(Chris Cella Jr., Headline USA) Actor John Leguizamo, known for his role as Luigi in the 1993 film Super Mario Bros., attacked Latino supporters of Donald Trump, labeling them as “anti-abortion and homophobic.”
In an interview with TMZ, he emphasized that Vice President Kamala Harris needed to actively engage with Latino communities to earn their votes, acknowledging her difficulties in securing this demographic’s support.
“You gotta come into our communities. You gotta have people that look like us,” Leguizamo said, underscoring the importance of representation. He also suggested that Latino celebrities could be crucial in helping Harris connect with Latino voters.
When asked by TMZ’s Harvey Levin about why some Latinos were drawn to Trump and had rejected Harris, Leguizamo responded, “Religious Latinos are homophobic and anti-abortion,” continuing his trend of making offensive statements about Latino Republicans.
In the past, he compared Latino Trump supporters to “roaches supporting Raid,” a comment that many found condescending and offensive.
Leguizamo’s disdain for Trump has been evident in his social media activity, as well.
Following an assassination attempt on Trump, he tweeted, “Not even a scratch! But milk it for all you can!”
Not even a scratch! But milk it for all you can! https://t.co/GRPLkj8ASU
— John Leguizamo (@JohnLeguizamo) July 16, 2024
He also mocked Trump for appearing with a bandage at the Republican National Convention, questioning the competence of the doctor who treated him.
While Leguizamo’s comments about religious Latinos may seem dismissive, he does highlight a significant issue: many Latinos prioritize housing and jobs. And while his assertion that Latinos are not a monolith is true, Leguizamo’s sweeping generalizations about their perspectives manifests his own insincerity.
In 2023, Leguizamo made headlines when he boycotted the animated Super Mario Bros. Movie for its lack of Latino representation.
He expressed frustration, stating, “I was groundbreaking [as Luigi], and then they stopped the groundbreaking. They messed up the inclusion.” It should be noted that the original Super Mario Bros. film (costaring the British Bob Hoskins), is generally considered a failure, and that the characters are Italian, not Latino.
Leguizamo might also be met with some criticism from the transgender community for having appropriated the starring role of Chi-Chi from an actual drag queen in his 1995 film To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar.
