John Leguizamo says he turned down his favorite role in "The Devil Wears Prada"
Actor John Leguizamo opened up about roles he "could have had" if he hadn't turned them down.
In a recent interview with BusinessInsider, the Puerto Rican actor was asked if there were any roles he "regretted" turning down.
"Yes. The role of Stanley Tucci in The Devil Wears Prada," Leguizamo confessed.
Seriously? Seriously.
Leguizamo also listed roles he regrets turning down, including Robin Williams' role in "Happy Feet" and Vince Vaughn's role in "Mr. & Mrs. Smith."
"I had my reasons," he said. It sounds ridiculous, but I had my reasons." Leguizamo explained his reasons for both "Happy Feet" and "Mr. & Mrs. Smith," but did not mention why he ultimately turned down the role of Tucci in "The Devil Wears Prada."
"They wouldn't have dissed me for Mr. & Mrs. Smith, but I felt dissed."
Leguizamo continued, "When you're a person of color, you're used to being snubbed by the entertainment industry, so sometimes you think you're being dissed and sometimes you don't."
"So it happens. I have to go through a lot of therapy to fix that. With 'Happy Feet,' I did 'Ice Age. I didn't want to do only ice movies. For such a stupid reason. But it seemed logical at the time.
Although Leguizamo missed out on iconic roles in blockbuster films, he has had incredible success both on screen and as a voice actor in films like "Ice Age," "Encanto," "Menu," "Spawn," "Mario Bros." and "Chef."
When asked about his "three most iconic films of my career," Leguizamo cited some truly beloved classics that speak to both his favorite type of role and his identity as a Puerto Rican actor.
"'Latin History for Morons,' 'Summer of Sam,' and 'Ice Age.' I love the voice acting. I really love it. I take it very seriously. Mel Blanc is a big hero of mine, and I really changed myself to be these characters. [And in the movie, Spike Lee made me the lead when no one else had given me a chance. He set me free. I created this incredible, crazy character and I feel like I went to Cannes with it."
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