Personal details
- Birth Date: 1960-07-22
- Height: 5′ 6½″ (1.69 m)
- Birth Location: Bogotá, Colombia
- Children: (2 children) Allegra Leguizamo
- Children: (divorced) Allegra Leguizamo
- Parents: Luz M. Leguizamo
- Professions: Actor, Producer, Writer
Fast-talking, always a bit fiery, John Leguizamo has this wild energy that just lights up whatever he’s in. He’s bounced from playing soft-hearted kids to stone-cold villains, even pulling off roles like a badass Green Beret, and then flipping it to a scene-stealing drag queen in To Wong Foo—yeah, he’s that versatile. Born in Colombia, but raised in Queens, New York, John wasn’t exactly born into Hollywood royalty. His family made the big move to the States when he was a kid, and he hustled his way up, hitting the stand-up circuit, and grabbing whatever roles he could—little parts in Miami Vice, a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it part shooting Harrison Ford in Regarding Henry. Not exactly glamorous beginnings. His real break? Hangin’ with the Homeboys, where he played a jittery Bronx teen trying to figure out his life. That one got people paying attention. Then came his one-man shows, Mambo Mouth and Spic-O-Rama, where he played a bunch of wild, hilarious characters—won a bunch of awards too. TV tried to make him a star with House of Buggin’, got good reviews but, eh, networks are ruthless. Movies kept calling—Super Mario Bros, Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge!, and who could forget that sloth Sid from Ice Age? Dude’s done it all: comedy, drama, action, Broadway, even directing. He’s been a real trailblazer for Latino actors in Hollywood, busting through the stereotypes and making space for more voices. Honestly, Leguizamo’s just one of those guys who never stops moving, never stops surprising you.
movies triviannWhen it came to voicing Sid in Ice Age (2002), John Leguizamo went kinda all in. He didn’t just pick a weird voice out of thin air—he actually sat through hours and hours of Discovery Channel sloth specials. That’s dedication or maybe a sign of too much free time, who knows. Anyway, after all that sloth research, he landed on Sid’s now-iconic lisp. Why? Sloths keep food jammed in their cheeks, so he figured, hey, maybe that messes with how they talk. It’s honestly one of those details that could’ve gone unnoticed, but it ended up making Sid unforgettable. Leguizamo tried a bunch of different voices before settling on the lisp, and it’s wild to think how different Sid would’ve sounded if he’d just gone with a basic cartoon voice. Sometimes weird choices really do pay off—just look at how everyone remembers Sid.
Spawn (1997) is one of those wild late-90s comic book movies where everything just feels a bit grungy and off-kilter. Michael Jai White plays Al Simmons, this elite assassin who gets double-crossed by his boss and winds up dead. But, plot twist, he comes back from hell as Spawn—a vengeful anti-hero with a seriously gnarly cape and powers straight outta the underworld. The movie leans hard into the dark, gritty vibe, with a lot of over-the-top CGI that looks super dated now, but honestly, that’s part of its weird charm. John Leguizamo steals scenes as the Clown/Violator, basically waddling around in this ridiculously grotesque suit and cracking gross jokes. There’s angels, demons, and a whole lotta fiery hellscapes. It’s messy, chaotic, and just kind of unapologetically ’90s in the best way—definitely not your squeaky-clean superhero flick.
July 22, 1960
5′ 6½″ (1.69 m)
Konidela Ram Charan
Bogotá, Colombia
Yes, Allegra Leguizamo
Luz M. Leguizamo and Surekha
64 years old