Happy birthday, actor extraordinaire John Leguizamo!

 

John Leguizamo, born July 22, 1960 in Bogota, Columbia, began his career as an extra in Madonna's Borderline video in 1984.  His breakout performance was his role as Chi-Chi in To Wong Fu, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar, which garnered him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor.  Since then, he has shown his immense talent for a variety of genres.  He has voiced Sid the Sloth in the animated Ice Age franchise, appeared as Scrooge in comedy-horror Violent Night, and most recently, The Odyssey.

He has been nominated for four Primetime Emmys and won the Outstanding Performance in a Variety or Music Program in 1999 for his performance in John Leguizamo: Freak. He was nominated for two Tony Awards in 1998 for Freak.

He frequently appears as a host for The Daily Show.

John Leguizamo Speaks

"Ice Age" premieres 2002

Blue Sky Studios premiered their animated comedy Ice Age, March 12, 2002, and released across the US March 15.  The movie follows the adventures of a wooly mammoth Manny (voiced by Ray Romano), a sloth (voiced by John Leguizamo), and a shady saber-toothed tiger (voiced by Denis Leary) as they try to return a human baby to the humans before the pass closes up.

It was well-received, ranking #1 at the box office during its first weekend. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2003.  It has spawned four sequels. 

"Ice Age: The Meltdown" released 2006

Ice Age: The Meltdown, the sequel to the wildly popular first Ice Age movie, was released March 31, 2006.  The movie featured the return of the main characters Manny the Mammoth (Ray Romano), Sid the Sloth (John Leguizamo) and Diego the sabre-toothed tiger (Denis Leary).  Scrat returns as well. 

Manny, Sid and Diego realize the Ice Age is coming to an end and must leave the valley before it is flooded.  On the way, they meet another mammoth, Ellie, voiced by Queen Latifah, proving that Manny is not the last one.

It was the first 2006 movie to surpass the $100M mark and is the 66th highest-grossing film of all time.

"Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" released 2009

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, the third installment of the Ice Age series, premiered July 1, 2009.  This movie featured the gang of Manny, Sid, Diego, Ellie, Crash and Eddie as they try to save Sid from being eaten by a dinosaur.  After hatching three T-Rex eggs, Sid finds himself up against Mama T-Rex in an underground prehistoric land.

This is my favorite of this series.

Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month: John Leguizamo, actor extraordinaire!

I could not leave National Hispanic Heritage Month without celebrating my gorgeous boy John Leguizamo!  I first saw him in Too Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar.  As critics said, he steals the show.  Since then I've totally enjoyed him as Sid the sloth in the Ice Age movies.  The last one, Collision Course, isn't that good. :(

He has won an Obie Award, an Outer Critics Award and listed as one of twelve "Promising Actors of 1991".  He wrote and participated in "Spic-O-Rama" which won a Drama Desk Award and four Cable ACE Awards.

Leguizamo won an Outer Critics Circle Award and a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Solo Performance