John Leguizamo says he turned 'Carlito's Method' down 3 occasions as a result of he was 'sick' of being typecast as a drug seller

• John Leguizamo practically handed up on “Carlito’s Method” as he was uninterested in being typecast as a gangster.
• “I used to be simply form of sick of that form of routine,” he informed GQ. “So I turned it down 3 times.”
• At that time, the Columbian actor had performed a gangster in additional than a handful of films. 

John Leguizamo nearly handed up on his function in “Carlito’s Method.”

The actor, who presently stars within the sci-fi sequence “The Energy,” mentioned in a video interview for GQ that he selected to say no the function within the 1993 film directed by Brian de Palma as he was rising uninterested in being typecast as a gangster.

“I am a Latin man and I did not wanna play one other drug seller. I used to be simply form of sick of that form of routine,” he mentioned. “So I turned it down 3 times.”

Nonetheless, Leguizamo mentioned that he determined to place his profession ambitions earlier than his private emotions when he discovered the producers have been planning to method Benicio del Toro for the function.

“The producers mentioned, ‘Look, that is the final time I am coming to you. We’re gonna go to Benicio,'” he recalled.

The Columbian-born actor then informed them: “Okay, I am going to take it!”

In “Carlito’s Method,” Leguizamo performed Benny Blanco, a younger, hot-headed drug seller from the Bronx who turns into a rival to the titular protagonist, Carlito Brigante (Al Pacino). 

At that time, he had performed drug sellers in a number of movies, together with “Die Onerous 2” (1990), “Avenue Hunter” (1990), “Casualties of Battle” (1989), and “Hanging With the Homeboys” (1991).

Leguizamo additionally mentioned that when he accepted the function in “Carlito’s Method,” he threw himself into analysis to make his portrayal as genuine as potential.

Accordingly, he hung out with drug sellers in New York’s Decrease East Aspect which, on reflection, he thinks was “loopy.”

“I believed I had movie star immunity after which I spotted no person’s gonna care about it after they shoot them up,” he mentioned.

Leguizamo mentioned that whereas “all that analysis paid off,” he realized he made an in depth name as, not lengthy after he parted methods with the sellers, one in every of their brothers received shot in an altercation. 

“I am glad I had left ‘trigger yeah, I might’ve received shot, too,” he mentioned.

Regardless of Leguizamo’s reservations about being typecast, following the discharge of the movie, he accepted a number of extra roles wherein he performed gangsters or gang-adjacent characters.

In 2002’s “Empire,” he took the lead function of Victor Rosa, a heroin hustler with ambitions to turn into a authentic businessman. He additionally performed drug sellers in “Land of the Useless” (2005), “The Take” (2008), and “American Extremely” (2015).