John Leguizamo “No Issues With James Franco”; Fidel Castro Pic Producer Defends – Deadline

After expressing his outrage over James Franco being forged as Fidel Castro within the impartial characteristic drama Alina of Cuba, Primetime Emmy winner John Leguizamo has expounded on his stance relating to Hollywood casting non-Latinos in Latino roles. Particularly, in an Instagram submit earlier at present, he says “Alright, look, I acquired no issues with James Franco, yo, OK?” whereas explaining, “I grew up in a period the place Latin individuals couldn’t play Latin individuals on movie.”

Additionally earlier at present, Alina of Cuba producer John Martinez O’Felan launched an announcement defending the casting of Franco who’s of Latin-Portuguese heritage and responding to Leguizamo’s initial protest, saying “I wish to level out that his odd feedback, when you base them on family tree, are a blind assault and lack any factual substance”.

Deadline first informed you about Franco enjoying El Comandante within the Miguel Bardem directed Alina of Cuba from Oscar-nominated scribe Jose Rivera (The Bike Diaries) and Pulitzer Prize winner Nilo Cruz about Cuban exile-turned-social advocate Alina Fernandez aka Castro’s daughter, whose beginning was the results of a passionate affair between the Communist revolutionary chief and Natalia “Naty” Revuelta. Mía Maestro will play Revuelta whereas Ana Villafañe performs Castro’s daughter Fernandez.

In Leguizamo’s follow-up submit, which you’ll see beneath, he explains how he grew up and labored in Hollywood at a time “the place Charleston Heston performed a Mexican, the place Eli Wallach performed Mexican, the place Pacino performed Cuban and Puerto Rican, the place Ben Affleck even in Argo performed a Latin man and Marisa Tomei enjoying Latin girls.”

“We couldn’t play our personal roles,” says the To Wong Foo, Thanks For Every part! Julie Newmar actor, “There was brown face: Folks portray themselves to look Latin in West Aspect Story…..”

“That’s the period I grew up in. The period the place they informed you to alter your identify, keep out of the solar, that solely white Latinos or white-passing Latinos would get jobs and so they weren’t even the principle leads,” continued Leguizamo.

“Trigger…’There’s no Latin actor who can carry that film.’ Yeah since you’re by no means given the chance to play something that was of price that had worthy worth, that was an integral a part of the plot that would offer you field workplace,” the actor added.

“So,  no, no. Appropriating our tales — no extra of that.  I’m executed with that,” asserted Leguizamo.

“Why can’t Bruno Mars be Mr. Hernandez? Or Oscar Isaac lately be Oscar Isaac Hernandez? As a result of they will’t. I’ve been informed so many instances you may’t have two Latin individuals within the film, in any other case individuals assume it’s a Latin film. Or Latin individuals don’t wish to see Latin individuals, they wish to see white individuals in roles. That’s what I’ve been informed. That’s what goes on on this trade.”

Leguizamo summed up, “It needs to be an equal enjoying discipline, we must always have the ability to play no matter function, however that’s not the way in which it really works. It solely works a method. OK? That’s simply how it’s.”

The actor then adopted up his Instagram submit with one other itemizing all of the non-Latino actors who performed Latino roles, i.e. Anthony Hopkins as El Zorro in The Masks of Zorro and Eli Wallach as Tuco in The Good, the Dangerous, and the Ugly and as Calvera in Magnificent Seven. 

Alina of Cuba producer Martinez O’Felan, responding to Leguizamo’s Friday rant mentioned in an announcement obtained by Deadline, “For one, let’s take a historic have a look at true Latinism in at present’s mass tradition of Hispanics, as a result of a territory doesn’t outline an individual’s blood path. What I imply once I say that’s that to be ‘Latin’ technique of Hispanic, Portuguese, Italian or Latin American heritage and roots, the entire branches of the basis of being ‘Latin.’ So to me his statements can create an important speaking level for our individuals, as a result of his feedback characterize the confusion and id disaster in Hollywood proper now throughout the Hispanic group in America who declare to solely establish as Latin.”

Martinez O’Felan continued, “Furthermore, I’ve by no means met Leguizamo however felt the calling to deal with the truth that he’s attacking me and my work based mostly on false data as a result of I’m truly not Hollywood as he’s insisted: I used to be born as a 4th technology Hispanic from Texas from an Iberian/ Indigenous Mexican, and have been the visionary behind this undertaking since its starting. Furthermore, I’ve additionally spent 16 years creating this round and with the assist of Ms. Fernandez, and took the time to discover a feminine because the lead with Cuban roots, so he’s additionally attacking the female concentrate on this title unfairly. This can be a movie based mostly on a Latin feminine immigrant residing in America who’s of historic significance, led by a Latin lady, and I’m simply an underdog who’s making it, so it’s form of disappointing to see our work getting attacked by somebody we thought would rejoice it. If he hates it and needs to ban it, oh nicely, I’ll nonetheless in all probability watch his motion pictures as a result of he’s been one in all my favourite actors for the final 30 years.”