John Leguizamo makes Emmys call for greater representation in Hollywood
John Leguizamo says he's a "DEI hire," as he made an appeal at the Emmy Awards for greater diversity and representation in Hollywood.
"I'm John Leguizamo and I'm one of Hollywood's DEI hires," Leguizamo said as he took to the Emmys stage in Los Angeles on Sunday.
"That's right DEI: The 'd' is for diligence, the 'e' is for excellence, and the 'i' is for imagination," the "John Wick" actor said.
"So we are all DEI hires," Leguizamo told the Emmys audience.
Earlier this year, several GOP lawmakers cited Vice President Harris's gender and race to argue that she is unqualified, calling her a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) hire.
As a teenager, Leguizamo said, he "didn't know the word 'representation,'" and "saw a lot of brownface," citing Al Pacino taking on the role of a Cuban gangster in 1983's "Scarface" and Marlon Brando "playing a Mexican" in the 1952 film, "Viva Zapata!"
"Everybody played us, except us," Leguizamo, the star of Broadway's "Latin History for Morons," said.
"Turns out that not complaining doesn't change anything. So for the past few years, I've been complaining," Leguizamo said, noting that he paid for a full-page ad to appear in the New York Times earlier this year "asking Emmy voters to recognize candidates of color."
Leguizamo said he was "almost happy and certainly less angry" about the contenders at the 76th annual Emmy Awards, calling it "about the most diverse list of nominees" in its history.
"But we need more stories from excluded groups: Black, Asian, Jewish, Arab, LGBTQ+ and disabled," Leguizamo, 64, said.
"And this show tonight has proved our industry is making progress."
Date: |
-
NBC News - Top stories
John Leguizamo was ready to lead a dramatic TV series — so he helped create a platform to stream it
John Leguizamo stars in the series "The Green Veil" and he helped create a free streaming service, The Network, to show it. He's partnering with Comcast during Hispanic Heritage Month to make it ...10 hours ago -
The New York Times - Lifestyle
Emmy Party Photos: Letting Loose in the Hollywood Hills
Celebrities including Quinta Brunson, Selma Blair and Heidi Klum toasted the awards at a Los Angeles mansion. Who said it was too soon to party again?3 days ago
More from The Hill
-
The Hill - Politics
Biden hits Trump over rhetoric on migrants at Hispanic Heritage Month celebration
President Biden on Wednesday hit former President Trump for his rhetoric on migrants during a celebration at the White House to mark Hispanic Heritage Month. “We don’t demonize immigrants, we don’t ...13 minutes ago - Joe Biden -
The Hill - Politics
Teamsters president on no endorsement: ‘There was a lot of dancing around’
Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien told The Hill that the union did not endorse Vice President Harris or former President Trump “because both candidates didn't commit on the core issues that ...26 minutes ago -
The Hill - Politics
Harris to make abortion speech in Georgia after deaths of two women
Vice President Harris will travel to Georgia on Friday to highlight her support for abortion rights, likely focusing on the stories of two women whose deaths she blames on the state’s abortion ban ...38 minutes ago - Abortion -
The Hill - Politics
Watch live: House votes on stopgap funding bill
The House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on a partisan spending plan that is seemingly doomed to fail. Republicans who forced Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) to scrap a vote last week due to ...41 minutes ago -
The Hill - Politics
Latino advocacy group: Trump 'gets an F,' jury still out on Harris
An influential Latino civic engagement group is preparing to issue report cards for campaign policy positions on issues they say are critical to Latino representation, and former President Trump’s ...45 minutes ago - Donald Trump