John Leguizamo has been working in Hollywood for nearly three decades, and in his latest release, “El Paseo 2,” he returns to his roots for a Spanish-language comedy co-starring Karen Martinez and María Gabriela de Faría. We caught up with John while he was South Florida supporting the film that premiered at the Miami International Film Festival.
The 48-year-old actor returned to his native Colombia to shoot the sequel with an an alll new cast, but he had to undertake much preparation for a role that required him to speak fully in Spanish.
“The experience [of perfecting his Spanish] was difficult, but I loved it. I was born in Colombia and I came here when I was 3 years old so it felt like I was recuperating what I lost, bringing it back.”
Shooting this film was a lot of fun according to the actor even though playing the part put him in some pretty incredible situations. He compares it fondly to his time working on the 1997 film, "The Pest."
“For a minute I thought they were trying to kill me,” Leguizamo said. "It was like shooting,"The Pest 2." They tied me to the bumper of a bus that almost flipped over. They dunked me in a mud volcano that was erupting and when we went scuba diving, my gear was too heavy so I kept sinking. I also went parasailing, they made me dance for 24 hours straight until I almost collapsed, and they covered my entire body in plastic algae, it was crazy!”
“It was worth the pain because it came out really hilarious in the film," he added.
Leguizamo has had an extensive career in films that alternates from serious dramas to comedy and back to his roots in stand-up as was most recently seen with Ghetto Klown, currently still touring.
“If I just did a comedy then I like to follow that with a big drama,” Leguizamo said about selecting roles. “I'm currently working with Harold Trompetero, my director in "El Paseo 2" on a serious film called “Perros” set to shoot this fall. It’s about this guy who was innocently put in jail in a third world country and he can't absolve himself. His wife blames him and his kids won't see him, it's a beautiful dark piece.”
Miami is an important place to Leguizamo, who comes to the Magic City often.
"Miami is the center for all things Latin, for both English and Spanish speaking. It's incredible how this has become sort of the cradle of Latin civilization,” he said. “Miami is where all the countries mix and it's really become this creative and cultural hub.”
When he is in town, there are a few spots he rather not miss and some activities he can’t be without.
“I go to Puerto Sagua for my Cuban fix. I like staying at The Raleigh because it has that old school art deco maxed out feeling as well as being very private. I also enjoy going on boat rides and drinking Cuban coffee and catching up with family and friends.”
