John Leguizamo Says He Turned Down This Beloved ’The Devil Wears Prada' Role
“I had my reasons. I mean, they’re stupid, but I had my reasons.”
Actor John Leguizamo is opening up about the roles that "could have been" if he had not turned them down.
During a recent interview with Business Insider, the Puerto Rican actor was asked if there has "ever been a role" he has turned down and "then regretted."
"Oh yeah. The Devil Wears Prada, the Stanley Tucci part," Leguizamo confessed.
Seriously?! Seriously.
Leguizamo went on to list some other roles he has regretted turning down, including Robin Williams' role in Happy Feet and Vince Vaughn's character in Mr. Mrs. Smith.
"I had my reasons," he continued. "I mean, they're stupid, but I had my reasons."
Leguizamo went on to explain those reasons for both Happy Feet and Mr. Mrs. Smith, but did not touch on why he ultimately turned down Tucci's role in The Devil Wears Prada.
"Well, for Mr. Mrs. Smith, it was because they were paying them $20 million and they were going to pay me scale," he explained. "I felt dissed, and they probably weren't dissing me, but I felt dissed."
Leguizamo went on to say that "sometimes when you're a person of color" you're so used to being snubbed by the entertainment industry that "you think you're being dissed, and sometimes you're not dissed."
"So that's what happens, and you have to go to a lot of therapy to fix that," he added. "And Happy Feet, I had done Ice Age. I was going: 'I don't want to be doing all these ice movies.' Such a stupid reason. But it seemed logical to me at the moment, and then I lost out on millions."
While Leguizamo has missed out on some iconic roles in blockbuster movies, he has enjoyed an incredibly successful career as both an on-screen and voice actor, and in films like Ice Age, Encanto, The Menu, Spawn, Mario Bros. and Chef.
When asked what "three works" of his would he choose "to epitomize his career," Leguizamo listed some truly beloved classics that speak to both his favorite types of roles and his identity as a Puerto Rican actor.
"I would say, Latin History for Morons, Summer of Sam, and Ice Age. I love voice acting. I really do. I take it very seriously. Mel Blanc was a big hero of mine, and I really transformed myself to be these characters," he said.
"And then film-wise, I mean, Spike Lee made me a lead where nobody else was giving me the opportunity. He set me free. I feel like we created this incredible, insane character, and we went to Cannes with it."
