lot of Latino people from different cultures, and they’re coming to see my shows. I’m talking about Mexicans, Cubans, Puerto Ricans, Central Americans, South Americans. I am finding that we have more in common than we have in differences. When I was in these cities, having dinner with them and hanging out with them, I realized that there is diversity in our community, in the Latino diaspora, but we are also very united in culture, language and music. I was like a diplomat when I went to these different cities. I was entering there with respect, in love with our culture and its diversity, and they allowed me. Accept me. They knew I was an ally.
Let’s talk about this part of the story because this isn’t the first time they’ve done something of this nature. How do you want to combine it?
I am a history addict. Historically, I am an idiot. Latin history has become my thing, my passion, and I try to sneak it in wherever I can. I said I want to do this show, I want it to be funny, but I want it to be like one of my shows: more impactful, important and about all the jokes, laughing, dancing and what not. Knowing all these facts, I brought the facts wherever I could. Knowing that Juan Rodríguez was the first immigrant in New York City before the Netherlands and that his brother started his own business everywhere we went, we are very entrepreneurial. It was fun to circulate that fact and other facts where I could.
There are many places you can take this show: Travel Channel, Netflix, even PBS. Why did you leave MSNBC and by extension Peacock?
Because – I have to say – they didn’t go with me, which is what I’m talking about. It’s a non-Hollywood situation. I was performing this show everywhere and it took four years. NBC Chairman Cesar Conde[Universal]I am Latinx with this show, why I got this opportunity. There were no other executives who saw the importance of talking about Latino culture. I live in New York City, where we’re about the same population as white people, and we’re less than one percent of journalists. New York TimesLess than one percent of the stories told in New York Timesof New York Postof new yorkof New York Magazine. This is our city, and it is culturally apartheid. It’s because we don’t have enough journalists or activists who see the value in our Latino history, our Latino stories, and our Latino culture.
There seems to be a broader discussion about access and how certain communities view content more often. You have shows that offer different price points on cable and streaming. Did the location of your show matter to you?
Yes, I was hoping to reach a wider audience. You are right because when I left in 1990 Mambo’s mouthA lot of Latinos didn’t have HBO — they couldn’t afford HBO — so they all started hacking. But I wasn’t getting most of my people, and I knew there was a difference. I mean, thankfully they couldn’t come to me, so I started visiting and bringing them. Hopefully MSNBC has broader appeal. One good thing about streaming, though, is that it will be revolutionary for Latinx people. A Nielsen study found that Latinx audiences on Netflix are moving toward Latino content. Latin artist, Latin name, Latin culture, Latin history – they follow Latin content. A lot of executives were turning down my stories, my movies, my TV shows, telling me that Latinos don’t want to see Latinos, which is the craziest thing I’ve ever heard in my life. Or they told me we shouldn’t follow because the Latin people are coming to us. Another baseless thing. So I think ad streaming is going to be even bigger because the advertisers want to know the demographics, who’s watching what. That would be a huge development for us.
History is a convenient place to understand the relationship between language and identities, both of which can evolve and change over time. You’ll explore that in this series by switching between terms like Latin, Latino, and Latinx. Can you talk about accepting multiple accounts for your community, even controversial ones?
Yes, yes. I don’t know why Latinx is debatable but it is debatable. People rave about this. It’s funny to me. The fact that we have a name and are ticking a box is huge. I mean, I know none of us want to be check boxes. None of us want to talk about race incessantly, but you have to because otherwise you’ll be ostracized. Your communities will not receive funding. Your schools will not receive funding unless you check the box and vote. you know what i mean? But I love Latinx. I know older people and some younger people don’t know, but I feel this progress is progress. I feel inclusive. I feel it is inclusive of women. It is inclusive of LGBTQ+ people. I feel like the X-Men look like superheroes. I just love the sound of it.
You’ve had a full film career taking in everything, but doing a travel show is a different passion. What was filming like?
It was exhausting. I think if we get a season two, we should have a break – for the crew as well – because it was difficult. We shoot five days a week and travel on the sixth day and then have a day to rest, barely. It was a little rough but we plan to do more. I want to go all over Texas, Denver. I want to go to South America, Mexico. I want to go everywhere, so it will be very tiring. We’ll plan a little better next time.
We’ve mentioned this before, but you’ve done a one-man show focused on Latin history. How is that experience different from hosting a travel show?
Well, my one-man show, I can be as raw and as personal as I want to be, and I can be myself. The travel show, I wanted it to be fun. I wanted it to be light, and I delved into content and impact. This was the method. I loved the excitement in the show because no one gets more joy out of the slightest chance than Latinos. I wanted to show that. This is how I want to go forward and show it. Always Latin excellence, music, dancing, drinking and laughter.
Were there any surprises in the experience of making this scene? Is there anything you didn’t expect to learn? Are there unexpected connections?
There were many surprises. I told the showrunners, who are all Latinx, and most of the crew — I think 75 percent of the crew is all Latinx, DPS, grips, all that, and writers — “I don’t want to pull punches. I’m not afraid. I can handle myself. I’m from New York. I am a strong boy. We went to Puerto Rico. The natives were upset with me because I said that the Taíno had completely disappeared during the invasion. They said, “It was not a Caribbean massacre. We are still here and you do evil when you say we are not. Then the government can come and take our land. So that was shocking to me, and I was shocked by my words and how it hurt the community, and I was able to apologize to them on camera. There were times like this.
The Latino story I get is that we were the first slaves in the Americas, but we died and then we were very rebellious, so we were replaced by Afro-Americans, sadly and tragically. Plus, we were broke, and Jim Crow laws were against us. We didn’t have the same oppression as black people. I’m not comparing. But we were involved in that oppression. It’s crazy how I don’t know the oppression of the Latin people. I didn’t realize we were always here. All of that was amazing to me.
Interview edited for length and clarity.
Leguizamo does America It premieres on MSNBC Sunday, April 16 at 10 pm ET and will air on Peacock.
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