The Sad Reason John Leguizamo Avoided Going Out In The Sun For Years

If, like us, you've been bopping to "We Don't Talk About Bruno" for what seems like forever, you know that we have to talk about Bruno. And by Bruno, we mean his voice actor John Leguizamo. If you aren't familiar with his role in Disney's "Encanto," maybe you remember Leguizamo as Pest from "The Pest," or Toulouse-Lautrec from "Moulin Rouge," or even Sid from "Ice Age."

Wherever you know him from, you know that Leguizamo is full of wit, joy, and charisma. This is more evident if you've seen him on stage doing shows like his "Latin History for Morons" – he is an absolute icon. Not only is he funny, but he also isn't afraid to speak the truth to power. Leguizamo isn't shy about his views on representation in the media, particularly for his Latinx community.

"I mean, we're less than 1% of the stories told by Hollywood and streaming media and networks when we're almost 20% of the population, 25% of the U.S. box office," Leguizamo told People in 2020. It's no surprise that now Leguizamo is being honest about the lengths he's gone to maintain his career in a whitewashed Hollywood.

As a Latinx actor, John Leguizamo has dealt with insidious racism throughout his career. He told the Academy Awards' Seen series that he wants to see more "Latin actors" get roles that aren't just "one-dimensional and not worthy of awards" or negative stereotypes. He wants to see the changes started through the Black Lives Matter movement make their way to casting because he doesn't want younger actors to go through what he did (via Daily Mail).

One of the things Leguizamo went through was purposefully staying out of the sun to maintain his light skin tone because darker-skinned Latinx actors weren't getting cast. "I definitely would not go in the sun for years. It was a conscious thing because I could work," Leguizamo told Seen. He went on to say that he saw firsthand that "Afro-Latinos" and "indigenous Latinos" weren't getting their fair shake in Hollywood, which informed his choice to stay in the shade.

Leguizamo acknowledged that there is progress being made although it isn't enough: "What I want to see, I want to see 20 percent of the roles in front of the camera and the crew. I'm not asking for extra. I just want what's due to us." Everyone deserves equity on-screen, we support you, John! Enjoy the sunshine, you deserve it. (Just don't forget the SPF!)