John Leguizamo, the actor who played Luigi in the 1993 live-action Super Mario Bros. movie, recently expressed his frustration with the lack of Latin representation in the film. He criticized the studio for not including a Latin character, despite Latinx people making up 20% of the population.
Leguizamo also revealed that he was only cast in the movie after the directors fought for him. He said, “I was a Latin man, and [the studio] didn’t want me to be the lead. They fought really hard, and it was such a breakthrough. For them to go backwards and not cast another [actor of color] kind of sucks.”
The Super Mario Bros. Movie does include people of color, such as Keegan Michael-Key as Toad, Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong, and more. However, Leguizamo is still disappointed that the studio didn’t cast a Latinx actor in a lead role.
In an age where representation and inclusion are more important than ever, it’s important to recognize the lack of Latinx representation in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. It’s a missed opportunity for the film to be more diverse and to provide more opportunities for Latinx actors.
It’s clear that John Leguizamo is disappointed with the decision to not include a Latinx actor in the movie, and it’s a shame that the studio didn’t recognize the importance of representation. Hopefully, future films will take Leguizamo’s words to heart and ensure that Latinx people are properly represented.