When it comes to Latine culture, John Leguizamo always has something to say. Whether performing a one-man stage show like Latin History for Morons or speaking on the lack of Latine representation in Hollywood, Leguizamo has never been shy about offering his opinion about the importance of inclusion and contributions of Latines everywhere.
Now, Leguizamo has a new platform to share his thoughts on how Latine communities are shaping the country. In Leguizamo Does America, the actor travels across the U.S. to celebrate Latine history, culture, food and people. “It’s part politics, part road trip, and part history lesson, all wrapped in a vintage Leguizamo adventure, showcasing the fastest-growing demographic in the nation,” reads a press release.
A six-episode docuseries on MSNBC, Leguizamo Does America premiered on Sunday (April 16) with the Violent Night star visiting New York City to show viewers what kind of impact Latines have had on the largest city in the U.S. “I don’t know what New York would be without Latinos, but it sure as hell wouldn’t smell as good, it wouldn’t taste as good, and it definitely wouldn’t sound as good,” Leguizamo said at the start of the first episode.
During the episode, Leguizamo takes audiences to the apartment complex he grew up in Jackson Heights in Queens, a bodega to eat a chopped cheese, a record store to listen to Latine hip-hop, and a community theater where Latine performers are given the opportunity to produce their own work.
“I use the travel show method as a way to smuggle content because I want all of America to have Latin envy and want them to feel like they wish they had been born Latin,” John Leguizamo told The Hollywood Reporter. “That’s my mission, and for Latin people to feel very proud of being Latin.”
Leguizamo Does America is set to drop new episodes each week on MSNBC.