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Actor John Leguizamo is known for his supporting roles in films such asSuper Mario Bros., Carlito’s Way,and more. The actor also has a presence on the stage, having been nominated for four Tony Award nominations for his performance in the Broadway showFreak. He has also won a Golden Globe Award for his supporting role inTo Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar.
At the beginning of his career, Leguizamo had a small role in Bruce Willis’Die Hard 2. The actor recounted his experience in the action film as a harrowing reminder of everything wrong with Hollywood. He was reportedly chosen for the role of a terrorist in the action film and was demoted to a much lesser role due to his looks.
John Leguizamo Had A Terrible Experience OnDie Hard 2
Bruce Willisbecame an action star overnight when he starred as John McCain in the action filmDie Hard. The Christmas film saw him take on a group of German terrorists who had hijacked his wife’s office at Nakatomi Plaza. Willis starred along with Alan Rickman and became an unlikely action star as he was known for his comedic role inMoonlighting.
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After the success of the first installment, which earned $143 million worldwide (viaThe Numbers), the makers of the film commissioned a sequel. Released two years after the original,Die Hard 2saw Bruce Willis take on terrorists at the Washington Dulles Airport while he waits for his wife. The film was even more successful, earning $240 million (Box Office Mojo).
However, the film was not all happy for actor John Leguizamo, who played Burke, a terrorist in the film. He mentioned that the film was a terrible experience and gave him a real taste of how Hollywood worked. He said in an interview with theAV Club,
That was my introduction into Hollywood—and the superficiality of Hollywood—because I had auditioned for it on video, and they offered me ‘terrorist number two.’ And then, when they lined us up, and I was the shortest guy and the youngest guy, I got demoted to ‘terrorist number seven,’ and I was so bummed.
And then they stripped me of a lot of my lines. And then I died with a hood over my head, so you didn’t even know it was me. They dubbed my voice. I told my friends, ‘I’m starring in Die Hard 2.’ I wasn’t.
John Leguizamo had only featured in a small part inMiami Viceand in a Madonna music video at the time andDie Hard 2was one of his first major film roles.
John Leguizamo Learned A Lot FromSuper Mario Bros.
While actorJohn Leguizamohas made a mark in films such asCarlito’s Wayand on the stage, his most infamous role will remain playing Luigi in the disastrousSuper Mario Bros.The actor played the iconic video game character and starred along with Bob Hoskins, who played Mario, and Dennis Hopper, who played President Koopa.
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Despite the film’s commercial and critical failure, Leguizamo mentioned that he still had many learnings while on set with such stalwart actors. He said,
You do learn a lot. The bigger they are, they become almost a military operation. You have so many different legions of crew members doing different things. And how do you monitor this? And how do you finish your day successfully? How do you deal with the studio and their notes? It takes a massive toll, and it takes a really strong person to navigate that—and I saw that.
I was like, “Wow, you have to really be on top of your game on so many levels.” Your social skills and your leadership skills and your artistic skills—because you still gotta be an artist at the end of the day, because you’re a storyteller.
The film was released in 1993 and earned only $38 million against a $48 million budget (viaBox Office Mojo). It was a huge commercial disaster, costing many losses to the studio.
Die Hard 2is currently streaming on Hulu.
Nishanth A
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2417
Nishanth A is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows with over 2,000 articles published. He has been an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a scriptwriter at various corporations before that, working on educational content. With a Communications, English Literature, and Psychology triple major, Nishanth usually covers news and analyses on Star Trek, particularly Strange New Worlds and The Next Generation; Doctor Who, the DCU, and more.A Nolan fan, Nishanth spends his time exploring the filmographies of various directors with an auteurial style or can be found making short movies of his own. He has also contributed as a feature writer for Film Companion, focusing on the South division.
