Age: 65
male
John Alberto Leguizamo Peláez (born July 22, 1960) is a Colombian-American stand-up comedian, actor, and film producer. He has appeared in over 100 films, produced over 20 films and documentaries, made over 30 television appearances, and has produced various television projects. He has also written and performed for the Broadway stage receiving four Tony Award nominations for Freak in 1998, Sexaholix in 2002, and Latin History for Moronsin in 2018. He received a Special Tony Award in 2018. Leguizamo began his career as a stand-up comedian in New York City. After several years of doing supporting roles in film and television, he rose to fame with significant roles in the fantasy adventure Super Mario Bros. portraying Luigi Mario and the crime drama Carlito's Way portraying Benny Blanco (both from 1993), followed by a role as drag queen Chi-Chi Rodriguez in the road comedy To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995), for which he received a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor nomination. Other films Leguizamo has since appeared in include Romeo + Juliet (1996), The Pest (1997), Summer of Sam (1999), Moulin Rouge! (2001), Empire (2002), Love in the Time of Cholera (2007), Righteous Kill (2008), The Lincoln Lawyer (2011), The Counselor (2013), John Wick (2014), John Wick 2 (2017), and The Menu (2022). As a voice actor, he narrated the sitcom The Brothers García (2000–2004). He played Sid the Sloth in the Ice Age franchise and Bruno Madrigal in Encanto (2021). Leguizamo is also known for his television roles including Freak (1998) for which he received the 1999 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program. This historic win made Leguizamo the first Latino to win this award in Emmy history. He received further Primetime Emmy Award nominations for the miniseries Waco (2018) and the Netflix limited series When They See Us (2019). He has also appeared on ER, The Kill Point, Bloodline, and The Mandalorian. In 2023, he hosted the MSNBC series Leguizamo Does America.
John Leguizamo
Pedro Chespirito / Bumblebee Man
for Pedro Chespirito / Bumblebee Man in ¡Ay, Ay, Ay! The Life of Bumblebee Man
Suggested by jakubduda
Born in Mexico City as Pedro Chespirito, a bright, gentle child obsessed with comedy and television, Pedro grows up idolizing classic slapstick stars and dreaming of making people laugh. Life, however, has other plans. Economic hardship pushes him north to Springfield, where his thick accent, earnest optimism, and physical comedy make him an unlikely fit for serious acting roles. After years of rejection, Pedro lands a job at Channel 8, as a caricature, Bumblebee Man, a loud, accident-prone TV mascot dressed in ridiculous bee costume. It becomes an instant hit. Children adore him. Catchphrases go viral. Merchandise explodes. As Bumblebee Man, he is famous, as Pedro, he is alone. He marries, divorces, reconnects with his son, and navigates cultural displacement, all while endlessly slipping on banana peels and being stung by his own jokes. Mid-career burnout and a humiliating live-TV incident force Pedro to confront the truth, the world loves the mask, not the man. When Channel 8 considers replacing Bumblebee Man with a younger, louder version, Pedro must decide whether to fight for his identity or finally step out of the suit, even if it means losing everything. In the end, Pedro finds redemption not by abandoning comedy, but by reclaiming it. He learns that dignity and laughter can coexist. Pedro walks onto a small stage, no costume, just a man telling a joke in his own voice. The audience laughs. He is invited to SNL. This time, it’s for him. Channel 8 to not replace him
