John Leguizamo Biography

The actor John Leguizamo was born in 1964 in Bogota, Columbia. Long before Leguizamo rose to become one of the era’s most notable producers, writers, and actors, he immigrated with his family to the United States, settling in the Queens area of New York City. Leguizamo credits the rough neighborhoods of his upbringing for helping him to develop his comedic skills, and as a young child John attest to having used comedy to avoid getting into fights and verbal confrontations.

After graduating from high school, John Leguizamo enrolled in the Tisch School of the Arts at New York’s prestigious New York University, but chose to drop out instead to pursue a career as a stand-up comic. By the early 1990’s, John was a frequent face on the local comedy circuit, and even began to garner small roles on television and in film, including a small part on Miami Vice and small roles in: Die Hard 2 (1990), Regarding Henry (1991), and Night Owl (1993.)

John Leguizamo’s first starring role was in Whispers in the Dark in 1992, but he received a bit career boost after appearing in the Super Mario Bros. film in 1993. Although a box office failure, Leguizamo turned out a strong performance which led to a growing list of offers for more complex roles. One of those roles, as Tybalt in the Baz Luhrmann re-boot of the classic Romeo & Juliet, placed John against heavy-hitters Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes, in a role which earned him significant critical praise.

Since that time, John Leguizamo has enjoyed a career on a consistent rise, in which he has seen himself in the role of not only actor, but also producer. Notable film appearances from Leguizamo over the years include: Body Count (1998), Joe the King (1999), King of the Jungle (2000), Moulin Rogue! (2001), Ice Age (2002), Undefeated (2003), The Alibi (2006), Love in the Time of Cholera (2007), The Happening (2008), The Ministers (2009), The Lincoln Lawyer (2011), The Counselor (2013) and Ride Along (2014.)

John Leguizamo continues to act and produce. He recently appeared in the films Stealing Cars, American Ultra, and Sisters, all released in 2015. He is scheduled to appear in the films The Infiltrator and The Godmother, both expected to release in 2016.