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Spanning three decades of his career, John Leguizamo has been part of several hit movies. From playing Sid in theIce Agefranchise to appearing in the classic musicalMoulin Rouge!, Leguizamo has built an envious resume for himself. However, despite his decorated career, the actor admitted to making “stupid” judgment calls in the past on movies, which later made him regret.
Speaking withBusiness Insider, John Leguizamo thus shared some of the roles he regrets turning down that went on to become big hits, likeMr. and Mrs. Smith. Initially beginning with Stanley Tucci’s role inThe Devil Wears Prada, which was originally offered to him, Leguizamo recalled turning down Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s movie over racist claims that later turned out to be untrue.
John Leguizamo Recalls His Career’s Worst Judgment
Looking back on his spectacular career filled with renowned franchises John Leguizamo sat for an interview withBusiness Insider. Shedding light on his filmography spanning over 30 years, theIce Ageactor gradually opened up about what his career could have been, had he not made a few of the worst judgments during his initial years.
“I feel horrible, and would you give it up?”: John Leguizamo Felt Awful After Marvel Studios Head Asked Him to Give Up on His Role in Tom Holland’s Spider-Man: Homecoming
Beginning by addressing the films that he turned down for poor judgment and stupid reasons,John Leguizamoclaimed to be still mad at himself for turning down the role of Nigel inThe Devil Wears Prada. The character was later played by Stanley Tucci, while Leguizamo sat back to reconsider the opportunity and regret.
Similarly, John Leguizamo regretted turning down the role in the animated comedyHappy Feet,which later went to Robin Williams. According to Leguizamo, since he already didvoice roles in theIce Agefranchise, he didn’t want to voice any further animated characters.
“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.”
However, among all the movies he pointed to so far, nothing haunted John Leguizamo more than the poor judgment that made him turn down Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’sMr. and Mrs. Smith.
John Leguizamo Regrets Turning DownMr. and Mrs. Smith
While addressing all the movies that he rejected so far, John Leguizamo saved the worst for the last. Speaking with the outlet, the actor finally expressed his regret and frustration with himself for turning down a role inBrad Pittand Angelina Jolie’s2005 filmMr. and Mrs. Smith.
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Revealing the stupid reason behind his decision to turn down the opportunity, John Leguizamo noted that it was based on the supposed pay dispute that made him think crooked. According to the actor, as he was offered to work for scale on the film, he felt “dissed”. More than anything, it was based on the salary that Pitt and Jolie were making compared to him.
“Well, for Mr. & Mrs. Smith, it was because they were paying them $20 million and they were going to pay me scale. I felt dissed, and they probably weren’t dissing me, but I felt dissed.”
“Sometimes when you’re a person of color, you’re so used to being dissed that you think you’re being dissed, and sometimes you’re not being dissed. So that’s what happens, and you have to go to a lot of therapy to fix that.”
John Leguizamo was undoubtedly aware that Brad Pitt andAngelina Joliewere being offered millions compared to him, because of their A-list careers fronting blockbuster films. However, that didn’t stop him from feeling disrespected at the moment. He even went to the extent where he believed that the pay difference was because of alleged racism.
Later on, the actor realized that it “probably” wasn’t the case and he ended up turning down the classic film because of his mad judgment. The role eventually went to Vince Vaughn, and John Leguizamo lived to regret his decision.
Mr. & Mrs. Smithis available on Netflix.
Krittika Mukherjee
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3218
Krittika Mukherjee is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on films, TV shows, and celebrity news with over 3,000 articles published. With an educational background in Journalism, and a keen interest in filmmaking, Krittika blends factual precision with creative flair, when crafting her editorials, or dissecting fan theories.Her coverage often includes news and analyses of critically acclaimed films, celebrity news, and franchises like the Wizarding World, LOTR, DC, and MCU—particularly Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts, Superheroes, and fan theories. As a Wizarding World aficionado, Krittika has spent countless hours exploring hidden backstories, unadapted book moments, spells, and trivias surrounding J.K. Rowling’s lore.An imaginative writer with a way with words, Krittika has worked as an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a web content writer for a year. She brought her experience and expertise to FandomWire to pursue her desire for sipping coffee while dissecting films and tracking celebrity drama.
