John Leguizamo as he called himself a "DEI hire" as he slammed the industry's portrayal of Latinx actors. During the the former Romeo and Juliet star went on a passionate speech discussing diversity and inclusion in Hollywood. The stand-up comedian kicked off his speech joking that he was one of DEI (Diversity, equity and inclusion) hires.
He said: "The D is for diligence, the E is for excellence, the I is for imagination. Everyone in this room tonight has dedicated their lives to diligence, excellence and imagination." The film producer went on to touch on a number of issues Latinx actors have faced over the years including a lack representation on-screen and recognition during award ceremonies.
In his thorough speech, the former Ice Age star listed a number of times the industry failed to cast Latinx actors to play Latinx characters from in 'Scarface' to Natalie Wood in 'West Side Story.' "Everybody played us, except us. I didn't see a lot of people on TV that looked like me," Leguizamo said.
He continued: "I didn't complain about the limited roles my people were offered: the spicy sex pot, the Latin lover, the maid, the gang banger. Turns out, not complaining doesn't change anything." John went on to reveal that he ran a full-page ad in The New York Times encouraging Emmy Award voters to choose non-white nominees that was displayed on the screen.
And as he admitted that Hollywood was a long ways from resolving deep-seeded racial issues in the industry, there has been enorm.