Actor John Leguizamo is known for playing Aurelio, the chopshop owner in Keanu Reeves’ John Wick. The actor has a legacy of over thirty years in the industry and has featured in films such as Super Mario Bros., Die Hard 2, Summer of Sam, Ice Age, and more. The actor has also had a prolific career on stage.
Leguizamo recently took out a front-page ad in The New York Times and wrote an open letter to the TV Academy, urging them to consider more non-white actors to be nominated for the Primetime Emmys this year. The awards show honoring the talent in television has been known for its diversity but has recently been accused of whitewashing.
John Wick Star Urges TV Academy To Stop Whitewashing Award Shows
Tony-award nominated actor John Leguizamo recently took out an ad on the front page of The New York Times, writing an open letter addressed to the TV Academy. The letter urged the Academy to consider more non-white actors for nomination this year. The voting for the Primetime Emmys is reportedly set to begin on June 13 (via THR).
The John Wick star mentioned in a post on X(formerly Twitter) that White people were overrepresented in top positions in every industry, despite making ‘only 58.9%’ of the population. He mentioned that inclusivity was more creative and profitable, and also said that America was better when it was inclusive.
Leguizamo addressed the TV Academy in the letter to embrace change and allow the year to be the year they finally see diversity in all categories. He said,
Let this be the start of a new era. Let us not continue to whitewash our awards shows. Instead let this year be the catalyst that inspires the next generation of minority and underrepresented artists… a generation who might finally see a reflection of themselves on that stage and think … ‘If they can, maybe I can, too…’
John Leguizamo signed the letter as a “Writer, Actor, Producer, Director & Colombian American who won’t ever let anyone tell him ‘no.’”
Emmys Complicated History With Diversity
While Keanu Reeves’ John Wick co-star John Leguizamo’s open letter to the TV Academy received diverse reactions, the Emmys have often been accused of its lack of diversity. The awards show was strongly accused of whitewashing in 2021 when no POC actor/actress won an award in the ceremony, despite having a record number of diverse nominations.
According to Variety, a record number of 49 creatives of color were nominated in various categories but went home empty-handed. The loss led to the hashtag ‘Emmys So White’ trending on Twitter at the time. However, the awards show bounced back with a historic win for actors of color in the 2023 ceremony.
Variety reported that for the first time in TV Academy history, a record number of people of color had won in drama, comedy, limited, and reality categories. Actors and writers such as Ayo Edibri, Quinta Brunson, and Lee Sung Jin made history by winning big in their respective categories. Lee Sung Jin won in writing and directing for Beef.
