It’s uncomfortable saying anything negative about The Odyssey right now. In an age of mediocre sequels and uninspired live action adaptations, it feels necessary to exclusively put good vibes into the universe about a big budget event film with high art aspirations that’s doing its own thing. Most of us want more movies like it, and because of that desire, it’s more comfortable to just tell people, “The Odyssey is great! Go see it.”

The truth, however, is that The Odyssey is not great. It’s merely good, and the reason why it’s a step below great is because it has a major side character problem. More specifically, it’s filled with dozens of disposable side characters with one-note personalities who are merely there to advance the plot.

It’s Mostly A Problem Of Structure

I know The Odyssey is a long movie, but even for a long movie, a lot of stuff happens. We get the Trojan Horse and the destruction that comes afterwards. We get the bit with the cyclops, the bit with the sirens and the bit with Scylla and Charybids. There’s an extended sequence with Calypso and the Lotus Flowers. There’s the cattle of Helios and the entire fallout from that. There’s the stuff with Circe and Odysseus’ men and then the stuff with Circe and Odysseus himself. There’s the scene where he meets with the soldiers who have died, and the scene where they have to escape the man-eating giants.

And that’s just the stuff involving Odysseus while he’s on his extended adventure. We also get a parallel plot that runs throughout the movie that involves his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus. She has to fend off the suitors who want to marry her and take her place, and Telemachus goes on his own side quest to Sparta to meet with Menelaus and try to figure out if his father is really dead.

Altogether, it’s too much plot for a single movie. It would have been an impossible task to get through all of this in three hours without abridging and trying to move through everything with a brisk momentum.

But That Doesn’t Change The Fact That These Side Characters Are Not Good

Most of The Odyssey’s runtime follows Odysseus’ quest to get home alongside his men. Unfortunately, we spend almost no time with those actual men at all. There are a few scenes of plot-driven banter and minor character development between Matt Damon’s Odysseus and Himesh Patel’s Eurylochus, but there’s nothing particularly memorable or noteworthy about their relationship.

They don’t have a fun rapport or any distinct conversations. And we get almost nothing from anyone else, apart from occasional reaction shots and maybe the odd bit of dialogue here or there. They have no quirks, eccentricities or memorable facets to their personalities. They’re just around to move the plot along.

Unfortunately, that’s a recurring theme with most of the characters in the movie, even the ones that should stand out. Take Charlize Theron’s Calypso. Odysseus spends years eating the Lotus Flowers and living with her on the island, but for the sake of runtime, we’re really just told about it. We don’t see them spending any real time together, and she’s not even given a fully developed personality. Theron has been nominated for three Oscars and has a long track record of doing really weird and memorable things with many of her characters, and yet, she feels so subdued here.

You could go down the list and say the same thing for side character after side character. Zendaya's Athena, Jon Bernthal’s Menelaus, Lupita Nyong’o’s Helen Of Troy and Mia Goth’s maid servant, are all, in theory, key characters played by acclaimed actors who should have a memorable impact on the movie, and instead, they’re just kind of there. Sometimes they deliver really emotional and weighty dialogue, but since we’re not given time to get to know their characters, they just feel like words moving along the plot.

I can’t imagine anyone leaving The Odyssey and saying, ‘you know what side character I really loved?’ Even the ones who are in the movie for a substantial amount of time feel so shallow and without. Robert Pattinson is, I guess, trying to be a little quirky with his portrayal of Antinous, who is the stand-in for the suitors that we see the most, but he’s still ultimately a stock villain from the sleazy handbook.

Samantha Morton’s Circe and John Leguizamo’s Eumaeus are getting a bit of positive buzz, but in my opinion, they still feel semi-neutered or at least like unrealized potential. Morton is in the movie for like fifteen minutes, maybe, and chooses to go a bit more understated than the set buzz had me believe, and almost all of Leguizamo’s scenes are just an old man getting picked on and looking downtrodden (apart from that wild puppy scene).

It’s A Missed Opportunity

Once again, none of this is to say The Odyssey is a bad movie or not worth your time. It’s a good movie that is worth your time. You should go see it because it’s (for the most part) an achievement in what’s possible and has a ton of scenes that work really well. There’s so much about the film that’s worth praising, but none of it has to do with character development, which is mediocre at best for Damon's Odysseus, as well as the other two leads Anne Hathaway (who makes the most of her one-note widow) and Tom Holland (who is decent as the one-note meek son).

I don’t know how Nolan could have possibly developed all these characters in three hours, but ultimately, he picked this story and this format. Maybe it should have been two movies. Maybe it should have been a miniseries. I don’t know what the answer was, but I think we should be honest that the path he picked has obvious limitations.

It sucks that the sirens were a three minute afterthought because there wasn’t time to develop their characters. It sucks that we didn’t get more from Theron or Bernthal or Nyong’o. It sucks that Morton’s Circe was only around for like ninety seconds before she showed her true intentions. All of these characters could have been the centerpiece of entire movies or episodes or at least hour long chunks. Instead, they’re underdeveloped. Instead, they’re part of a side character problem that can’t be overlooked.

Christopher Nolan’s next film, The Odyssey, is still a few days away from hitting the 2026 movie schedule, but for months it's been in the firing line for angry people on the internet. I know it’s best to stay out of the comment section, but sometimes I can’t help myself. It doesn’t take long when I do dip my toes in to see some of the major complaints that people have even before seeing the movie. I have to say, none of these are concerns of mine. I remain highly optimistic about this epic that is about to unfold for all of us seeing the movie next week.

The Casting Seems To Be The Focus Of Many Commenters’ Ire

There is no question that Nolan has assembled one heck of a cast. Matt Damon leads the movie as Odysseus. Anne Hathaway is playing his wife, Penelope. Tom Holland is playing Telemachus, his son. Joining them, we’ve got stars like Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Samantha Morton (who has apparently killed it with her performance), and Jon Bernthal, along with many others. It’s stacked. There are two or three cast members who have some people upset, and it makes no sense.

Lupita Nyong'o (Helen of Troy), John Leguizamo (Eumaeus), and Elliot Page (Sinon) have drawn the most wrath, and Travis Scott (playing a bard) has also taken some shots. Of course, it’s easy to see why these four have been in the firing line, and frankly, I think it’s all silly (and offensive, of course). The Odyssey is a myth. It’s not history. Historical accuracy should take a backseat to storytelling in this case. Helen of Troy wasn’t a real person, so why does it matter if the actress playing the character doesn’t look Greek or Spartan? Nyong'o certainly fits the description of being beautiful, and she is one of the most talented actresses in the world. That’s by far enough for me.

The Accents, Armor, And Ships Are Also Popular Complaints

The second most common whine is that the armor Odysseus and his men wear is not period-accurate. I’m all for historical accuracy in film; in fact, it’s often a deciding factor in whether I like a movie or not (I’m looking at you, Napoleon), but again, this is a myth. I don’t care that Damon and his cohorts are dressed in armor that doesn’t fit the age. That’s not the point of the story here. Let’s be honest, period-accurate armor looks rather ridiculous, and so making it look “cooler” is just fine by me. The same goes for the ships used by our hero and his men. Yeah, they look more like Viking ships than boats from ancient Greece, but again, this story is a myth, so why care?

Another popular refrain seems to be that all of the actors are using American accents in the movie, even the Brits. I have to say, again, why is this something people are mad about? They aren’t speaking ancient Greek in this modern telling of the myth, either. No one is upset about that, because everyone understands why the movie is in English, so what does it matter which accents are being used? Nolan apparently was looking for consistency, and so this decision makes total sense. This is seriously just complaining to complain.

Luckily for me, none of these creative decisions bother me in the slightest, and I can say that this is by far my most anticipated movie of the summer.

I think of myself as a fairly literate person. So, of course, I've read Homer's epic poem, The Odyssey.

That's why, when it was announced that Christopher Nolan's next project was an adaptation of the story, I had a pretty good idea of what we would be getting, as to how far one can deviate from such a classic tale. Then, I saw the first trailer. And the cast listing. I thought, wait, maybe I DON'T know what this movie will be like, because the vision I initially had in my head was not what I was seeing with every tidbit of information.

Which puts me in an interesting spot. As somebody who loves the original story, I didn't know what I thought of this new interpretation. The longer I've sat with it, the more I've come to love Nolan's tweaks to the story. Here's why.

Can I Just Say That I'm In Love With This Casting? And Yes, All Of It

Here's a thing that I think everybody should know, but I feel I have to remind people of: OPINIONS CANNOT BE “WRONG.” THEY ARE JUST OPINIONS. Believing otherwise would denote them as facts, which they are not. They are just somebody's personal feelings. So, when Elon Musk makes statements against Lupita Nyong'o playing Helen of Troy, you may disagree with him (I certainly do), but it doesn’t mean he's “wrong.“ That's just what he feels. As The Dude would say, “Yeah? Well, you know. That's just like, uh, your opinion, man.”

It is MY opinion that Lupita Nyong'o, who I think is beautiful, would make for an amazing Helen of Troy. Not only that, but I love that Nolan is pulling a Michael B. Jordan dual role by having Nyong'o play both Helen and her sister, Clytemnestra. That, I would say, is inspired casting. I also dig the possibility of Elliot Page playing Achilles (as we still, as of this writing, don’t know who Page is playing). Yes, people, today like to think of Brad Pitt from Troy as the best Achilles, but I think Page would be a pretty rad take on the figure. It's certainly different.

John Leguizamo as the blind Eumaeus is another interesting choice. Plus, Travis Scott as a bard is just the icing on the cake. It's not like Nolan hasn't worked with Scott before, as the latter was in Tenet. So, if Nolan thinks the rapper works in the role, then I'm all for it.

Remember, many people initially thought that Heath Ledger wouldn't work as The Joker, and look how that turned out. So, let Nolan cook!

I Like That Elements Of The Fall of Troy Are Also Being Represented

Here's something people may not know. The Trojan Horse is never mentioned in The Odyssey's precursor, The Iliad. Like, at all. It is mentioned in passing in The Odyssey, but the Trojan Horse, which is often the key iconography in the fall of Troy, is not in The Iliad. Instead, it’s in Virgil’s The Aeneid. This is because Homer’s The Iliad doesn’t reach the end of the war, so we don’t get to see the Trojan Horse.

That said, we do see in the trailer that there are flashbacks to the fall of Troy, as well as the aforementioned Trojan Horse, and I really like this aspect of the film. The Iliad and The Odyssey are two very different epic poems. The Iliad is more of a war story and valor. The Odyssey, however, is a more fantastical story with witches, cyclops, and monsters, etc.

The melding of these two poems, even if only through flashbacks, will give The Odyssey an interesting tone that I’m looking forward to. I’m also interested to see how some of these characters fit into The Odyssey. For example, Benny Safdie plays Agamemnon, who is in the Underworld in The Odyssey, but very much alive during the war. So, I’d love to see those scenes from The Iliad and The Aeneid play out.

I have so many questions, and I hope the movie delivers when it comes to representing the other poems.

I’m Also Perfectly Fine With The Characters Speaking In Perfect English If It Makes The Story More Accessible To A Broader Audience

I’ve never really liked Mel Gibson as an actor, but I do love him as a director, and one of my favorite movies that he directed is Apocalypto. Aside from being a great chase movie, it is cool because the entire film is spoken in Yucatec Maya (I also think it’s cool that The Passion of the Christ is spoken in Aramaic, Latin, and Hebrew).

I like antiquity and accuracy. I also really like reading subtitles (Sub will ALWAYS be better than dub). However, another controversy (outside of the casting) that I’ve seen online for Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is that the actors speak in English with American accents - including the English actors like Tom Holland and Robert Pattinson! I’m sorry, but is this really a problem? I love reading, and I would have no problem if the actors in this film spoke in ancient Greek or whatever, and we got subtitles, but I am NOT your typical moviegoer.

In fact, most people I talk to haven’t read a book in years, and don’t want to read it. Hell, if they did, they wouldn’t even need to watch The Odyssey because they would have already read it. That said, for The Odyssey to have the broadest appeal possible, I think it should be in English. Also, since Matt Damon is the star, I’d much rather he speak normally rather than having to adopt an English accent just to match some of the other actors’ speech patterns. The Odyssey is a really wonderful story that’s been told for literally thousands of years, and if this is somebody's introduction to the story, then so be it.

In other words, I don’t want accuracy or subtitles to be a barrier to entry. Sure, maybe characters shouldn’t be shouting, “Let’s go!” as they charge into battle, but modernizing The Odyssey doesn’t seem like the worst thing in the world to me, which brings me to my last point.

Hopefully, Nolan Can Do For This Epic Poem What He Did For Batman, Which Is Give It A New Approach

Was Batman the character dead before Batman Begins? Of course not. Batman is bigger than the movies. That said, was his cinematic presence on life support before Batman Begins? Probably, because even though I love it, a lot of fans thought Batman & Robin was pretty much the death knell for Batman's character on screen, given how silly it was.

Then, Nolan revitalized the character with Batman Begins, and Batman was cool again.

My point is that The Odyssey is a classic story, and it's been adapted before. Even so, I think it'd be boring if it were just the same story retold, and I'm hoping that Nolan can put his particular spin on it.

So far, I like what I see.

Some stories mellow with time; others get the ending they deserve. As the cult classic To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar hits its 30th anniversary, John Leguizamo is looking back at the long-discussed tension with his co-star, Patrick Swayze, and how they finally settled it before Swayze’s passing in 2009. With that, Leguizamo discussed the specific logistics that were involved in making the reconciliation happen.

John Leguizamo explained that he and Patrick Swayze weren’t able to reconnect face-to-face in order to make amends. However, as the veteran actor wen ton to tell PEOPLE, they found a way to close the loop, thanks to a bit of help:

The friction between the two Wong Foo stars wasn’t exactly secret. By the Moulin Rouge! veteran’s own telling, his improv-heavy approach clashed with Swayze’s stick-to-the-page style back in 1995, a mismatch that sometimes bled from the work into real life. Leguizamo has since admitted he can carry a grudge and even jokes:

Perspective is a powerful thing and, now, after 30 years, John Leguizamo feels comfortable admitting that maturity isn’t his strongest quality. What stands out today is the grace found in the epilogue. Instead of a flashy reunion photo, we witness a very Hollywood-style reconciliation.

This softens the narrative surrounding a film that has only grown in prestige over the years, as it was one of the earliest mainstream movies to celebrate drag culture and the LGBTQ+ community. Patrick Swayze’s Vida Boheme, Leguizamo’s Chi-Chi Rodriguez, and Wesley Snipes’ Noxeema Jackson transformed what could have been a typical road comedy into a heartfelt and culturally impactful story, making it a film that continues to be rediscovered by new audiences every few years.

The Mario Bros. veteran actor hasn’t kept his affection for his Wong Foo family quiet. He says he’s still in touch with Blythe Danner (“one of the greats,” in his words) and remains close with Snipes, as it’s one of his best performances, praising his co-star for both talent and character. He now speaks about those relationships with nostalgia and gratitude, which makes for a nice bookend to the less flattering old headlines.

If you’re feeling the pull to revisit the movie, and why wouldn’t you, because it's one of the best movies of the '90s, To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar is currently available to purchase or rent with a Prime Video subscription.

As for John Leguizamo's professional life, his latest project, the crime drama Smoke, landed on the 2025 TV schedule earlier this year, and all episodes are available to stream with an Apple TV+ subscription.

There have been a lot of under-the-radar movies released in 2025, and I’m here to help draw more attention to one of them. After premiering at SXSW in 2024 and winning both the Narrative Feature Grand Jury Award and the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature, John Leguizamo’s latest movie, Bob Trevino Likes It, received a limited theatrical release on March 9 and is now available to stream with a Hulu subscription. Now that I’ve finally seen the movie after viewing the trailer months back, I need to talk about how its message of found family was important to me.

What Bob Trevino Likes It Is About

Based on a true story from writer and director Tracie Lymon, Bob Trevino Likes It follows a 25-year-old woman named Lily Trevino, played by Euphoria’s Barbie Ferreira, who becomes estranged from her narcissistic and emotionally abusive father, Bob, played by French Stewart. Having been abandoned by her mother as a child, and coming off a bad breakup, Lily is desperate to reconnect with her father. So after failing to reach him on the phone and at his house, she seeks him out on Facebook and sends a friend request to an account that doesn’t have a profile picture. It actually belongs to John Leguizamo’s Bob Trevino.

This Bob is a married construction manager who, like Lily, doesn’t have many friends, and has also lost a child. After he likes some of her posts, the two strike up a conversation, begin a real friendship, and eventually meet in person. As they spend time together, Leguizamo’s Bob shows Lily more kindness and compassion than her own father ever did, and they both help each other become better people.

Bob Trevino Likes It Does An Amazing Job Highlighting Found Family

John Leguizamo (who will be seen next year in The Odyssey) and Barbie Ferrera give great performances in Bob Trevino Likes It, and the movie is wonderfully directed, but the focus on found family particularly struck a chord with me. Not only am I often drawn to stories where people unrelated by blood are in a tight-knit group will look out for one another like they would a parent, sibling, or child, I have some experience with this in real life. Besides my parents, I’m not particularly close with anyone in my extended family for various reasons, and I’ve found more fulfilling relationships with friends for most of my life.

I won’t share any more specific Bob Trevino Likes It plot details, but the important takeaway is that Lily starts off wanting familial connection so bad that she’s willing to endure her father’s toxic behavior. But just because you’re related to someone by blood doesn’t mean you have to put up with mistreatment or abuse from them, should you find yourself in such a situation. Family can be formed from people from all walks of life, given the right circumstances. If you can find such kinship, count yourself incredibly lucky and hold onto it tightly.

Again, Bob Trevino Likes It can be streamed on Hulu, so carve out some time to watch it if you haven’t already. The chemistry between John Leguizamo and Barbie Ferreira’s two characters, who come together under unusual circumstances, was so great to watch, and the heartwarming story was another reminder for me about how family can stretch beyond genetic connection if the relationship is strong enough.

Since it was announced Christopher Nolan would adapt The Odyssey, many have expressed excitement. That hype has only increased as cast members, including Jesse Garcia, have praised the epic adaptation. Now, John Leguizamo is jumping in with some thoughts on his filming experience with Nolan. What Leguizamo shares of the hotly anticipated 2026 movie schedule entry getting me even more pumped and making me wish I could be a fly on the wall amid production.

Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is without a doubt one of the biggest upcoming book-to-screen adaptations on the horizon. The sprawling film is pulling directly from the sprawling, Greek epic from the poet Homer. It would seem that the scale of the production isn't lost on John Leguizamo, who recently shared some teases with People. What particularly seems to have the veteran actor excited are the filming locations and the "dream team" of actors he's working with:

The notion of working with a filmmaker like Nolan in such exquisite locales is just too cool. Of course, I can't even imagine getting to work with such great stars. Anyone who thought the cast that Nolan assembled for Oppenheimer was impressive should note that he's upped the ante. Joining Leguizamo are A-listers like Tom Holland, Matt Damon, Jon Bernthal, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Elliot Page, Lupita Nyong’o and Charlize Theron. To put it simply, this cast and its production shoot seem like a dream come true.

As John Leguizamo continued to praise the star-studded project, he took the time to highlight Christopher Nolan’s innate directing talents. In the past, Leguizamo turned down big roles for “stupid reasons,” by his own admission. However, he didn’t think twice about working with Nolan The 64-year-old equated the Interstellar director to another iconic filmmaker, and I think it's a fair comparison:

Seriously, can I please just watch this movie now? I'm not surprised at all to hear someone praise Christopher Nolan but, in this context, it makes me confident that The Odyssey will be an incredible film. Others have also praised Nolan, including Charlize Theron, who seemed excited about joining the ambitious production. After hearing the positive sentiments, you better believe I'm going to be seated in a theater when the movie opens on July 17, 2026.

Of course, I'm also waiting to see and hear more about the film. Just recently, The Odyssey's teaser was leaked online amid it being shown exclusively in theaters ahead of 2025 movie schedule title Jurassic World Rebirth. Hopefully, more updates are shared sooner rather than later but, in the meantime, I'm just living vicariously through John Leguizamo.

The next time you watch a comedy movie, see if you can picture the star engaging in fisticuffs with a criminal and taking down their henchpeople in a shootout. You never know: they could be Hollywood’s next great action hero.

It may seem unlikely until you realize that many of the best action movies and TV shows of all time have been led by or featured pivotal roles played by stand-up comedians or actors who broke through in funny flicks or even classic TV sitcoms. See for yourself by taking a look at some comedically talented actors who beat the odds by becoming action stars.

Will Smith

After initially coming to prominence as a rap artist, Academy Award winner Will Smith proved he had a charismatic onscreen presence as the star of the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air cast in the early 1990s. In 1995, he was cast in director Michael Bay's buddy cop movie, Bad Boys, and, the following year, led Roland Emmerich's action-packed alien invasion flick, Independence Day. There would soon be so much more where those came from.

Cheech Marin

Along with his partner, Tommy Chong, Cheech Marin essentially became the face of stoner comedy, especially after co-leading the classic '70s movie, Up in Smoke. His career would take a turn when he appeared in 1995's Desperado, leading him to become a staple of Robert Rodriguez's movies, and, eventually, began portraying a type of character his roles from the Cheech & Chong movies would try to avoid alongside Don Johnson in the hit cop show, Nash Bridges.

Chris Pratt

By channeling much of the same comedic energy from his scene-stealing breakout role in the Parks and Recreation cast as Andy Dwyer, Chris Pratt helped make 2014's sci-fi odyssey, Guardians of the Galaxy, a light breath of fresh air into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His fun, heartfelt performance as Peter "Star-Lord" Quill also convinced Hollywood he was leading man material, opening the door for him to star in the Jurassic World movies and Amazon Prime's The Terminal List, to name a few.

Paul Rudd

Paul Rudd made his major motion picture debut in the hilarious high school movie classic Clueless before later hit comedies like Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, and Knocked Up made him one of Hollywood's most sought-after actors in the genre. He found the perfect role to become inducted into the MCU in the form of Ant-Man, playing the shrinking superhero with the same everyman quality that made him an A-lister.

Michael Keaton

Because Michael Keaton got his start in stand-up comedy and had been best known for movies like Night Shift and Mr. Mom at the time, comic book fans were up in arms over Tim Burton's decision to cast him in his live-action Batman movies, Batman and Batman Returns. The Oscar nominee has since been regarded as one of the best actors to play the Dark Knight (if not the best) and would even return to superhero movies as one of the best Spider-Man movie villains, Vulture, in 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming.

Nicolas Cage

It is easy to forget that Nicolas Cage started out in comedies like Valley Girl and Peggy Sue Got Married before blowing us away in high-octane thrillers like Con Air, Face/Off, and Gone in 60 Seconds. Then again, it is also easy to tell that the Oscar winner has a comedy background from some of his action movie credits, including the three listed above and his even Cagier roles, like from Mandy and Willy's Wonderland.

Damon Wayans

You may have forgotten he was on Saturday Night Live, but you should surely remember Damon Wayans from his days on the In Living Color cast and from sitcoms like My Wife and Kids. Hopefully, you did not also forget about his roles in '90s crime thrillers The Last Boy Scout (opposite Bruce Willis) and Bulletproof (opposite Adam Sandler) or when he took over as Roger Murtaugh for Fox's series adaptation of Lethal Weapon.

Robert Downey Jr.

After lasting one season on Saturday Night Live, appearing in several '80s teen comedies like Weird Science, and earning his first Oscar nod for playing Charlie Chaplin, Robert Downey Jr.'s career would hit a snag in the early 2000s. Luckily, he would make an inspiring comeback after leading the 2005 noir thriller Kiss Kiss Bang Bang before kicking off the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the title role of Iron Man and playing Guy Ritchie's version of Sherlock Holmes.

Eddie Murphy

Many credit Eddie Murphy with single-handedly saving Saturday Night Live in the early 1980s, right before making his feature debut alongside Nick Nolte in Walter Hill's 1982 buddy crime thriller, 48 Hrs. Just two years later, the comedian led his own acclaimed action-comedy movie called Beverly Hills Cop, which made him Hollywood's biggest star.

Bruce Willis

In the mid-to-late 1980s, Bruce Willis was best known for playing David Addison on Moonlighting, starring opposite Kim Basinger in Blind Date, and appearing in commercials for Seagram, which is why audiences initially laughed when they saw him as John McClane in the trailer for Die Hard. However, the 1988 action classic would immediately skyrocket the actor to stardom and turn him into a top Hollywood action star, later known for leading thrillers like The Fifth Element, Armageddon, and Sin City.

Jamie Foxx

Jamie Foxx's stand-up career led him to join the In Living Color cast and lead his own self-titled sitcom before his Oscar-winning performance in the 2004 music biopic, Ray, and Oscar-nominated performance in Collateral the same year opened wider doors for him. He went on to star in more thrillers like Jarhead, The Kingdom, Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 as Electro, and White House Down.

Alan Ritchson

One of Alan Ritchson's first major acting credits was playing doltish college football player Thad Castle on the uproarious sitcom Blue Mountain State before landing a small role in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, doing performance capture for the 2014 and 2017 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies, and playing Hank "Hawk" Hall on Titans. The 6'3" actor's defining, star-making turn came when he was cast in the title role of the hit Amazon Prime TV show, Reacher, leading to his casting in Guy Ritchie's The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.

Lucy Liu

Lucy Liu landed her breakthrough role on the hit workplace dramedy Ally McBeal as Ling Woo. Soon after, she achieved cinematic stardom in 2000's Charlie's Angels, teamed up with Antonio Banderas in the 2002 spy thriller Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever, and was cast as ruthless assassin O-Ren Ishii in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill.

Bob Odenkirk

Bob Odenkirk wrote for Saturday Night Live for years in the 1980s before co-leading his own acclaimed sketch comedy series with David Cross called Mr. Show, which was his main claim to fame for years. However, he stumbled onto a new career path when he joined the Breaking Bad cast as Saul Goodman, who earned his own prequel spin-off called Better Call Saul, before leading his own action flick called Nobody.

Martin Lawrence

Martin Lawrence led a successful stand-up career that turned into a successful TV career with his hit sitcom, Martin, in between starring in movies like Do the Right Thing and Boomerang. In 1995, he played Det. Marcus Burnett, for the first of multiple times in Bad Boys and even went on to play a cop in a few more overt comedies, namely Blue Streak and Big Momma's House.

Ryan Reynolds

For years, even after starring in more earnest thrillers like Smokin' Aces and Safe House, it seemed like Ryan Reynolds' defining performance would forever be the title role of National Lampoon's Van Wilder, which paved the way for him to star in more raunchy comedies like Waiting... or Just Friends. However, that would change in 2016 when he led Deadpool, which is still very much on the side of silly but is also as action-packed as any other comic book movie.

Sam Richardson

Sam Richardson quickly became a favorite in the comedy landscape for his hilarious performances in shows like I Think You Should Leave, Veep, and Ted Lasso. He would later go on to impress audiences in Amazon Prime's action-packed time travel movie The Tomorrow War opposite Chris Pratt, as the lead of the 2021 horror-comedy movie Werewolves Within, and in Paramount+'s Star Trek: Section 31.

Keanu Reeves

As the star of franchises like the John Wick movies and the Matrix films, in addition to favorites like Speed and Point Break, Keanu Reeves is one of the most prolific action stars in cinema history. Thus, it is sometimes hard to believe that he is the same actor who, excellently, played one-half of the titular duo from the Bill & Ted movies.

John Goodman

John Goodman began rising to prominence on the groundbreaking sitcom Roseanne as Dan Conner (whom he would reprise in the revival series The Conners). However, he has managed to cover just about every genre you can think of throughout his career, including action films like Kong: Skull Island and Atomic Blonde.

Emily Blunt

It might seem like a stretch to call Emily Blunt a comedy star, but she did find her breakthrough film role with a hilarious scene-stealing performance in 2006's The Devil Wears Prada. She would later prove she could play someone with a rougher exterior when she starred opposite Tom Cruise in the thrilling time loop movie, Edge of Tomorrow, and in Denis Villeneuve's stunning Sicario.

Rick Moranis

Rick Moranis is one of the most treasured comedic actors of his time, from his days at SCTV starring alongside Dave Thomas as the McKenzie Brothers (who led their own 1983 movie, Strange Brew), to appearing in films like Ghostbusters, Little Shop of Horrors, and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. In the middle of those comedy classics was a role in Walter Hill's dystopian "Rock 'n Roll fable," Streets of Fire.

Bill Burr

Bill Burr used to mock the Star Wars movies in some of his stand-up bits, which gave The Mandalorian creator Jon Favreau a funny idea to bring him into the galaxy far, far away. He cast the Massachusetts-born comedian on the series as a mercenary named Migs Mayfield, which Burr has since recognized as one of the highlights of his career.

John Leguizamo

Despite getting his start as a stand-up comedian, many of John Leguizamo's earliest acting roles have actually been in action movies, including Die Hard 2 and Executive Decision. In addition to more humorous credits, like To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar and the Ice Age movies, more thrillers would come his way, such as the John Wick movies and Violent Night.

Owen Wilson

Owen Wilson may be closely associated with comedies like Bottle Rocket, Meet the Parents, and Zoolander, but the actor has diversified his talents over various styles. He has even tried his hand at the action genre a few times, most notably in Behind Enemy Lines, No Escape, and Disney+'s MCU-canon series, Loki

Tom Hanks

Tom Hanks' first major show business breakthrough was a sitcom called Bosom Buddies, which led to roles in comedy films like Bachelor Party and Turner & Hooch. It was his Oscar-winning roles in Philadelphia and Forrest Gump that opened the door for him to star in intense dramas like the acclaimed war movie Saving Private Ryan and the sci-fi epic Cloud Atlas.

Val Kilmer

Some of Val Kilmer's most iconic roles include Iceman in Top Gun, Doc Holliday in the Western movie classic Tombstone, and the title role of Batman Forever. However, his breakthrough films were the ridiculous spy parody, Top Secret!, and the college comedy, Real Genius, in the early-to-mid 1980s.

Mila Kunis

Mila Kunis rose to fame as Jackie Burkhart in the That '70s Show cast and as the voice of Meg on Family Guy before acquiring A-list fame. Her action movie credits, namely the video game movie adaptation Max Payne and the Wachowski's ambitious sci-fi adventure, Jupiter Ascending, have not been her most esteemed efforts, but we will still count them.

Randall Park

Randall Park is best known for leading the sitcom Fresh off the Boat, his hilarious cameo on The Office as "Asian Jim Halpert," and for hit comedy movies like The Interview and Neighbors. He has also become a staple of the comic book movie genre with his role in the MCU as Agent Jimmy Woo and as Dr. Shin in the Aquaman movies.

Shia LaBeouf

Shia LaBeouf started making a name for himself when he was a teen as Louis on the Disney Channel original comedy series, Even Stevens. He went on to make a Hollywood breakthrough in the Transformers movies, which led to his roles in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and, eventually, David Ayer's 2014 war drama, Fury.

Malin Akerman

Before she became the first actor to play Silk Spectre II in live-action in 2009's Watchmen, Malin Akerman rose to fame in comedy movies like 2007's The Heartbreak Kid and shows like Children's Hospital.

Jim Belushi

Just like his late older brother, John, Jim Belushi broke out on Saturday Night Live. Unlike John, Jim achieved a brief career in action movies, such as Red Heat with Arnold Schwarzenegger, The Principal, and Oliver Stone's Salvador.

Ernest Borgnine

Ernest Borgnine was already an Oscar-winning movie star when he was cast as the lead of the hit sitcom, McHale's Navy. Eventually, he would appear in more earnest action-oriented titles, such as a made-for-TV adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front, John Carpenter's Escape from New York, and 2010's RED.

During the first John Wick movie, Keanu Reeves’ title character spends some time with John Leguizamo’s Aurelio, the owner of a chop shop who tipped off to the main protagonist that Iosev Tarasov stole his car. Leguizamo briefly reprised his role in John Wick: Chapter 2, but he hasn’t been seen in this exceptional action franchise since then. Unfortunately, the actor’s latest Wick-related update doesn’t bode well for him playing Aurelio again, though I still hope something can be worked out, because there’s some unresolved business involving his character that needs to be addressed.

Let’s get the bad news out of the way first. While speaking to Collider about his new 2025 movie Bob Trevino Likes It, Leguizamo had this to say when asked about if we’ll see him appear in another John Wick movie:

There are a handful of deleted scenes featuring Aurelio on the John Wick: Chapter 2 home release, including where he meets face-to-face with Santino D’Antonio, the movie’s main antagonist. But on top of that, it sounds like there was even more material that was written for John Leguizamo that didn’t make it into the final version. It sounds like this remains a sort spot for him, and when it was suggested he could reprise Aurelio to return John Wick’s car, he responded:

Look, I can understand why Leguizamo is still irritated by how his role in John Wick: Chapter 2 was trimmed down. And obviously he has no say whether he’s included in another John Wick movie even if he was amenable to it, that’s only going to happen if the creative team gets in touch with him. But on the subject of that car, I really hope Leguizamo changes his mind if he’s contacted, because I really need that Chapter 2 plot thread to be resolved.

In case you need a refresher, John Wick’s Boss 429 Mustang was badly damaged during his mission to liberate it from Abram Tarasov. John called Aurelio over to his house to see if the car could be fixed, and Aurelio confirmed he could make it happened, though he joked about it won’t be ready until Christmas 2030. See for yourself:

Unfortunately, Chapter 2 ended with John going on the run with a $14 million bounty on his head and being declared excommunicado. Two movies later, and Chapter 4 ends with John presumed dead. It’s open and shut, right? Why should we entertain the possibility of Aurelio coming back?

Well, because apparently John Wick: Chapter 5 is indeed happening, despite the fact that Keanu Reeves once said his knees couldn’t handle it. If it turns out that John is alive, then it’s about time that he gets his car back, and we need Aurelio for that to happen. Or, if Chapter 5 doesn’t end up moving forward, maybe John Leguizamo could revisit his character in one of the spinoff projects, like Donnie Yen’s Caine movie or the TV series focused on the High Table.

The point being, while I get that Leguizamo isn’t keen on returning to the world of John Wick and there’s no indication that’s even a possibility, I hope something can be arranged to the contrary. John’s car has been collecting dust for too long, and whether he gets behind the wheel again for someone else, it wouldn’t be right for anyone to hand over they keys but Aurelio. And while we’re at it, let’s finally delve into his backstory!

Diversity and inclusivity are the cornerstones of Star Trek. The franchise lives on the ideals of "IDIC", which stands for "Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations," and it's often credited with creating meaningful stories for underrepresented communities. Even so, everyone can seemingly have a blind spot, and after John Leguizamo called out the franchise for its lack of Latino representation in its early years, Voyager star Robert Picardo agreed.

As someone who regularly watched Star Trek even before Paramount+ subscriptions made things easier, I think it's fair to say they missed a few characters from the early days, though I still think the point is highly valid and valuable. For those who weren't around to see the Spawn vet's speech amidst the 2024 Emmy winners, here's what went down.

John Leguizamo Commented On Star Trek Lacking Latino Representation In Its Early Years

John Leguizamo gave an impassioned speech that championed the diversity at the Emmys, while also calling for even more steps forward. As he began to talk about the lack of representation he noticed watching television while growing up, the actor surprsingly, took a jab at Star Trek, noting specifically that the franchise was light on Latino representation. As he put it:

Hey, it's a fair criticism to make in the most general sense, even if not entirely inaccurate. Naturally, a rousing speech like this wasn't going to slide by without at least one Star Trek vet responding, and of course, it had to be one of the actors who played one of the best Trek characters.

Robert Picardo Responds, Citing Voyager As The First The Feature A Half-Latino Main Character

Robert Picardo, who will reprise his role as The Doctor/EMH by joining the cast of Starfleet Academy, praised John Leguizamo for a fair criticism of the Star Trek franchise. He also gave a shoutout to a Voyager co-star in his response, noting just how long it took for the franchise to feature a character with Latino heritage:

To be sure, I have to think the more specific point Robert Picardo was making was that B'Elanna Torres is a prevalent lead character within the Voyager ensemble, and that it was the first time a Latino performer, star Roxann Dawson, was playing a main character who also identified as Latino.

Speaking to that, actors with Mexican heritages such as The Wrath Of Khan's Ricardo Montalbán and Voyager's Robert Beltran did hold main roles in their respective projects. In those cases, however, the characters they played were not identified as such.

It should be noted, however, that there were characters with Latino origins in Star Trek before B'Elanna Torres came around. Here's a rundown of a few characters that came before her arrival in Voyager, as well as another character in the show:

• Esteban Rodríguez (Star Trek: The Original Series)
• José I. Mendez (Star Trek: The Original Series)
• Sonya Gómez (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
• Ayala (Star Trek: Voyager)

There are other examples, including those that came after, such as Discovery's Hugh Culber and Strange New Worlds' Erica Ortegas. I'm very excited to see Ortegas return in Season 4 of SNW and whatever upcoming Trek shows she's slated for, and also have to bring up a bit of history in significance to her character.

"The Cage," the original unaired pilot for Star Trek that was later released, had a half-Latino character named Jose Tyler. This character was originally meant to be named Jose Ortegas, according to ScreenRant and others, which has led some fans to believe that Tyler is a relative of Erica Ortegas, given they both fly the ship.

So, really, Latinos have had a presence in the franchise since the very start, though it's more than fair to say they could've had a bigger spotlight. That said, can we finally get more Ortegas stories in Season 3 and not have the character in danger of being killed off?

As mentioned, the best Star Trek shows can be found only on Paramount+, though there is a free option to stream if you download Pluto TV. As someone currently making their way through Deep Space Nine, I can't recommend watching it enough!

Across over 30 years of his career, John Leguizamo has been part of a lot of hit movies! From playing Sid in the Ice Age franchise and singing Encanto’s most viral song that has us wanting a Bruno spinoff, to starring in the first Super Mario Bros. movie, playing the creepy Clown in Spawn and appearing the classic musical Moulin Rouge!, the actor has a rather good batting average. But as Leguizamo recently explained, he has made “stupid” judgement calls in the past on movies that went on to become big hits, namely Mr. and Mrs. Smith and Happy Feet.

When John Leguizamo was asked about if there are roles from his past that he regrets turning down, one that came to mind immediately was Stanley Tucci’s role in The Devil Wears Prada. And no, that’s not all. He also told Business Insider that he could have played Vince Vaughn’s part in Mr. and Mrs. Smith, too. In his words: 

By “them,” we can fill in the blanks that the actor is talking about Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, who were the main stars of the action movie. At the time, John Leguizamo felt he was being “dissed” by the producers behind it for paying him to scale, but all these years later, he sees that it “probably” wasn’t the case. During the interview, Leguizamo also shared that he turned down the role of Ramón in George Miller’s Happy Feet, which would go to Robin Williams. Here’s why: 

Just four years prior, Leguizamo had debuted his role of Sid the Sloth in the first Ice Age movie, a part he continues to “love” to this day. Since both of them were “ice” movies, he wanted to have some variety into his career, but these days he wishes he had said yes instead. When it comes to the roles that got away, he says he “had my reasons,” but they were “stupid.” 

Leguizamo also nearly turned down one of his breakout roles, Carlito’s Way, because he felt playing a drug dealer was “denigrating” to his culture. However, once he was told that Benicio del Toro would get the role instead of him if he passed, he decided to stick it out. 

Of course, when it comes to some of these decisions, John Leguizamo had no idea which roles would be hits and which would be flops. The actor has learned a lot throughout his decades in the business, and has always advocated for his community, once talking to CinemaBlend about why Hollywood needs more Latin heroes. 

You can see John Leguizamo next in Tin Soldier alongside Jamie Foxx, Robert De Niro, Scott Eastwood and Rita Ora. The action thriller doesn’t have a set release yet, but it is expected to be among the 2024 movies. 

Patrick Swayze has an ironclad legacy. After the actor's tragic passing in 2009, he’s been remembered not only for his incredible work in some of the best '80s movies, like Road House and Dirty Dancing, but he has also been well regarded as a collaborator and strong, steady presence on a film set. However, not all of Swayze’s co-stars meshed perfectly with the Point Break actor. A recent interview with John Leguizamo had the actor confessing he had a complicated dynamic with Swayze, and his comments didn’t go over well with the late actor's admirers. Now, Swayze's brother is speaking out. 

What John Leguizamo Said About Patrick Swayze

In an interview with Andy Cohen on Radio Andy, Leguizamo talked about his diverse career, as well as the big names he’s gotten to work with over the years. When the topic of Patrick Swayze came up, Leguizamo got candid about clashing with the star on set. He used some unflattering language, suggesting that their conflict had more to do with Swayze’s need for control than Leguizamo’s unpredictable acting style. The Power actor said this about working with his co-star on To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar: 

Clearly, there was a difference in work styles on set, and that led to maybe a less-than-ideal working environment. 

The movie in question has become somewhat of a cult classic over the years, with it being an early mainstream film to celebrate drag culture and the LGBTQ+ community. 

While we don't know what specifically caused this tension, Leguizamo’s comments were rare, and definitely different from most flattering anecdotes about Swayze.

Patrick Swayze's Brother Responds

While Leguizamo did preface his comments with respect, saying that he loved Swayze, this still wasn’t received so warmly. Sean Swayze, the Ghost actor’s brother who also works in the entertainment industry, revealed to TMZ that he did remember having conversations with his late brother about Leguizamo. 

Sean was able to confirm that the actors did indeed clash on To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar. However, he did protest his brother being labeled as difficult, as Sean had never heard of an ill word spoken about Patrick Swayze on that set or any other. 

Sean Swayze also recalled meeting Leguizamo later on at a party for the film What Dreams May Come, and claimed that his own personal experience with the Romeo + Juliet actor was also not pleasant. This heavily suggests that Sean believes that Leguizamo was the instigator in disagreements between the To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar co-stars. 

While details of Sean Swayze and John Legiuzamo’s unsavory interaction were not reported on, it doesn’t seem like this beef will be dissipated anytime soon. 

Even though there was some conflict behind the scenes on To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar, the film remains a favorite of many. You can check out Patrick Swayze and John Leguizamo putting their differences aside for the film now by streaming it now for free on Tubi. It features one of Wesley Snipes' best performances, so check it out while you can. Cinephiles should also check out our feature on other great movies that are streaming now for free online. 

The live-action Super Mario Bros. made history for being the first video game adaptation to hit the big screen. Sadly, this particular film is considered one of the worst video game movies of all time. According to the film’s star John Leguizamo, Disney (who was responsible for the film's distribution rights) "was not happy” with the live-action adaptation film’s initial cut.

Super Mario Bros. came out in 1993; a low box office of $38.9 million against its $42-48 million budget was paired with negative reviews which claimed it lacked the spirit of the video game it was based on. As the Super Mario Bros. actor Leguizamo broke down his most iconic characters on GQ, he explained that the original take of his fantasy-adventure film was a whole lot darker.

Wow, so Super Mario Bros. would have been much more adult-oriented. I can understand why Disney wasn’t happy with that kind of adult content if they wanted this movie to appeal to children too. John Leguizamo continued to talk about how he went into this movie believing it would be a hit and is still proud of being a part of it despite the negative reception. He found it groundbreaking to have his role as Luigi be part of his highly diverse career as it was considered “unheard of” at the time to hire a Latin actor to play such a big role. In fact, this was a criticism Leguizamo made with the animated reboot for having “backward” casting of all-American actor Chris Pratt as the voice of Mario. 

As The Super Mario Bros. Movie came out earlier this month, this helped many people reflect on the 1993 film that first brought the Mario and Luigi characters to life. Seth Rogen, who voices Donkey Kong, remembered watching the original ‘90s adaptation when he was 11 and how terrible he thought it was. In fact, he said it was the first bad movie he ever saw in his life. Rocky Morton, the director of 1993’s Super Mario Bros., felt the reason his movie was so awful was that the original script written was forced to be changed with those working on the movie not happy with the new script developments. That frustration is understandable since it was like having to make a brand-new movie from scratch again.

With the live-action Super Mario Bros. movie not faring well, you would think the new animated adaptation would have to be better. Especially because in this case, Mario video game creator Shigeru Miyamoto was heavily involved in the project as co-producer. Unfortunately, The Super Mario Bros. Movie critical reviews were split as critics loved the visuals, but were disappointed in the story direction. But on the bright side, the new animated feature became a box-office record breaker as the highest-grossing film for a video game adaptation and for movies, in general, this year. Plus, Rotten Tomatoes’ audience rating for the CGI adventure film is more positive at 96% compared to the critical rating of 59%. There may also be Oscar talk surrounding the movie thanks to Jack Black’s viral hit song “Peaches.” I’m crossing my fingers for that nomination just so we can see the Bowser voice actor on that Oscars stage to perform it.

It’s hard to tell if Super Mario Bros. would have been better if they stuck with the darker, original script. But even with the lighter script that the animated feature had, the critics still weren’t impressed. It proves that one thing these two movies had in common was the positive fan reactions outweighed what the critics said. You can join the masses and watch the 2023 movie release of The Super Mario Bros. Movie in theaters now.

With this year being the 30th anniversary of the federal government’s notorious 1993 raid of the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas, there are a great number of news specials, documentaries, books, and shows coming out about the event that would have a massive impact on the remaining years of the 20th Century, and beyond. One of those shows, Waco: The Aftermath, covers the story from a different angle, showing what happened in the weeks, months, and years after David Koresh, many of his followers, and several federal agents were killed during the 51-day siege.

Picking up where the 2018 Paramount Network original, Waco, left off, the new companion series, which is now streaming on Showtime before making its TV debut, features several returning stars, in addition to a group of new additions portraying some of the most consequential figures in the incident’s fallout. Here is where you’ve seen the Waco: The Aftermath cast before.

Michael Shannon (Gary Noesner)

At the top of the Waco: The Aftermath cast is Michael Shannon, who reprises his role of FBI hostage negotiator Gary Noesner. Only this time instead of trying to be the voice of reason in the 51-day standoff, Noesner finds himself trying to navigate the fallout of the infamous incident.

One of the most prominent names on the list of actors who surprisingly don’t have an Oscar, Shannon has given commanding performances in movies like Nocturnal Animals, Revolutionary Road, The Shape of Water, Take Shelter, and countless others. Fans of superhero movies will also recognize Shannon from his portrayal of General Zod in Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel.  

John Leguizamo (Jacob Vasquez)

John Leguizamo is another member of the cast who appeared on the original 2018 series. The veteran actor returns as Jacob Vasquez, the undercover ATF agent who worked to gain the trust of the Branch Davidians prior to the raid.

Throughout his career, Leguizamo has landed a variety of roles in movies like Super Mario Bros., To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar, Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge!, the Ice Age animated movies, and countless others. More recently, he’s popped up in the John Wick franchise, Violent Night, and The Menu.

Giovanni Ribisi (Dan Cogdell)

Giovanni Ribisi shows up on Waco: The Aftermath as Dan Cogdell, the defense attorney tasked with representing the surviving Branch Davidians in the months following the 1993 raid on their compound.

With memorable performances in That Thing You Do!, Saving Private Ryan, Boiler Room, Lost in Translation, and Avatar, Ribisi has done just about everything on the big screen. He has also appeared on TV shows like My Name is Earl, Sneaky Pete, The Wonder Years, and Friends, on which he portrayed Phoebe’s half-brother, Frank. 

Shea Whigham (Mitch Decker)

Shea Whigham appears in the limited series, once again playing FBI agent Mitch Decker.

Whigham, who will be in the upcoming Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, has been all over the place throughout his career, appearing in movies like Wristcutters: A Love Story, Take Shelter, First Man, Bad Times at the El Royale, Joker, and various entries in the Fast and Furious franchise. His TV work includes Boardwalk Empire, True Detective, Narcos, and Perry Mason. 

David Costabile (Judge Smith)

David Costabile portrays Judge Smith, who oversees the trails of the surviving Branch Davidians on Waco: The Aftermath.

If Costabile looks familiar, it could have something to do with his appearances on shows like Flight of the Conchords, Breaking Bad, Billions, and the fifth and final season of The Wire, on which he played Baltimore Sun managing editor Thomas Klebanow. His notable film appearances include Lincoln, Side Effects, and The Post. 

J. Smith Cameron (Lois Roden) 

J. Smith Cameron stars in the series as Lois Roden, the one-time leader of the Branch Davidians.

Probably best known for her portrayal of Gerri Kellman on the HBO smash-hit drama series Succession, Cameron has had a long career on the small screen, with appearances on shows like Rectify, True Blood, Law & Order, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Spin City, and several others. Her film credits include Vengeance, The First Wives Club, Harriet the Spy, and The Rage: Carrie 2, to name a few.  

John Hoogenakker (Clive Doyle) 

John Hoogernakker pops up on Waco: The Aftermath as Clive Doyle, one of David Koresh’s first followers after he took the reins of the Branch Davidians.

Fans of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan will surely recognize Hoogenakker from his portrayal of Matice during the Amazon original series’ first two seasons. His other notable TV appearances include the Dopesick cast, Castle Rock, Chicago Fire, and Boss. He has also appeared in movies like Flags of Our Fathers, Public Enemies, and Consumed. 

Keean Johnson (Vernon Howell) 

Keean Johnson appears in the Waco: The Aftermath cast as Vernon Howell, the man who would go on to become known as David Koresh.

Everyone who has watched the HBO drama series Euphoria will remember Johnson from his portrayal of Daniel during the show’s first season. His other TV credits include the likes of The Fosters, Nashville, and Spooksville. Johnson has also popped up in movies like Alita: Battle Angel, Midway, and a few others. 

Michael Luwoye (Livingstone Fagan)

Michael Luwoye takes on the role of Livingstone Fagan, one of the Branch Davidians on trial on Waco: The Aftermath.

Perhaps best known for his portrayal of Alexander Hamilton during the 2017 Hamilton national tour, as well as its 2018 Broadway run, Luwoye has appeared in productions of Tick, Tick… Boom!, Othello, Moby Dick, and countless others. His TV work includes shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Magicians, and The Lion Guard.  

Alex Breaux (Timothy McVeigh)

And then there is Alex Breaux, who portrays Oklahoma City Bomber Timothy McVeigh on Waco: The Aftermath.

Prior to landing the role of the domestic terrorist planning the April 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, Breaux appeared on shows like Blue Bloods, When They See Us, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, The Blacklist, and more. 

Waco: The Aftermath is currently streaming on Showtime as well as for anyone with a Paramount+ subscription with the Showtime add-on, and will make its on-air debut Sunday, April 16th. If you want to know what else is coming to your favorite channels and streaming services, check out our 2023 TV schedule for all the latest.

Stream Waco: The Aftermath on Paramount+ with Showtime.
Stream Waco: The Aftermath on Showtime.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie is here, and while not all critics are in love with it, the box office has shown the new Mario movie is already a massive hit. And not only did the audience go in droves to see the film, but most people who have seen it seem to love it. This is in stark contrast to the original Super Mario Bros. film, which most people agree isn’t great, but now we’re seeing lines drawn from some of the cast of those films.

It’s to be expected that when a popular IP gets a second film, people are going to look back at the first. I this case maybe not that fondly, but John Leguizamo, who played Luigi in the original film says he’s got a real problem with the new movie. Meanwhile Seth Rogen is taking some pretty hard shots at the live-action movie.

What John Leguizamo Has Said About The Super Mario Bros. Movie

It’s perhaps a bit understandable that a member of the cast of the original Super Mario Bros. might have an issue with another moving being made. The first film was given a very specific sequel setup, which never happened because the film flopped. The new animated Super Mario Bros. Movie is another acknowledgment that what they did the first time didn’t work. 

However, John Leguizamo recently told TMZ he’s boycotting the movie. This isn’t because of the movie itself, but specifically due to the casting. Leguizamo has stated previously that the first film broke new ground by casting him as Luigi, and he would have liked to have seen more diverse casting in the animated film. Back in November, Leguizamo said…

It was certainly a surprising choice, especially for a movie in 1993, to cast a Latin-American actor to play an Italian-American character. And for all the movie’s problems, casting of the Mario Bros. was not one of them.

Seth Rogen’s Opinion Of The Original Super Mario Bros. Does Not Hold Back

If it were just one person with beef that would be one thing, but the war of words goes both ways. Seth Rogen, who voices Donkey Kong in the new film, has said the first Super Mario Bros. isn’t simply a bad movie, but one of the worst movies ever made. Rogen says he was 11 when he saw the movie for the first time and even then he knew it was terrible. Rogen said…

When you’re a kid every movie is great and Rogen indicates that Super Mario Bros. was the film that disabused him of that idea. Maybe for that reason, it actually seems worse than it was. Or maybe not.

Neither of these verbal shots is directed at anyone specifically. It’s just general opinions about each film, but there are clearly strong feelings here. And with a strong indication that the new animated Super Mario Bros. Movie could see the sequel that the first film never got, we could see the war of words persist. 

In just two days, The Daily Show hits the end of an era, with Trevor Noah departing the satirical news program after hosting for seven years following Jon Stewart’s exit. Needless to say that ever since it was announced that Noah was leaving The Daily Show on December 8, there’s been the question of who will succeed him as the Comedy Central series’ permanent host. As it turns out, we’ll have to wait to a lot longer than expected to learn that answer, because for a good chunk of the next year, SNL vets and a swarm of other talent will be filling in as guest hosts.

Just like the transition period between Craig Ferguson and James Corden on The Late Late Show, or how Jeopardy! brought in numerous fresh faces to fill in following Alex Trebek’s passing, The Daily Show will be moving ahead with guest hosts to fill in for Trevor Noah in 2023, starting with Leslie Jones, who was a Saturday Night Live cast member from 2014 to 2019, on January 17. Here’s the full list of the announced participating talent (in no particular order other than Jones being first):

• Leslie Jones
• Al Franken
• Sarah Silverman
• Chelsea Handler
• Wanda Sykes
• D.L. Hughley
• John Leguizamo
• Kal Penn
• Marlon Wayans
• Hasan Minhaj

Additionally, current Daily Show correspondents and contributors are set to be guest anchors on The Daily Show, with Roy Wood Jr. and Dulcé Sloan being specifically mentioned as in the mix (let’s also not forget that Hasan Minhaj is a former Daily Show correspondent). Executive producer and showrunner Jen Flanz told Vulture that while many, if not most, of these guest hosts will fill in for a week at a time, some may only appear for one night because of their busy schedules/previous commitments. 

Chris McCarthy, president of Comedy Central and CEO of Paramount Media Networks, added that this guest host rotation will unfold between the beginning of 2023 to around June and allow the show “to really experiment and try different things,” meaning that more talent will be announced in the coming weeks. Then The Daily Show will “relaunch in the fall,” i.e. the permanent host will take over in September 2023 and have “a full year to settle in before the 2024 presidential election.”

This isn’t the first time that The Daily Show has had guest host, with one of the more notable examples being when John Oliver sat behind the desk for a few weeks when Jon Stewart took time off to direct Rosewater. That said, Jen Flanz noted that as far as she can remember, “This is the first time we’re really having outsiders into our house.” Flanz also noted that anyone who’s coming in to guest host The Daily Show shouldn’t be seen as candidates to be the permanent host. This is simply an opportunity for various celebrities to pop in and try out hosting The Daily Show for a spell rather than make a full commitment to the gig.

In October, a few weeks after Trevor Noah revealed he was leaving The Daily Show (which apparently ruffled some feathers behind the scenes), the exiting host said he was excited to travel around the world again to do stand-up comedy, as well as do more producing work and spend more time “back home” in South Africa. By November, it was announced that Trevor will begin his Off the Record tour on January 20, which will see him visiting 28 cities in the United States, and international dates will be unveiled later. 

As far as picking a new permanent host for The Daily Show goes, Roy Wood Jr. has been rumored to be in contention for the job, and Chris McCarthy mentioned that these coming months will be a great time for them to “test out those ideas” on evolving the show. Speaking of the Daily Show format, McCarthy and Jen Flanz also said they’re exploring the possibility of transiting the series from the single-anchor format to having co-anchors or multiple co-hosts, i.e. along the lines of SNL’s “Weekend Update” or Good Morning America, but nothing has been decided yet.

For now, you have three more nights to enjoy Trevor Noah behind the desk at The Daily Show. After December 8, the series won’t return until Leslie Jones kicks off the guest hosting run in mid-January. Look through our 2023 TV schedule to learn what other programming there is to look forward to in the new year.

Acting as the main antagonist in director Tommy Wirkola’s new movie release Violent Night, John Leguizamo’s Mr. Scrooge is a man of mystery. We really don’t know his name or what his deal is with ruining Christmas; we just know that he’s a pretty Grinchy guy who wants to walk away with a multi-million dollar score mentioned in Violent Night’s trailer.

Playing the bad guy isn’t something new to Leguizamo, but it’s also something he used as an opportunity to talk about how Hollywood still needs more Latin heroes in the mix. The subject came up during my interview with the versatile actor on behalf of the upcoming release of the Universal produced Violent Night. 

Asking him if he felt that having Latin villains was a step forward in representation, John Leguizamo shared these feelings on the matter with CinemaBlend:  

As Leguizamo’s resume of iconic roles includes examples like Violator in the original Spawn movie, he can personally attest to how much fun a good baddie can be. Violent Night only continues that legacy, as the enigmatic Mr. Scrooge launches a full-on Die Hard-style assault on the wealthy Goodstone family. Playing a Latine spin on Hans Gruber, the man is as stylish as he is menacing.

With those caveats in play though, John Leguziamo is absolutely right in calling for more Latin heroes. Even in his enjoyment and celebration of antagonists being the best roles in movies, if you let enough time go by casting actors of color more often than not to fill them, it becomes a stereotype. 

Just as Super Mario Bros.’ directors fought to cast Leguizamo as Luigi, that same sort of energy is needed in the current climate of moviemaking. That’s exactly why John Leguizamo also spoke out about Chris Pratt’s casting in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, a move that he called “backwards” when it came to its very execution. 

It didn’t take long for our conversation to champion the strides that are being made in today’s Hollywood landscape. Moments after laying down the challenge to cast more heroes, John Leguizamo and I celebrated the fact that Tenoch Huerta was cast as the anti-heroic mutant Namor in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The legendary comedian was especially happy with Huerta’s casting, when put into the following context:  

Every good hero needs an equally compelling villain, and there’s plenty of room for actors like John Leguizamo, or any performer of color, to embody both sides of that coin. Pushing for more accurate representation on screen calls for actors of all sorts to color the spectrum of cinema with brighter and more complicated hues. So while it’s still fun to see Violent Night’s mysterious Mr. Scrooge take on David Harbour’s Santa, there’s still room to ask what other actors of color could also fit that sort of role in the future. 

Entertainment-wise, you can see John Leguizamo’s Mr. Scrooge go head to head with Santa Claus in Violent Night! The film is currently open in early showings, so you’ll need to head to a theater near you to check it out! 

When it comes to the typical Santa movie, there are so few that really stray from the course of what's been done before – big belly, jolly personality, and everything else you can imagine with some of the best Christmas movies out there. But, every once in a while, you’ll get a Santa Claus that completely subverts expectations and is totally non-traditional but in the best way; that’s what Violent Night is, and it stars David Harbour. 

The movie tells the story of Santa Claus, who does what he has to do every year and give toys to boys and girls, but this time, he decides to up the jolly aspect of Christmas and take down some crooks who are trying to take out a rich family so they can get their fortune on Christmas Eve. With this movie comes a stellar cast that I’m sure you’ve seen time and time again, so here is where you’ve seen the Violent Night cast before.

David Harbour (Santa Claus)

Obviously, we have to start off with the man, the myth, the legend, David Harbour, who plays Santa Claus in Violent Night. Harbour has been making a name for himself for many years, but things really took off for him in 2016, when he started playing Jim Hopper in Stranger Things, a show that breaks records consistently, receiving worldwide fame and acclaim, but he's had plenty of other roles you will likely know him from.

In movies, he portrayed Red Guardian in Black Widow, a role he will also be reprising in the Thunderbolts film. Besides that, he starred in the 2019 Hellboy, and had roles in films like Brokeback Mountain, The Green Hornet, Suicide Squad, Extraction, Snitch, End of Watch, Equalizer, and more. 

In television, Harbour also had recurring guest roles on shows like The Newsroom, Manhattan, Rake, Banshee, State of Affairs, and others, but Stranger Things has been his bread and butter for six years – and now, I can’t wait to see him bring the role into its fifth season. 

John Leguizamo

Another legend we have in this cast for Violent Night is John Leguizamo, who has been in the business for years on end and starred in several films. He was in The Menu cast in 2022, and has starred in several other movies, like 2014’s Chef, Super Mario Bros, Moulin Rouge!, Summer of Sam, Romeo + Juliet, John Wick, and more. He also voiced Sid in the Ice Age franchise, and Bruno as part of the Encanto cast. 

Other than that, Leguizamo has also had several television roles as well, including a recurring role on E.R., and a main role on shows like Bloodline, The Kill Point, and more. He also had a role on the miniseries, When They See Us. 

Edi Patterson

Moving on, we now take a look at Edi Patterson in Violent Night. Most recently in 2019, she had a role in the large ensemble film, Knives Out, but Patterson has appeared in other films, such as Partners, A Thousand Words, Plan B, The Guilty and The Starling. 

Patterson also has a main role on the HBO series, The Righteous Gemstones, and has had recurring and guest roles on shows like Vice Principals, The Last O.G. and the HBO Max original series, Made for Love. 

Cam Gigandet

Next up, we take a look at Cam Gigandet, who is a part of the cast of Violent Night. For movies he’s been in, he was a part of the cast of Twilight. Besides that, he’s also had roles in movies like The Unborn, The Experiment, The Roommate, Turbo, The Magnificent Seven, The Last Shoot-Out, Assimilate, Without Remorse and more. 

Gigandet has also guest-starred on several shows, as well as had recurring roles. These include, but aren’t limited to, The O.C., The Young and the Restless, and more. He also had main roles on the shows Ice and Reckless.

Alex Hassell

Moving on, we take a look at Alex Hassell in the cast of Violent Night. Hassell has appeared in several movies, including Cold Mountain, The Grind, The Red Sea Diving Resort, and most recently in 2021, the Apple TV+ original movie, The Tragedy of Macbeth. 

Hassell has also appeared in a variety of TV shows as well, including Bonkers, Robin Hood, Genius, The Bisexual and other titles. He also had a recurring role as part of the Amazon original TV series, The Boys for a few episodes, and played a major role in the Netflix original series, Cowboy Bebop, which was an adaptation from the manga and anime of the same name – however it was cancelled after one season. 

Alexis Louder

Next up on the list, we have Alexis Louder, who is a part of the cast of Violent Night. Louder has done a lot in her time in Hollywood so far and continues to expand her resume of roles. She had a minor part in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a character in Black Panther, and has only continued to appear in many other movies, including Harriet, The Tomorrow War, Copshop. 

Louder has also appeared on television in shows such as The Quad, The Originals, Chicago P.D., Watchmen, and in 2022’s The Terminal List. 

Beverly D’Angelo

Last but not least, we take a look at Beverly D’Angelo, one of the stars of Violent Night, and an actress who has been around for decades and starred in several movies. D’Angelo is arguably most known for her recurring appearances in the National Lampoon Vacation movies, but she’s also been in many other roles in both movies and television. 

Some of her biggest parts in the world of film have included her work in Hair, Coal Miner’s Daughter, American History X, High Fidelity, Gamers, Harold & Kumar Escape Guantanamo Bay, The Unicorn, and Dreamland. In television, D’Angelo has been active for years, appearing in shows such as Entourage, Mom, Shooter, and Insatiable. She was even nominated for an Emmy Award for her performance in the made for TV version of A Streetcar Named Desire. 

With so many amazing actors and actresses here, Violent Night is sure to be a hit with the older Christmas crowd – and heck, it’ll be a hit for anyone who just wants to have a bloody good holiday.

For some people, when the holiday season hits, they turn to the sappy sweet Hallmark movies, where everything is almost too perfect, Santa Claus is real and everybody sings Christmas carols and drinks hot cocoa. On the other end of the spectrum, though, are the darker holiday offerings, where Santa can still be real, but only if he’s got a naughty streak and has been hitting the nog a little too hard. Stranger Things’ David Harbour is taking on the role of unconventional Santa this season with the upcoming dark comedy Violent Night. The reviews are in, so let’s find out some more about what to expect from Violent Night when it hits theaters December 2.

The trailer promises “season's beatings” for a group of mercenaries who raid the home of a wealthy family on Christmas Eve in search of a $300 million payday, and David Harbour’s Santa is just the person to deliver those beatings. The preview also appears to have left some fans thirsty for more than eggnog, but that’s neither here nor there. Let’s just get to the critics already, starting with CinemaBlend’s review of Violent Night. Our own Mike Reyes rates the Christmas action flick 4 stars out of 5, saying writers Pat Casey and Josh Miller were able to package together a dark comedy that also works in R-rated action brutality and heartwarming Christmas magic. He also said: 

Chris Tilly of Dexerto also gives the movie 4 out of 5 stars, saying the action is fast and fierce, and the kills are brutal and creative. Basically, this critic says, it’s Bad Santa meets Die Hard: 

That critic wasn’t the only one feeling the Die Hard vibes. Kristy Puchko of Mashable says Violent Night is what you’d get if John McClane were Santa Claus. She added that the movie does have a heart of gold, but leave the kids home if you’re catching this on the big screen: 

Kate Erbland of IndieWire grades the movie a C+, calling Violent Night hyper-violent, occasionally funny and often oddly charming, as David Harbour seems to be having a blast, the critic says. However, too much backstory ends up getting in the way of all of the fun. Here's more from this review: 

Matt Donato of IGN rates the film a “Good” 7 out of 10, agreeing the lead actor is loving every minute of this role. Violent Night brings the Christmas spirit to a gore-first action flick that delivers what’s advertised thanks to a top-form David Harbour, according to the critic. 

If this is one bad Santa you’ve got to experience on the big screen, you can catch Violent Night in theaters starting on Friday, December 2. Also be sure to check out CinemaBlend’s interviews with Violent Night director Tommy Wirkola and stars David Harbour and John Leguizamo. This year is coming to an end, but there are still plenty of movies hitting theaters in December. Be sure to take a look at what’s coming up with our 2023 movie release schedule. 

"Violent Night" stars David Harbour (Santa Claus), John Leguizamo (Scrooge) and director Tommy Wirkola discuss their brutal and heartwarming new holiday flick in this interview with CinemaBlend's Mike Reyes. They chat about how “Violent Night” is “Die Hard” with Santa Claus and who they would cast as Mrs. Claus in a sequel. They also give updates on the “John Wick” franchise and discuss Latin representation in “Wakanda Forever,” so this is one you need to see!

Video Chapters

00:00 - Introduction And 'Jurassic World'/'Violent Night' Crossover
00:20 - David Harbour On The Intimidation Of Action Films And Playing Santa
00:55 - John Leguizamo On Having To Play The “Heavy” As A Comedian
01:55 - 'Violent Night' Director Tommy Wirkola On His Reaction To The Film’s Pitch
02:48 - David Harbour Says 'Violent Night' Is An Action Flick And A Heartwarming Holiday Flick
03:40 - John Leguizamo On Latin Representation And Namor In 'Wakanda Forever'
04:20 - Tommy Wirkola On Having To Cut Out Violent Scenes
04:58 - David Harbour On Who Should Play Mrs. Claus
05:48 - Tommy Wirkola On Who Should Play Mrs. Claus
06:11 - John Leguizamo on Returning To 'John Wick'
06:45 - David Harbour Reflects On His Role In 'Quantum Of Solace'

There are horror movies that are more of the same thing, like a franchise we’ve seen a thousand times over and over again, or some offering the same kind of slash and dash expectations that we always think of when we remember the most iconic horror movies. 

And then, there are horror movies that truly change the game and turn such interesting premises into scary stories – like a creepy Airbnb for Barbarian earlier in 2022, or, what we’re going to talk about today, the weird tasting menu for a chef in The Menu. 

The highly-anticipated film has finally been released, along with its star-studded cast that includes Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult, Ralph Fiennes and so many more. If you just went to see the movie and you’re wondering the actors look so familiar, here is where you might have seen The Menu cast before. 

Ralph Fiennes (Chef Julian Slowik)

Starting off strong, we take a look at Ralph Finnes, who plays Chef Julian Slowik in The Menu, the chef who designed this tasting experience. Fiennes is an actor who has been in the business for years, appearing in several big-time films. Most people probably know him for his famous role as Voldemort in the Harry Potter franchise, but Fiennes has been in plenty of other amazing films. 

Some of his best live-action performances have been in movies such as Schindler’s List, The English Patient, the Duchess, The Hurt Locker, the Wes Anderson-directed The Grand Budapest Hotel, The King’s Man, and more. He portrayed Gareth Mallory in the most recent Daniel Craig James Bond films, and voiced Ramses in The Prince of Egypt. Truly, a man of many talents – and the perfect choice for the lead of this film. 

Anya Taylor-Joy (Margot)

Next up, we take a look at Anya Taylor-Joy, a young actress who has been making strides in the world of movies and television the past several years. She portrays Margot in The Menu. 

Taylor-Joy made headlines for her performance as Beth Harmon in The Queen’s Gambit, but she has done plenty of other work in the industry. She had a big role in the series, Peaky Blinders, but besides that, she’s appeared in many great films as well, including The Northman cast, Radioactive, the A24 horror film The Witch, Last Night in Soho, 2022’s Amsterdam, Emma. and so many others. She also appeared in the M. Night Shyamalan flick, Split, and its sequel.  

Nicholas Hoult (Tyler)

Margot's lover in the film is Tyler, and he's portrayed by Nicholas Hoult. The young actor has made strides in his career by appearing in well-regarded movies such as About a Boy, but became famous when he appeared on the hit teen show, Skins, as well as in the X-Men franchise. 

Since then, he’s only grown in his talent. He’s on the Hulu original series, The Great, which is getting a third season soon, but has appeared in a variety of different movies such as Mad Max: Fury Road, The Banker, the forbidden romance film Warm Bodies, Tolkien, The Current War, Clash of the Titans, and so many others. 

Hong Chau (Elsa)

Portraying Elsa in The Menu is Hong Chau, an actress who has been around for ages in the movie industry. Soon, she is also going to be appearing in the anticipated 2022 film, The Whale, but she’s appeared in a variety of previous films and TV shows. 

In terms of television, she was a part of the hit HBO series, Watchmen, as well as the sci-fi series, Homecoming. She was also a part of the show Treme, and had a recurring part in Big Little Lies

In movies, she’s had roles in films such as Inherent Vice, Downsizing, American Woman, Driveways, and more. 

Janet McTeer (Lillian Bloom)

Next up, we take a look at Janet McTeer, who portrays Lillian Bloom in The Menu. McTeer got her start on Broadway, but also transferred her talents to television and movies after that. She was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance in Tumbleweeds, but has appeared in many films since then, such as Albert Nobbs, Wuthering Heights, Hawks, The Woman in Black, Maleficent, Me Before You, the Divergent series, and so many more. 

In terms of television, she was the star of the series, The Governor, and has been in several shows such as The White Queen, The Honourable Woman, as well as Ozark on Netflix.

Reed Birney (Richard)

Reed Birney portrays Richard in The Menu, and like many others on this list, he’s worked on both Broadway and Off-Broadway, but has used his talents for the film and TV industry, as well. Some of his most known work in film includes Crimewave, Twelve Thirty, Morning Glory, Jackrabbit, The Hunt, Lost Girls, and more. 

He’s guest starred on several television shows, but most notably had a recurring role on House of Cards, and is currently on The Blacklist and Titans. Most recently, he portrayed Sylvester Lisko in Home Before Dark. 

Judith Light (Anne)

Judith Light is arguably one of the most known talents on this list since she has been around for decades and has done so much. She started her career on Broadway, but has made a name for herself in Hollywood, with a lot of work in the television industry. 

She was the star of Who’s the Boss? on ABC, and only continued to have major roles in popular shows such as Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Ugly Betty, Dallas, Transparent, and The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. Most recently, she was a part of the Season 2 cast of American Horror Stories. 

Light has also had plenty of time in the spotlight on film. Some of her most known have been Before You Know It, Digging For Fire, We’ll Never Have Paris, and in 2021, she was a part of the Tick, Tick…Boom! cast.

Paul Adelstein (Ted)

Moving on, we take a look at Paul Adelstein, who plays Ted in The Menu. Adelstein is mainly known for his role as Paul Kellerman on the popular drama, Prison Break, but has had many major roles in television shows since, including Private Practice, I Feel Bad, Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce, Scandal, Chicago P.D. and more. 

Adelstein has also appeared in several movies, including Mothers and Daughters, Intolerable Cruelty, Memoirs of a Geisha, The Missing Person, and most recently in 2022, he had a part in The Greatest Beer Run Ever.

Aimee Carrero (Felicity)

Next up, we have Aimee Carrero, who plays Felicity in The Menu. Carrero is mainly known for her voice work, as she voiced She-Ra in the popular under-the-radar series, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, and she’s also voiced Princess Elena in Elena of Avalor. But, other than that, she’s also had several main roles in television shows such as Young and Hungry and Level Up. 

Carrero also appeared in multiple films, including Wander Darkly, The Last Witch Hunter, Devil’s Due, and Holidate. 

Arturo Castro (Soren)

Arturo Castro plays Soren in The Menu, and the young actor has done plenty of work before his role in this 2022 horror film. Castro is primarily known for his roles on both the Netflix television series, Narcos, as well as his role as Jaime Castro on Broad City. But, he also appeared in several other shows as guest stars, including Room 104, Flipped, The Terminal List, and more. 

Castro has also appeared in movies such as the 2022 film, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, Dating and New York, Yes Day, Lady and the Tramp, and others. 

Rob Yang (Bryce)

Rob Yang plays Bryce in The Menu, and like his co-stars, has done plenty in television and movies. He portrayed Dr. Degroff in One Life to Live, Don Seong in The Americans, Logan Kim in The Resident, and most recently, Deputy Steve Park in the Showtime original series, American Rust. 

In movies, he’s made appearances in films such as The Unidentified, Certainty, Stockholm, Pennsylvania, Glass, and The Kitchen.

Mark St. Cyr (Dave)

Next up in The Menu cast is Mark St. Cyr, who portrays Dave. Most notably, he has had a main recurring role in the popular Disney+ series, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, but St. Cyr has also had big roles in several other television shows, including Giving Me Life (in the Land of Deadass), Doomsday, Finding Me: The Series, The Verge, and Mumbai Chopra: Misadventures of an It Girl. 

He has also appeared in films like Marshall and Triple Threat. 

John Leguizamo (Movie Star)

Last but not least, we take a look at a literal movie star, John Leguizamo – who literally portrays a movie star in The Menu. Leguizamo is sort of a legend in Hollywood, as he has been in so much great work. 

Some of his best films include the 2014 movie, Chef, Super Mario Bros., Carlito’s Way, To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar, Romeo + Juliet, Body Count, Moulin Rouge!, Collateral Damage, and 2014's John Wick. Leguizamo is also known for his voice work, as he voiced Sid in the Ice Age movies, and Bruno as part of the Encanto cast.

That’s right – he’s the Bruno we can’t talk about. 

Leguizamo has also done some television work as well, having main roles in shows such as Bloodline, The Kill Point, and a recurring role on ER. He also had a part in the acclaimed miniseries, When They See Us. 

With so many amazing stars, it’s no wonder that The Menu is probably going to be an amazing hit. And now, you can find some other awesome stuff to watch, too – after enjoying this feast of a movie first, of course.  

Upon the announcement that Chris Pratt was leading the cast of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, there was some backlash from the interwebs. As one of potentially most exciting 2023 movie releases, it’s a decision that’s still hotly debated by fans. However, O.G. Super Mario Bros. star John Leguizamo has been criticizing the movie's casting for other reasons, and recently explained why he feels Pratt’s casting is “backward.”  

As he was on hand for the New York premiere of The Menu, Leguizamo spoke with IndieWire about the matter on the red carpet. He's called out the lack of diverse talent in the cast, the man who once brought Luigi to life in live-action expanded upon his feelings with memories of how he nabbed the role in the first place: 

John Leguizamo’s specific issue with the lack of Latin leads is clarified a little more with this background information. While the '90s Super Mario Bros. movie may not have been perfect, the casting of Luigi was a pretty big deal. Looking at the new film’s casting choices could definitely be seen as a step backward when compared to how The Super Mario Bros. Movie’s predecessor handled assembling its team.

Though the initial release of Super Mario Bros. was a disaster, time seems to have brought a new fanbase to the film. Even the actor seems to have softened in his views, as the stories behind the film’s infamous production paint some interesting pictures. All seems to be forgiven, because Leguizamo is grateful for the opportunity that movie gave him early on in his career.

To want that opportunity for the current generation of diverse talent is square in the wheelhouse of what John Leguizamo has tried to draw attention to throughout his career. His upset that The Super Mario Bros. Movie is failing to vary its lead casting in a manner that the ‘90s live-action adaptation actually achieved is totally understandable. 

It’s a lesson that more video game projects, as well as entertainment productions in general, can stand to learn from as we move forward on the subject of diversity. For now, we'll have to wait and see what the overall reaction to The Super Mario Bros. Movie happens to be, as it's scheduled to hit theaters on April 7, 2023. 

Meanwhile, fans of John Leguizamo can see him return to the big screen in the upcoming movies The Menu and Violent Night. Those films open November 18th and December 2nd, respectively. 

There aren’t really a whole lot of great character actors today who are willing to completely disappear in globs of make-up for playful roles, but also do more serious roles as well. Jim Carrey comes to mind, but he might be going into retirement pretty soon. While, yes, I do realize that there are currently major league actors like Zoe Saldaña undergoing the makeup process for movies like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, that’s more for one specific role in the ever-turning Marvel wheelhouse. I’m talking about actors who have done it for different projects, and even done some voice work to boot. But then, you have John Leguizamo, who can pretty much do it all.   

Starting out in stand-up comedy in the 1980s, he later went on to smaller parts in television shows and movies, playing a terrorist in Die Hard 2 (which is one of the more mid Die Hard movies when it comes to ranking them), and a robber in Regarding Henry. He went on to play more diverse roles later on in his career, namely a plumber, a clown, a drag queen, and an alien mob boss, as well as some animated roles, but, I’m getting ahead of myself. Here are just eight of John Leguizamo’s most highly diverse roles in his epic career.   

Super Mario Bros. (Luigi) 

Two plumbers travel to an alternate dimension where dinosaurs actually didn’t go extinct, but instead live in a highly advanced, Blade Runner-esque city. It’s nothing like the video game. Like, at all.  

And I love it! When I wrote my article in defense of the original Super Mario Bros. movie, I said that Leguizamo wasn’t a great Luigi, but I want to walk back that statement. When I initially said that, I was thinking about the scaredy cat, knees-clacking-together brother from Luigi’s Mansion, as that series has quickly become entrenched in my mind whenever I think of the character.   

But, he hadn’t been given that distinct character trait back when the original movie came out. Thinking back, the talented actor actually gave Luigi a real personality, which was totally different from the one Danny Wells imbued him with in the great Nintendo cartoon, The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! In fact, I would say that he pulled off the impossible when playing this famous character – he actually made Luigi cool.    

Benny Blanco From The Bronx (Carlito’s Way) 

A former gangster (Al Pacino) tries to leave the game for good, only to get sucked back in. It’s a crime story. “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!” That sort of thing. 

Leguizamo plays a real scumbag in Carlito’s Way, and it’s one of the best roles of his career, if you ask me. He’s always trying to get on Carlito’s good side, only for the titular character to see him as the punk he truly is, which ends up being Carlito’s downfall. I don’t normally dislike Leguizamo, but I HATE HIS GUTS in this movie. Just a sure sign that he pulled the part off amazingly.  

To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything! Julie Newmar (Chi Chi Rodriguez) 

Three drag queens travel across the country to get to a Nationals competition, only to encounter trouble along the way. But it’s a road comedy! And it’s really fun. 

The comedian plays Chi Chi Rodriguez, a drag queen who could use some help when it comes to competitions. He plays the role solidly, and it’s not a wink and a nudge like it could have been back in the ‘90s, but rather, it’s a role with true heart and commitment. He was actually nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Golden Globes, but unfortunately didn’t win it. That’s so not romantical.  

Spawn (Clown) 

An assassin is double crossed and goes to hell, only to be reincarnated as a hell spawn (Get it?) who's a force for good. It’s ‘90s as hell, and definitely looks it in the CGI department.  

But, do you know who looks great in this movie? Leguizamo as Clown. Clown is an extremely animated character in the comics that he’s spawned (sorry) from, but this actor somehow manages to make him even more demented and even funnier than he was on the page. I mean, seriously, who else but John Leguizamo could pull off Clown in a cheerleader outfit and chanting, “S to the P to the A to the AWN”? I ask you, who?     

Freak (Himself…And Many Others)  

In this semi-autobiographical performance, the talented man plays himself, as well as several other characters. It seems like it should be all over the place, but it’s not. He somehow keeps it pretty controlled in his own orbit.

He has multiple stand-up performances, including Mambo Mouth, and the Broadway show, Sexaholix…A Love Story, and they’re both great. But, I really love how he can seriously portray everybody in Freak, from his grandfather, to his uncles, to himself again, and it all just works. I had respect for Leguizamo before seeing it, but after, my respect for him went through the stratosphere. He’s just so damn talented! 

Bloodline (Ozzy Delvecchio) 

When the black sheep brother comes home, all hell breaks loose for a family in the Florida Keys. There’s more to the story, with lots of murder and deception, but the show is better watched when it’s full of surprises. 

And, John Leguizamo is one of the biggest surprises, as he debuts in Season 2, and is a prominent figure in Season 3. Like Benny Blanco from the Bronx, Ozzy is a total scumbag, demanding payment by any means necessary. But, unlike with Benny, you wind up eventually liking him until something terrible happens, but mostly because nobody is really all that nice on Bloodline. Ozzy’s darkness is actually brightened up a little bit by everybody else’s darkness, if that makes any sense. 

When They See Us (Raymond Santana Sr.)  

Based on true events, this story covers the unfortunate events of the Central Park jogger case, and the five black and Hispanic teens who were wrongly accused of assaulting a woman. 

Raymond Santana Jr. was one of the accused teenagers, and Leguizamo plays his father, who forms a new family while his son is away. When his son comes back from incarceration, Santana Sr. still loves his boy, but he also acquiesces to his new wife, who calls his son a rapist. It’s a difficult role, but he plays it the best he can. 

The Mandalorian (Gor Koresh) 

A Mandalorian basically acts as a courier for a tiny little Yoda baby, and then learns to love said baby as a father. Pew-pew lasers ensue.  

As I mentioned in the intro, Leguizamo can totally disappear underneath make-up and suits, and he does so deftly as the crime boss, Gor Koresh, in Season 2 of The Mandalorian. He is sassy and intimidating in the role, and then turns tail and runs when he finds himself in over his head. It’s a very silly and clownish performance, and the perfect role for a guy who once played both a clown and a gangster in the past.   

Encanto (Bruno)  

A teenager with no powers is envious of her super-powered family, but then learns that perhaps her “gift” is the greatest gift of all, as it means keeping her family together. She also has an uncle named Bruno who they don’t talk about. No, no, no. 

But, I want to talk about Bruno, since Leguizamo fills him with the antsy, troubled humor that he’s best at. He rattles off his troubles, hangs out with rats, and is just an overall misunderstood, cool guy. In fact, I’d actually like to see a whole movie about Bruno in a hypothetical Encanto spin-off. He’s seriously the best part of the movie.  

What’s your favorite John Leguizamo performance? For more news on movies and TV, make sure to swing by here often.  

It’s been months, and “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” has never stopped not only being stuck in my head, but being a straight up jam. Since Encanto hit Disney+ at the end of the year, the whole world has been catching on to the catchy banger, sending it to the top of music charts and making it one of the most popular Disney tracks of all time. There’s a mixture of reasons why “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” became a hit, but what I want to get into now is Bruno himself and why we need to talk about him more. 

As seen in Encanto, Bruno is a member of the Madrigal family who is cast out by his family members and the great community he is a part of when his gift for seeing the future angers them. He’s able to see the misfortunes that will come up in their lives and after a few unfortunate events, Bruno disappeared –  but remained a spicy story for the Madrigals to tell in his absence. Following the film, I believe Bruno would be a great central character to continue the movie’s story. I’ll get into why: 

Bruno Is The Best Character In Encanto

Bruno, who is voiced by John Leguizamo in Encanto, may be the “black sheep” of the Madrigal family, but he’s also the most interesting and best character in the Disney flick. While Mirabel serves the purpose of being a relatable protagonist who feels like she cannot live up to her family’s other gifts, Bruno was dealing with similar circumstances a generation before in a different way. Bruno and Mirabel strengthen each other as characters because they represent the cycle within the Madrigal family of intense pressure being put on each other and feeling not good enough to be part of the clan. 

Once John Leguizamo’s Bruno arrives on the scene in Encanto, he ties together the movie – both because he is the missing piece needed to save the family, and also because so many fun and unique things are done with his character. Disney depicts this isolated, lost man who hangs out with rats and sits at the table with his family through the walls in a way that is both affecting and hilarious.  

Another Encanto Movie Could Explore The Family’s Past

While there are some Disney movies that don't need a sequel or spinoff, there’s so much of the world left to be explored after Encanto  – and Disney chief Bob Chapek has already been caught calling it a franchise. Rather than developing a straight sequel with Mirabel as the core protagonist, however, a more exciting follow up would be seeing the spotlight move over to Bruno. Doing so would expand on the character's charisma and musical potential, and it would also provide opportunity to add more depth to the Madrigals. 

Encanto ends with the family welcoming Bruno back into the fold. In another installment of the story, Bruno could be the perfect vehicle to explore the supporting characters further. We’ve explored Mirabel’s point of view, but through Bruno’s eyes we’d learn more about his relationship with his sisters, parents and perhaps he could learn more about his nieces – including some classic Disney flashbacks of the family in their younger years, perhaps including the birthday when Bruno gets his powers. 

How Bruno Adapts His Powers Has Yet To Be Seen 

Speaking of powers, Bruno’s powers are perhaps the most powerful of the family, and wouldn’t we like to see another instance of the character seeing the future following Encanto? The animated movie we’ve seen explores how his powers estranged him from his town, but what happens after he is embraced? It’ll likely still be a bit of a tender spot for Bruno, and it would be a blast to see how Bruno’s next big vision would affect him in real time. 

Additionally, Encanto is a unique Disney movie in the sense that it does not have its main characters going on an adventure. The Madrigal’s conflicts lie in the home very purposefully to tell a story about how a broken family can mend together from the inside out rather than needing an expansive adventure to go to in order for them to heal. That being said, the world that has been built here feels meant to be explored, and there seems like there could be some Colombian mythology and generally more magic to the Madrigal’s story. I'd love to sit alongside these characters for longer, but putting Bruno’s powers at the center of the plot could provide the most entertainment value. 

Bruno Could Be The Key To Exploring The Encanto’s Origins

Encanto sets up a fascinating story about a family who become blessed with an “encanto,” which means “charm” in English, which gives their entire family special abilities that they use to better their home and community. Much like Frozen, the first movie does not explore how and why Elsa had her ice powers – but the second movie allowed the audience to grasp a deeper understanding of who she is. In terms of Encanto, there could very well be an intriguing secret about the root of the magical gifts, or an exploration of what would happen if outsiders discovered the Madrigals and wanted to harness the powers for their own purposes.

An Encanto sequel/spinoff centering on Bruno could also further explore the culture and country of Colombia. The South American country, and our world, is really grappling with deforestation in the Amazon, among other issues. It would be interesting if Bruno foresees a future where an aspect of their natural land is at stake, and once the family comes to grips with his fortune, they find a way to help mend their natural world.

In this house we absolutely do talk about Bruno and hopefully there’s a bright future ahead for these characters following Encanto's major success. You can watch the film again with a Disney+ subscription and tune in at the Oscars on March 27 to see if the Disney movie wins for Best Animated Feature. 

I have a good feeling that The Batman is about to show us a version of the Dark Knight unlike any interpretation that we have seen on the big screen before. That being said, I am sure that director Matt Reeves’ upcoming DC movie (due for a March 2022 release) will also feature fascinating twists on various other characters known to Gotham City, especially The Riddler.

The comic book villain, whose quite fitting real name is Edward Nygma, has enjoyed toying with the Caped Crusader ever since he was first dreamed up by Bill Finger and Dick Sprang in 1948. The puzzling foe has also inspired various interpretations in Batman movies and TV shows, each one more distinct than the last. Before Academy Award nominee Paul Dano’s new take makes his grand debut, let’s take a look at some of the funniest and most frightening onscreen versions of The Riddler so far.

Frank Gorshin (Batman, Batman: The Movie)

The first actor to ever portray The Riddler in a comic book adaptation (live-action or animated) was Frank Gorshin on the Adam West-led 1960s Batman TV show and its feature-length spin-off, which was released in theaters in 1966. The comedian would actually earn an Emmy nomination for his lively and (at times) wonderfully manic performance in the green suit, which would undeniably set an iron-clad precedent for the character that every actor to succeed him would strive to live up to.

Jim Carrey (Batman Forever)

One of the most essential examples of looking to Frank Gorshin for inspiration is Jim Carrey in Batman Forever. Joel Schumacher assumed directorial duties and Val Kilmer assumed the cowl for this film in which a Bruce Wayne-obsessed Edward Nygma teams up with Two-Face (Tommy Lee Jones) to drain Gotham City citizens' brains with his powerful invention. This goofy sequel has evolved into a bit of a guilty pleasure, but I can honestly say I derive pleasure from watching the Ace Ventura actor chew the scenery in a relentlessly maddening performance that make the film worth revisiting alone.

John Glover (Batman: The Animated Series)

Despite being a cartoon, Batman: The Animated Series is considered less cartoonish than the 1990s live action Batman movies and, fittingly, featured a more reserved and darker version of The Riddler. John Glover (also known for DC adaptations Batman & Robin, Smallville, Shazam!, and Lucifer) invokes a uniquely sinister playfulness when voicing Edward Nygma - a puzzle designer seeking revenge on his former employer in his first appearance on the Emmy-winning series. 

Glover made a strong enough impression on fans to celebrate news that he and Batman voice actor, Kevin Conroy, will both reprise their roles for an upcoming audio drama that serves as a sequel to BTAS.  

Robert Englund (The Batman) 

The underrated, mid-to-late-2000s animated series, The Batman, has a much darker version of The Riddler, with the mere fact that he is voiced by iconic horror movie actor Robert Englund contributing much to that distinction. 

This Edward Nygma (who almost resembles Marilyn Manson in full makeup) is, once again, out to get back at a man who ruined his career, and does so by filling his home with deadly traps. Imagine if the A Nightmare on Elm Street cast member played Jigsaw instead of Freddy Krueger, and then faced off against Batman. That describes this Riddler in a nutshell.

Matthew Gray Gubler (Batman: Assault On Arkham)

Imagine if Criminal Minds cast member Matthew Gray Gubler’s Dr. Spencer Reid had instead become a criminal himself, and that describes this Riddler perfectly for you. He is just about the funniest and most unusually likable character in the 2014 animated movie, Batman: Assault on Arkham, which is really more about the Suicide Squad than it is about Kevin Conroy’s Dark Knight. 

However, the featured Task Force X members have no trouble voicing their personal dislike of the quippy and conceited villain, even after he promises he can help diffuse the bombs Amanda Waller (CCH Pounder) placed in their heads.

Cory Michael Smith (Gotham)

Watching characters slowly fulfill their destinies as Batman villains made Gotham a fun watch for fans, and Riddler’s evolution on the series was certainly no exception. 

Played by Gotham cast member Cory Michael Smith, Edward Nygma’s origin is a fascinating one - having initially worked as a brilliant (but widely disliked) forensic scientist for the GCPD until unforeseen circumstances caused his murderous split personality to emerge and, eventually, take full control. It’s a character arc that more accurately resembles Two-Face, but is still a welcome reinterpretation for the drama that unfolds.

Dave Franco (Young Justice)

Speaking of welcome reinterpretations, Young Justice is an earnest take on the Teen Titans comics that most fans agree is one of the strongest DC TV shows ever conceived. The secret is how the animated series borrows classic hero and villain characteristics, but adds new features that lend brilliantly to the plot, and its Riddler is certainly no exception. 

Voiced by Dave Franco, this Edward Nygma still loves to tease adversaries with clever wordplay, but mostly to make his bombastic acts of terrorism more fun for himself, making this take a bold balancing act between comedy and tragedy.

Jim Rash (Harley Quinn)

Now, if it is comedy that you really want from your Riddler, I highly recommend Harley Quinn on HBO Max, starring Kaley Cuoco as the Clown Princess of Crime. The fact that the hit animated series’ representation of Edward Nygma looks so much like the actor who plays him - Academy Award winner and former Community cast member Jim Rash - is already enough to earn a laugh. However, if you keep watching, I promise it only gets funnier from there when he becomes one of main antagonists of Season 2.

I also got quite a few laughs out of John Leguizamo’s vocal performance as The Riddler on the dramatic podcast Batman: The Audio Adventures, which is also exclusive to HBO Max subscribers. However, laughter is not what I am expecting from Paul Dano’s performance in The Batman. Honestly, as long as he invokes the same calculative, self-righteous traits the character is known for, I could not be more excited for it.

Few creatives have made as meteoric a rise as Lin-Manuel Miranda has since the start of the 21st century. After breaking out with his Broadway hit In The Heights in 2007, he became a one-man phenomenon thanks to the spectacular success of Hamilton, and since then his career has made incredible strides as he’s proven to be a true renascence entertainer. This past month, for example, has been massive for him, as he has not only released his directorial debut, Tick, Tick…Boom!, on Netflix, but he also had a key role in the creation of Encanto, the latest film from Walt Disney Animation Studios.

He’s built an incredible level of clout in the entertainment industry, and while it’s clear that filmmakers and performers love working with him, it can also be a creatively intimidating experience, as I recently learned talking with the stars behind the lead characters in Encanto.

The new animated film is a project that Lin-Manuel Miranda had a direct hand in creating from very early stages (creating a distinction between it and his work on Moana), and that work included writing a full soundtrack of songs. These tracks are in a variety of genres and demand extreme range from the performers, and that, as you might imagine, put the actors back on their heels a bit in the recording process.

Stephanie Beatriz, who plays protagonist Mirabel Madrigal in Encanto, made a clear distinction between her time recording dialogue versus recording music, and emphasized the enhanced degree of difficulty in the latter. Beatriz has experience working with Lin-Manuel Miranda, as earlier this year she was featured in Jon Chu’s big screen adaptation of In The Heights, but even still she acknowledged the advanced degree of difficulty that came with the job:

Anxiety inducing as it may have been, Stephanie Beatriz explained that she had a secret weapon against it in the making of Encanto: preparation. Being honest about her dedication to her craft, she explained that taking on a project means making sure that she is in the best position to do the best job that she can, and working that hard took the edge off of a hard gig. She continued,

Diane Guerrero, Jessica Darrow, and Wilmer Valderrama – who respectively play Isabela, Luisa, and Agustin Madrigal in Encanto – were grouped together for our interview, together they all echoed many of the same sentiments of Stephanie Beatriz when I asked about the pressure inherent in collaborating with Lin-Manuel Miranda and recording music that he has written. They particularly highlighted the challenge that comes with Miranda’s tendency to blend styles together, making each song a different kind of effort. Said Guerrero,

Continuing Diane Guerroro’s thought, Jessica Darrow added that recording the soundtrack for Encanto meant accessing skills she didn’t know she actually had prior to the making of the film, saying,

As for Wilmer Valderrama, he plays a character who doesn’t have his own song in Encanto, which is something true for both Diane Guerrero and Jessica Darrow, but he had his own intimidating experience recording the music, acknowledging not only the complexity of the songs, but also performing them right in front of Lin-Manuel Miranda. Said the actor,

Bruno Madrigal, the black sheep of the family at the heart of Encanto, is another character that isn’t made to be a prominent voice on the soundtrack, but that didn’t totally excuse John Leguizamo from the music half of the assignment in the creation of the Walt Disney Animation Studios film. The beloved character actor has a fantastic rap in the movie, and he egoless-ly explained that the recording session for that part took far longer than one might expect:

Also starring María Cecilia Botero, Mauro Castillo, Angie Cepeda, and Carolina Gaitán, Encanto is now playing in theaters everywhere, and you can discover everything else heading to the big screen and streaming in what remains of this year by checking out our 2021 Movie Release Calendar.

Whenever a new animated Disney movie comes out there are a few things you are guaranteed to see: dazzling visuals, a fun yet emotional story about the main character finding themselves, and an impressive cast list. We could talk about the first two characteristics for Disney Animation Studios’ latest offering, but for now let’s turn our focus to the star-studded Encanto voice cast with its combination of rising stars and up-and-coming talent. 

Below you will find a quick yet comprehensive list of actors who have used their voices to tell the story of a new Disney hero who makes the most of what life has given her and sets out to discover her magic gift to save her family and their enchanted home.

Stephanie Beatriz (Mirabel Madrigal)

Stephanie Beatriz leads the Encanto voice cast as Mirabel Madrigal, the lone member of her large and colorful family who was not blessed with magical powers, and brings with her a tremendous list of credits on the big screen and small screen alike. First and foremost, Beatriz is probably best remembered for her portrayal of the tough-as-nails and mysterious Rosa Diaz on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, which completed its eight-season run in September 2021. The majority of Beatriz’s career has been spent on TV, with a mix of live-action comedies like Modern Family, Hello Ladies, and Reno 911!, as well as animated series including Central Park, DuckTales, BoJack Horseman, and numerous others. Her film appearances include In The Heights, Pee-Wee’s Big Holiday, Short Term 12, and The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part.

John Leguizamo (Bruno Madrigal)

Next up on our list is the legendary John Leguizamo, who uses his remarkable set of skills and dynamic range to bring to life Bruno Madrigal, the black sheep of the family and Mirabel’s uncle who has the ability to look into the future. Throughout his career, Leguizamo has appeared in countless movies, TV shows, and stage productions including multiple voice-acting roles in the Ice Age franchise, The Adventures of Puss in Boots, and Walking with Dinosaurs. Leguizamo’s live-action work is how most will remember the actor who has played major roles in the likes of Romeo+Juliet, Moulin Rouge!, John Wick, and To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar, which earned him his first Golden Globe nomination. Leguizamo won a Primetime Emmy Award in 1999 for his Spike Lee-directed semi-autobiographical one-man show Freak, which aired on HBO the previous October.

María Cecilia Botero (Abuela Alma Madrigal)

Taking on the role of Mirabel Madrigal’s grandmother, Abuela, in Encanto is María Cecilia Botero, a veteran Colombian TV actress whose list of credits goes all the way back to the early 1970s. Throughout her career, Botero has appeared on Los Dueños Del Poder, La Bruja, Nuevo Rico, Nuevo Pobre, María, and dozens of other programs, movies, and specials.

Wilmer Valderrama (Agustín Madrigal) 

Then we have Wilmer Valderrama, who lends his voice to Agustín Madrigal, Maribel’s father, on the Encanto cast. Best known for his portrayal of foreign exchange student Fez on That ‘70s Show and later Special Agent Nick Torres on NCIS, Valderrama has been a major name in film and TV for more than 20 years now. This includes voice work on shows like Handy Mandy, Clifford’s Really Big Movie, and Onward to name a few. During that same stretch of time, Valderrama has appeared in live-action movies like Party Monster, Fast Food Nation, The Adderall Diaries, and Blast Beat. Oh, and we can’t forget his portrayal of Don Carlos Madrigal on From Dusk till Dawn: The Series or all those small roles on the likes of Grey’s Anatomy, Royal Pains, and Raising Hope.

Adassa (Dolores Madrigal) 

Adassa, the Reggaetón sensation who has worked with Pitbull, Lil Jon, and Juvenile to produce massive hits throughout her career, lends her voice to the character of Dolores Madrigal, Mirabel’s sisters, in Encanto. The Disney animated movie is the acting debut for the singer-songwriter, whose previous credits include appearances as herself on various TV shows and awards shows.

Diane Guerrero (Isabela Madrigal)

Isabella Madrigal, Mirabel’s picture-perfect sister who can make flowers appear out of thin air, is portrayed by Diane Guerrero in Encanto. Since making her debut in the medical crime series Body of Proof in 2011, Guerrero has taken on major roles on shows like Orange Is the New Black, Jane the Virgin, and most recently Doom Patrol, on which she plays “Crazy” Jane. Guerrero’s other TV work includes voice acting on Elena of Avalor and Harvey Girls Forever!, as well as the appearances on Are We There for Yet?, Blue Bloods, and several others. Her film work includes Blast Beat, Peter and John, and Killerman.

Mauro Castillo (Félix Madrigal) 

Portraying Mirabel Madrigal’s uncle Félix in Encanto is musician and actor Mauro Castillo. Over the years, Castillo has been recognized with Latin Grammy nominations for his composition and singing, and has appeared on a few TV series including Paro De Mi Corazón, Rafael Orozco, El Ídolo, and El Joe.

Angie Cepeda (Julieta Madrigal)

Then we have Angie Cepeda, who brings to life the character of Julieta Madrigal, aka Maribel’s mom, whose magical cooking has mysterious healing qualities. Prior to landing a role on the Encanto cast, Cepeda made a name for herself with movies like Sammy Y Yo, which earned her critical acclaim upon the film’s 2003 release, Ilona Ilega Con La Iluvia, Love in the Time of Cholera, The Seed of Silence, and a couple dozen others. She has also spent a great deal of her career on the small green with appearances on Pablo Escobar, El Patrón Del Mal, 2091, and Los Protegidos.

Jessica Darrow (Luisa Madrigal) 

Taking on the role of Luisa Madrigal, Mirabel's sister with superhuman abilities, is Jessica Darrow. Including Encanto, Darrow has four credits to her name, including Feast of the Seven Fishes, Following Hannah Stone, and the podcast series titled Anomaly.

Rhenzy Feliz (Camilo Madrigal) 

Rhenzy Feliz joins the Encanto cast as Camilo Madrigal, Mirabel’s cousin with the magical ability to shape-shift. Fans of Marvel’s Runaways will surely recognize Feliz as Alex Wilder, the leader of the titular group of teenagers on the Hulu superhero series, but if not that, then his other shows and movies may ring a bell. Before showing up on the Marvel adaptation, Feliz landed roles on Casual and Teen Wolf. Since then, he has made one-off appearances on Kevin (Probably) Saves the World and American Horror Stories. In 2020, Feliz made his feature film debut in the Netflix drama All Together Now. He is also set to appear in George Clooney’s coming of age drama The Tender Bar, which will soon land on Amazon Prime Video.

Carolina Gaitán (Pepa Madrigal)

Pepa Madrigal, Mirabel’s emotional aunt who has the power to control the weather around her in Encanto, is voiced by Carolina Gaitán. The release of the Disney animated movie will be the first feature film Gaitán has been a part of since providing background vocals in the 2017 musical drama The Greatest Showman, though she has appeared on a number of TV programs since making her acting debut nearly 20 years ago. Over the course of her career, Gaitán has appeared on shows like the Netflix crime drama Narcos, portraying Marta Ochoa in the series’ first season, Hermanitas Calle, Celia, Flor Salvaje, Gabriella, Giros Del Destino, Isa TK+, and several others. Her most recent appearance was on the telenovela Sin Senos Si Hay Paraíso, which wrapped up in 2019.

Ravi Cabot-Conyers (Antonio Madrigal) 

Ravi Cabot-Conyers shows up in Encanto as Antonio Madrigal, Maribel’s young cousin who idolizes her in addition to being able to speak with animals. The youngest member of the Disney animated movie’s cast, Cabot-Conyers made his big debut in a 2016 episode of Saturday Night Live, briefly appearing in the skit titled “Kids Talking Trump.” Since then, he has appeared on The Resident, Tell Me a Story, Ode to Joy, and #blackAF, portraying Kam Barris.

Maluma (Mariano)

And then there is Colombian singer Maluma, who takes on the role of Isabela Madrigal’s charming and dashingly handsome fiancé Mariano. Encanto marks the Grammy-nominated performer’s acting debut, though he has previously appeared as himself on a number of reality and competition series over the course of the past decade. During that same stretch of time, Maluma has released five albums and taken home several awards, one of the most notable coming in 2020 when he was named the Best Latin Artist at the MTV Video Music Awards.

And if Pico, the keel-billed toucan featured briefly in Encanto, sounds familiar, it’s because he is voiced by Alan Tudyk, who has become one of Disney’s most prolific voice actors in the past decade or so with appearances in Frozen, Big Hero 6, Zootopia, Moana, and most recently Raya and the Last Dragon as Tuk Tuk. Now that we have gone through the Encanto cast and where you’ve seen (and heard) the stars before, check out our schedule of the remaining 2021 movie premiere dates so you don’t miss out at the theater (or at home on a streaming service) this holiday season.

For never was there a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo. Yet, Baz Luhrmann gave both literature lovers and cinema fans a new interpretation of what might very well be William Shakespeare's most famous and studied text with 1996's stylish, modernized retelling, Romeo + Juliet, which starred Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes at the onset of their fame. Featuring supporting turns from John Leguizamo, Paul Rudd, and Jesse Bradford, this ‘90s time capsule gave audiences a new appreciation for the Bard’s famous words. Following its 25th anniversary, let’s take a moment to see what the star-studded cast is doing now. 

Before we get ahead of ourselves, we should note that Pete Postlethwaite, who played Father Laurence, has since passed away. We will also take a moment to remember Brian Dennehy, who left us last year, near the bottom of this article. 

Leonardo DiCaprio (Romeo Montague)

As Romeo Montague, a handsome and sensitive young man caught between the dividing factions of his family and love, Leonardo DiCaprio certainly stole a lot of hearts in Baz Luhrmann’s retelling of Romeo + Juliet. Best known for his starring and supporting turns in Titanic, What's Eating Gilbert Grape, Catch Me If You Can, The Departed, Gangs of New York, The Aviator, Inception, The Wolf of Wall Street, and The Revenant, for which he won an Oscar, the A-list actor-producer is easily one of our biggest working movie stars. He also reunited with Luhrmann for The Great Gatsby. DiCaprio's other notable film credits include Django Unchained, Blood Diamond, Shutter Island, J. Edgar, and Revolutionary Road. 

Most recently, Leonardo DiCaprio gave a great performance in Once Upon a Time … In Hollywood and made an uncredited appearance in Grant, where he served as an executive producer. He was also seen in this year’s short film, Welcome Back Future. Next, DiCaprio will star in Adam McKay's star-studded Don't Look Up. The actor-producer also reunited with Martin Scorsese for Killers of the Flower Moon. Outside of acting, DiCaprio is producing the biopic, Atari.

• Romeo And Juliet And 9 Other Romantic Movies About Forbidden Love

Claire Danes (Juliet Capulet)

In the role of Juliet Capulet, a quiet, observant young woman who is swept up in a steamy love affair with the romantic Romeo, despite her family’s wishes, Claire Danes plays a bleeding heart in 1996’s Romeo + Juliet. Most notably, the actress won an Emmy for her lead performance in HBO’s Temple Grandin, along with two more trophies for her long-standing part in Showtime’s Homeland, which she also produced. Moreover, Danes is known for her Emmy-nominated starring role in ABC's My So-Called Life. She also appeared in Master of None, Portlandia, and Law & Order. Next, Danes is slated to star in Apple TV+'s The Essex Serpent.

Additionally, outside of TV, Claire Danes starred in Shopgirl, Stardust, The Mod Squad, and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. Moreover, the actress' other notable film credits include Little Women (1994), Home for the Holidays, The Family Stone, The Rainmaker, Igby Goes Down, The Hours, and Les Miserables (1998). Furthermore, Danes is heard in the English dub of Princess Mononoke.

John Leguizamo (Tybalt Capulet)

Playing the part of Tybalt Capulet, Juliet’s fiery cousin, John Leguizamo has a prominent supporting part in Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet. Most notably, the actor was Golden Globe-nominated for his supporting turn in To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar. Also, Leguizamo starred in Super Mario Bros., Summer of Sam, Carlito’s Way, The Pest, and Spawn. Leguizamo’s other notable film credits include Chef, The Happening, Land of the Dead, The Lincoln Lawyer, and the first two John Wick movies. Additionally, Leguizamo reunited with Luhrmann for Moulin Rouge. As a voice actor, furthermore, he was heard as Sid the Sloth in the Ice Age movies. Most recently, Leguizamo was seen in Waiting for Godot, Dark Blood, and The Survivor and heard in Batman: The Audio Adventures. He also recently directed and starred in Critical Thinking. Next, Leguizamo will be heard in Encanto. Currently, he’s filming The Menu. 

Moreover, on TV, John Leguizamo was Emmy-nominated for Waco and When They See Us. He also won an Emmy for HBO’s John Leguizamo: Freak. Next, Leguizamo will be seen in The Green Veil and The Power and heard in Fairfax. 

Paul Sorvino (Fulgencio Capulet)

As Fulgencio Capulet, Juliet’s father, Paul Sorvino plays a proud patriarch in 1996's Romeo + Juliet. Most notably, the actor is best known for his portrayal of Paulie Cicero in Goodfellas. Sorvino’s other notable film credits include A Touch of Class, The Rocketeer, Nixon, Reds, The Panic in Needle Park, The Gambler, Dick Tracy, The Firm, and Bulworth. Most recently, he appeared in The Birthday Cake. Sorvino’s other recent film credits include Bad Impulse, Welcome to Acapulco, Beneath the Leaves, and Acts of Desperation. Next, he’ll be seen in Pursued and Most Guys Are Losers. Also, Sorvino is filming My Jurassic Place. 

Additionally, on television, Paul Sorvino played Sergeant Phil Cerreta in NBC’s Law & Order and Frank DeLucca in CBS’s That’s Life. Moreover, the TV actor's other notable credits include Still Standing, Chiefs, The Streets of San Francisco, and We’ll Get By. Currently, Sorvino can be seen in Epix’s Godfather of Harlem.

Diane Venora (Gloria Capulet)

In the role of Gloria Capulet, Juliet’s mother, Diane Venora plays a matriarch in Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet. Most notably, the actress was praised for her portrayal of Chan Parker in Clint Eastwood’s Bird. Additionally, Venora’s other film credits include Heat, The Cotton Club, The Jackal, The Insider, Hamlet (2000), Wolfen, Ironweed, The 13th Warrior, True Crime, Self Medicated, Surviving Picasso, The Substitute, Three Wishes, F/X, and All Good Things. Most recently, she was seen in Star-Crossed: The Film. Next, Venora will appear in First Love. 

Furthermore, on television, Diane Venora had recurring roles in Chicago Hope, Thunder Alley, and Threshold. Her other TV credits include Grey’s Anatomy, Law & Order: SVU, and Medium. Most recently, Venora was seen in Cherish the Day. 

Paul Rudd (Dave Paris)

Playing the part of Dave Paris, Juliet’s fiance, Paul Rudd had a pre-fame role in Romeo + Juliet. Prior to this part, the actor stole hearts as Josh in Clueless. Later, Rudd starred in Role Models (which he co-wrote), I Love You, Man, This Is 40, Dinner for Schmucks, How Do You Know, Our Idiot Brother, Wanderlust, Prince Avalanche, They Came Together, The Catcher Was a Spy, and Ideal Home. 

Additionally, Paul Rudd plays Scott Lang, i.e. Ant-Man, in several MCU movies, including Ant-Man and Ant-Man and the Wasp, both of which he co-wrote. The famous actor's other notable film credits include the Anchorman films, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Meyers, and The Cider House Rules. Most recently, Rudd was heard in Disney+’s What If …? Next, he’ll star in Ghostbusters: Afterlife and Apple TV+’s The Shrink Next Door. Currently, Rudd reprises his titular role in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Outside of acting, the A-lister was a producer on 2021's documentary, My Beautiful Stutter. 

Jesse Bradford (Balthasar Montague)

As Balthasar Montague, Romeo’s cousin, Jesse Bradford plays a supporting role in Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet. Most notably, the actor is known for Bring It On, Flag of Our Fathers, Swimfan, Presumed Innocence, Clockstoppers, and King of the Hill. Additionally, Bradford was seen in My Blue Heaven, Hackers, and W.

Furthermore, on television, Jesse Bradford had a recurring role as Ryan Pierce in NBC’s The West Wing. He also had main roles in short-lived series like Outlaw, Guys with Kids, and Sequestered, which he also produced. Moreover, Bradford starred in, produced, edited, and directed 2018’s short film, The Day of Matthew Montgomery. Most recently, the TV actor was a guest star on CBS's Magnum P.I. 

Harold Perrineau (Mercutio)

In the role of Mercutio, Romeo’s best friend, Harold Perrineau plays a loyal pal in 1996's Romeo + Juliet. Prior to this film, he was acclaimed for his supporting turn in Smoke. Additionally, Perrineau played Link in The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. The actor's other notable film credits include Zero Dark Thirty, 28 Weeks Later, The Edge, King of New York, Snitch, Dumplin’, The Best Man, and The Best Man Holiday. Next, Perrineau will be seen in Without Ward. 

Additionally, on TV, Harold Perrineau is best known for playing Michael Dawson in ABC’s Lost and Augustus Hill in HBO’s Oz. His other TV credits include Sons of Anarchy, Constantine, Goliath, Criminal Minds, Claws, Star, Constantine, and The Rookie. Most recently, Perrineau was heard in Bronzeville. Currently, he's filming Epix’s From. Next, Perrineau will star in Peacock’s The Best Man: Final Chapters. 

Christina Pickles (Caroline Montague)

Playing the part of Caroline Montague, Romeo’s mother, Christina Pickles is our lady matriarch in Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet. Most notably, the actress received five Emmy nominations for playing Nurse Helen Rosenthal in NBC’s St. Elsewhere. Additionally, Pickles was Emmy-nominated for her recurring role in Friends. In 2018, she won an Emmy for Vimeo’s Break a Hip, which she also produced. Most recently, Pickles lent her voice to Adult Swim’s Tuca & Bertie. 

Away from TV, Christina Pickles' other film credits include The Wedding Singer, Legends of the Fall, Masters of the Universe, Revenge of the Nerds IV: Nerds in Love, and It Came Upon a Midnight Clear. Next, she’ll star in Finding Hannah. 

Dash Mihok (Benvolio Montague)

As Benvolio Montague, Romeo’s cousin as well, Dash Mihok has a supporting part in Romeo + Juliet. Away from this film, the actor is best known for playing Brendan “Bunchy” Donovan in Showtime’s Ray Donovan. Mihok’s other TV credits include Felicity, Chicago P.D., Blue Bloods, Grey’s Anatomy, NYPD Blue, and Hawaii Five-0. Most recently, he appeared in NBC’s Law & Order: Organized Crime. Next, Mihok reprises his role as Bunchy in Showtime's Ray Donovan film. 

Away from television, Dash Mihok was seen in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Silver Linings Playbook, The Day After Tomorrow, I Am Legend, Hollywoodland, and The Thin Red Line. Additionally, the film actor will star in Deep Water and Deception Road.

Zak Orth (Gregory Montague)

In the role of Gregory Montague, another one of Romeo’s cousins, Zak Orth had a supporting part in Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet. Most notably, the actor played J.J. in Wet Hot American Summer, as well as Netflix’s Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp and Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later. Orth’s other film credits include Vicky Cristina Barcelona, In and Out, Music and Lyrics, Spanking the Monkey, Loser, Down on You, The Ten, The Other Guys, and They Came Together. Also, he narrated You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger. 

Additionally, on television, Zak Orth played Aaron Pittman in NBC’s Revolution. He also appeared on Fringe. Most recently, Orth was seen in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend and Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist.

Jamie Kennedy (Sampson Montague)

Playing the part of Sampson Montague, Romeo's other cousin, Jamie Kennedy had a comedic role in 1996’s Romeo + Juliet. Most notably, the actor played Randy Meeks in the Scream movies. Kennedy also starred in Malibu's Most Wanted (which he co-wrote), Son of the Mask, and Kickin' It Old Skool. Most recently, the actor starred in Last Call. Currently, Kennedy is filming Don’t Suck.  

Additionally, on TV, Jamie Kennedy is the creator, writer, and star of The WB’s The Jamie Kennedy Experiment. He also co-created Living with Fran. Furthermore, Kennedy played Professor Eli James in CBS’s Ghost Whisperer. As a voice actor, he's heard in The Cleveland Show, King of the Hill, and Fanboy & Chum Chum. 

Brian Dennehy (Ted Montague)

As Ted Montague, Romeo’s father, Brian Dennehy played a lead role in Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet. The actor won a Tony for his lead performance in Death of a Salesman. Additionally, he was Emmy-nominated for his work in A Killing in a Small Town, The Burden of Proof, To Catch a Killer, Murder in the Heartland, and Our Fathers. Dennehy’s other TV credits include The Blacklist, Hap and Leonard, The Good Wife, Birdland, Star of the Family, and Dynasty. 

Furthermore, away from TV, Brian Dennehy’s other film credits include First Blood, Cocoon, Silverado, Tommy Boy, Gorky Park, Presumed Innocence, She Hates Me, Summer Catch, and Driveways. He was also heard in Ratatouille. On April 15th, 2020, Dennehy died of cardiac arrest at 81. The actor was last seen in Son of the South. Dennehy's final film appearance will be in Long Day Journey.

Romeo + Juliet is available to stream on Amazon Prime.

After a nearly three-decade absence from the big screen, the Super Mario Bros. franchise is finally getting another shot at cinematic glory. Last week, the cast of Illumination’s upcoming animated reboot was announced, with the lineup including Chris Pratt as Mario, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach and Charlie Day as Luigi. However, John Leguizamo, who starred as Luigi opposite Bob Hoskins’ Mario in 1993’s live-action Super Mario Bros. movie, isn’t impressed with the cast that’s been assembled.

While John Leguizamo is happy that Super Mario Bros. is getting a film reboot, he criticized the upcoming movie for going “all white” and not having any Latinx leads, something which its live-action predecessor had. You can read Leguizamo’s full statement from Twitter below:

It’s worth noting that the main cast of the animated Super Mario Bros. movie isn’t actually all white, as Keegan-Michael Key, Fred Armisen and Kevin Michael Richardson are on board to play Toad, Cranky Kong and Kamek, respectively. That being said, perhaps Leguizamo takes more issue with Chris Pratt and Charlie Day playing Mario in Luigi, feeling that one or both of those roles could have been filled by a Latinx actor. As for his claim about being the “only one” who can make a Super Mario Bros. script work, now I’m curious to learn what kind of story he’d bring to life if he was in charge of the reboot, even if it’s too late to include those elements in Illumination’s take on the Super Mario Bros. mythology.

1993’s Super Mario Bros. was the first full-length movie based on a video game, and while it was primarily met with negative critical reception when it was originally released, it’s gained a cult following in the years since then. Clearly John Leguizamo feels the movie deserves a warmer status judging by those pictures in his tweet. Leguizamo and Bob Hoskins were joined in Super Mario Bros. by Dennis Hooper as King Koopa, Samantha Mathis as Princess Daisy, Fisher Stevens as Iggy and Richard Edson as Spike, among others.

Along with the previously-mentioned actors, the animated Super Mario Bros. movie’s cast also includes Jack Black as Bowser, Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong and Sebastian Maniscalco as Foreman Spike, while Charles Martinet, who’s voiced Mario, Luigi, Wario and various other characters in this Nintendo franchise for decades, will appear in “surprise cameos.” Behind the scenes, Teen Titans! Go To the Movies duo Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic are directing Super Mario Bros. off a script written by Minions: The Rise of Gru’s Matthew Fogel. The reboot was officially announced back in late 2017, and production began in September 2020.

Super Mario Bros. is slated to hit North American theaters on December 21, 2022, so keep checking back with CinemaBlend for updates on how it’s coming along. You can discover what other movies will arrive next year with our 2022 release schedule.

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Baz Luhrmann’s romantic musical, Moulin Rouge, follows star-crossed lovers. They are being torn apart by greed and ambition, but brought together by the beauty of music and words. It’s a true bohemian love story. Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman play lead characters Christian and Satine. Christian is a romantic writer and Satine is a prostitute and performer who dreams of being an actress. Moulin Rouge premiered 20 years ago, and many of the Moulin Rouge cast have had very successful careers, especially Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor.

The making of Moulin Rouge involved casting many Australian and European actors and actresses who may have been unknown to American audiences at that time, but over the last twenty years, many have gained international acclaim either on stage or screen. Let’s take a look at what Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor, and the rest of the Moulin Rouge cast have been up to since appearing in Baz Luhrmann’s popular favorite.

Nicole Kidman (Satine)

Satine was the young, beautiful woman who caught the eyes of many who attended the Moulin Rouge. She flirted with several, but only one caught her heart: Christian. Nicole Kidman is easily one of the most recognizable names in Hollywood. In 2001, Kidman also had one of her most famous roles as Grace in The Others. The following year, she played Virginia Woolf in The Hours. From 2003 to 2006, Kidman appeared in the popular films Dogville, Cold Mountain, The Stepford Wives, Bewitched, and voiced a character in the animated film Happy Feet.

Kidman then went on to appear in the movies The Golden Compass, Australia (another Baz Luhrmann film), The Paperboy, Stoker, and The Beguiled. Her recent screen credits have included Aquaman, The Goldfinch, Bombshell, and being part of the ensemble cast in The Prom. Along with building a substantial movie career, Nicole Kidman has been building her television credits. She was one of the leads in Big Little Lies, and a lead in The Undoing with Hugh Grant. Kidman can next be seen in the Nine Perfect Strangers adaptation with Melissa McCarthy.

Kidman will be reuniting with her Big Little Lies co-star Alexander Skarsgård in The Northman. She will also be taking on the iconic role of Lucille Ball in Being the Ricardos.

Ewan McGregor (Christian)

Christian is a young writer who finds himself experiencing life, art, and love for the first time at the Moulin Rouge. He’s a deeply romantic person, for better or worse. Many may remember Ewan McGregor for playing Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequel films. He will be reprising this role in 2022 in the miniseries Obi-Wan Kenobi. In May 2021, McGregor will appear in another miniseries Halston, playing fashion designer Halston.

Ewan McGregor’s past TV work has included Fargo and Long Way Up. He’s appeared in many movies since Moulin Rouge. Some of his most popular films have included Black Hawk Down, Down with Love, Big Fish, The Island, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, T2: Trainspotting, Beauty and the Beast, Christopher Robin, and Doctor Sleep. In Birds of Prey, McGregor played the villain, Black Mask.

In 2021, Ewan McGregor will appear in one of the highly anticipated 2021 movies: Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio. He’ll play The Talking Cricket. He will also be appearing in the upcoming film The Birthday Cake.

Jim Broadbent (Harold Zidler)

Harold Zidler (Jim Broadbent) runs the Moulin Rouge. His main goal is to get financing for Spectacular Spectacular at any cost, especially if it means selling Satine to the highest bidder. Broadbent has had a long and vibrant acting career. He appears in the Harry Potter franchise as Horace Slughorn. He’s also appeared in other major franchises like the Bridget Jones movies, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and the Paddington films. Broadbent has also appeared in the films Dolittle, Brooklyn, Cloud Atlas, The Iron Lady, Hot Fuzz, Gangs of New York, and Bright Young Things.

Jim Broadbent appeared in the 2016 War & Peace miniseries, along with having roles in Game of Thrones, King Lear, and Black Narcissus. His recent theater credits have included playing Scrooge in the 2015 West End production of A Christmas Carol, and in the 2018 Bridge Theatre production of A Very Very Very Dark Matter, where he played Hans Christian Andersen. A Boy Called Christmas is Jim Broadbent’s next film project, and he'll be portraying Father Vodell.

Richard Roxburgh (The Duke of Monroth)

The Duke of Monroth (Richard Roxburgh) became obsessed with owning Satine. He would kill anyone that stood in his way, especially a young writer named Christian. Roxburgh very often stole the show in Moulin Rouge. He went on to showcase his talent in other films such as The Hound of the Baskervilles, Van Helsing, Blonde, Matching Jack, Hawke, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and Hacksaw Ridge.

He also appeared in the series and miniseries East of Everything, Rake, Catherine The Great, and The Crown. In The Crown and Hawke, he played Bob Hawke, former Prime Minister of Australia. Richard Roxburgh has two upcoming projects. He’ll appear in the miniseries Shantaram and in the upcoming Elvis biopic Elvis. He’ll play Elvis Presley’s father, Vernon. The film will reunite him with Moulin Rouge director Baz Luhrmann.

John Leguizamo (Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec)

John Leguizamo played Henri, who is the main person who believes in Christian as a writer and in Christian and Satine’s love story. John Leguizamo has been lending his voice to the Ice Age franchise as Sid since 2002, with the most recent film premiering in 2016. Leguizamo has also appeared in the films Dr. Dolittle 2, Assault on Precinct 13, The Babysitters, Love in the Time of Cholera, Nothing Like The Holidays, and The Lincoln Lawyer.

Leguizamo has also appeared in the hit films Kick-Ass 2, Ride Along, Chef, John Wick,and John Wick 2. He’ll be appearing in the upcoming movie The Survivor. The Survivor’s cast also includes Ben Foster, Billy Magnussen, and Danny DeVito. Leguizamo’s TV credits include The Brothers Garcia, ER, Bloodline, Waco, The Mandalorian, and When They See Us.

Jacek Koman (The Unconscious Argentinean)

The Unconscious Argentinean (Jacek Koman) doesn’t get many lines in Moulin Rouge, but that’s why when he does speak, it’s such a pivotal moment. He has one of my personal favorite Moulin Rouge scenes when he sings “El tango de Roxanne.” Jacek Koman has appeared in the films Defiance, Australia, Horseplay, Breath, The Jungle, The Hater, Children of Men, and Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby

Most of Koman’s screen credits are in the world of television. He appeared in Richard Roxburgh’s series Rake, where he played Jakub for eight episodes. Koman has also appeared in the series Top of the Lake, Waking the Dead, Hotel 52, Jack Irish, Tidelands, Mustangs FC, The Woods, and The Disappearance. As of April 2021, Jacek Koman is filming a drama called Wiarolom. Koman also is the lead singer of the band VulgarGrad. They formed in 2004 and are still together and touring. They released their latest album, The Odessa Job, in 2019.

Caroline O’Connor (Nini)

Nini (Caroline O’Connor) is another cancan dancer at the Moulin Rouge. She has two very critical moments in the movie. The first is when she clues The Duke of Monroth in on Satine and Christian’s affair. The second is when she’s The Unconscious Argentinean’s dance partner during “El tango de Roxanne.” Caroline O’Connor has only appeared in a few film and television projects after Moulin Rouge. The TV series Lowdown and the movies Surviving Georgia, De-Lovely, and Carlotta.

O’Connor is mainly a stage performer and has been performing in theater most of her career. She’s appeared in the musicals and plays Bombshell, End of the Rainbow, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Chicago, A Christmas Story: The Musical, and Anastasia. In 2019, she joined the production of The Rise and Fall of Little Voice. O’Connor has also released several albums, including A Tribute to Garland. In March 2021, O’Connor enjoyed a short run production of Caroline O’ Connor From Broadway with Love.

Kerry Walker (Marie)

Marie (Kerry Walker) kept close to Satine and Harold Zidler. She seems to care about Satine and is one of the few people to know about her illness. Kerry Walker has appeared in the films Sway, Peter Pan, Australia, Cut Snake, and Holding the Man. Kerry Walker also appeared in the series Killing Time, Snob, Grass Roots, and Rake.

Kerry Walker has appeared in many stage productions, including Life Without Me, A Hard God, The Man From Mukinupin, The Wiredancer’s Waltz, The Madwoman of Chaillot, and Hypocrite.

Linal Haft (Warner)

Warner (Linal Haft) is The Duke of Monroth’s “manservant.” He tasks him with killing Christian. Linal Haft will play Philostrate in director Sacha Bennett’s film of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Haft also has a role in the upcoming Darkheart Manor. Many may recognize Haft from appearing in various episodes of BBC's Doctors, and in several episodes of the network's drama Casualty. Haft has appeared in episodes of Ripper Street, EastEnders, The Bill, Mary Bryant, Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars, and Hollyoaks. Linal Haft has appeared in over 90 films and TV shows.

Haft has also appeared in the films More Dead Men, Heist, Outside Bet, After Death, and The Gatehouse, In 2018, he appeared in the cast of The Glenn Miller Story London Coliseum production. In 2017, he appeared in New Wimbledon Theatre’s production of Cabaret.

DeObia Oparei (Le Chocolat)

Le Chocolat (DeObia Oparei) appears mainly as a background character in Moulin Rouge, but he is the one who helps Satine escape an assault from The Duke of Monroth. DeObia Oparei appeared in Dirty Pretty Things, The Foreigner, Thick as Thieves, Your Highness, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Dumbo, and Jumanji: The Next Level.

Many Game of Thrones fans will recognize DeObia Oparei as Areo Hotah. He also played Loki Hayes in Santa Clarita Diet. Oparei has also appeared in episodes of Emerald City, The Orville, and Proof. DeObia Oparei played Mr. Effiong in Sex Education. In 2021, DeObia Oparei will appear in Guy Ritchie’s Wrath of Man.

Kylie Minogue (The Green Fairy)

The Green Fairy (Kylie Minogue) only appeared in the absinthe scene. She appears as a hallucination to Christian and the others. Kylie Minogue, of course, is Kylie Minogue so she’s been actively making music. But, she also had some screen credits after Moulin Rouge. She appeared in the films Jack & Diane, Holy Motors, San Andreas, and Swinging Safari. Minogue also appeared in the shows Doctor Who, Young & Hungry, and Galavant.

In 2020, Kylie Minogue released her fifteenth studio album Disco.

Amazon Prime currently has Moulin Rouge streaming until May 1, 2021. Stream it here.

Netflix will explore the true crime genre yet again in 2019, with a series based on the controversial case of the Central Park Five, but it won't be a docu-series a la Making a Murderer or The Keepers. No, Central Park Five will be a limited series courtesy of Academy Award-nominated director Ava DuVernay, and now three impressive actors have joined the cast, including one of The Wire fame. Read on to discover the three actors and the roles they'll tackle for Central Park Five!

Omar's (kind of) coming! Michael K. Williams, best known for his iconic role as Omar on The Wire, has signed on for Central Park Five, although his new character will be quite different than the man he brought to life on The Wire. Williams will play Bobby McCray, the devoted father of one of the teenage boys accused of and then convicted of a rape they did not commit. Young Anton McCray lost valuable years of his life while incarcerated as one of the Central Park Five, and we can bet that Williams will have some emotional material ahead of him for this series as Anton's father. On top of The Wire, Michael K. Williams made a name for himself on a variety of projects, including Boardwalk Empire, The Spoils Before Dying, and Hap and Leonard. Anton McCray has not yet been cast.

Michael K. Williams will be joined on Central Park Five by John Leguizamo, who will also play the father of one of the accused teens. As Raymond Santana Sr., Leguizamo's character will have to watch his son, Raymond Santana Jr., go through an ordeal that saw him and other young men wrongfully convicted and not fully exonerated for many years. Raymond Santana Jr. has not been cast, but we can only hope that Central Park Five lands an actor who can hold his own with Leguizamo. Central Park Five will take Leguizamo back to Netflix, who played Ozzy on the thriller Bloodline. TV fans may remember him from series like The Kill Point and a relatively brief stint on ER.

Also joining the cast is Vera Farmiga of Bates Motel fame (or infamy, as the case may be). Unlike Michael K. Williams and John Leguizamo, however, Farmiga will be playing somebody who probably won't be much of an ally to the accused boys, at least at the beginning. She is on board as Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Lederer, who is the lead prosecutor for the case and will presumably cause a lot of trouble for the boys and their families. Farmiga could also be found on the big screen with films like Up in the Air and The Departed.

Created, directed, and written by Ava Duvernay, Central Park _Five_ will run for four episodes and debut globally on Netflix in 2019. Based on the terrible true story that rocked the nation, the series will chronicle the stories of the five teens of color who were wrongfully convicted. The four episodes will focus on the five Harlem boys, which is a slight departure from the original description of the series that stated five episodes were in store, with one per boy. You can expect the series to span from the spring of 1989, which saw the brutal attack of a woman in Central Park and the subsequent questioning of the boys who would ultimately be wrongfully convicted, all the way to their exoneration and settlement in 2014.

The only downside of the exciting castings is that we have a while to wait before we see these actions in action on the series. The show will premiere at some point in 2019; no more precise premiere window has been confirmed. For what you can watch while we wait, check out our 2018 Netflix guide and our summer TV schedule.

Major spoilers below for Season 3 of Bloodline, so be warned.

Released last Friday, Season 3 of Netflix's pulse-pounding drama Bloodline reached its big series finale in a most thrilling fashion, and quite a few unpredictable bombshells dropped on viewers in those last ten episodes. Some of the shocks came specifically because of Netflix's unexpected cancellation announcement, which was a detriment to the storytelling that the three creators had planned. One particular character who suffered the woes of story-minimizing was John Leguizamo's intimidating Ozzy Delveccio, who met a most gruesome fate late in the season. Here's what Leguizamo thought about that scene, and how he helped inform it.

So many things about that answer are interesting to me, even though Ozzy was such a detestable character in quite a few ways, especially when he was at his most devilishly antagonistic in Season 2. Bloodline's creators -- Todd A. Kessler, Gleen Kessler and Daniel Zelman -- could have easily written Ozzy a simple out in order to focus more on the Rayburns, but they worked with John Leguizamo to create a concluding arc that inspired far more sympathy, curiosity and intrigue than Ozzy earned when he was merely threatening to get John & Co. busted. To the point where his out-of-nowhere death felt like as big a punch of the gut as something happening to one of the central family members.

A lot of that sympathy came from the formerly self-assured Ozzy losing his grip on things after getting throttled by Roy Gilbert's thugs in the early episodes, so it's obviously insightful to learn that someone in John Leguizamo's life was the inspiration for Ozzy's concussive state and mental shift. Because nothing in Bloodline is ever quite spelled out for audiences, Ozzy's own confusion was transferred to fans, and it really wasn't clear if he was seriously injured or just narcissistically confident as he erratically attempted to attain some true form of justice for Danny's death. (Lots of things weren't clear about this season, as we go over in our finale rundown.)

So when his later efforts to meet Roy were thwarted, we weren't exactly ready for Ozzy to shoot himself through the head before the henchman could even put his car in reverse. It was as big a WTF moment as Bloodline brought in Season 3, and I'm almost more uncomfortable now, knowing that his death was a combination of hubris and brain injury.

As one might have expected, Ozzy potentially could have survived a lot longer had Netflix kept Bloodline as part of the lineup. When speaking to THR about this final season, John Leguizamo revealed that Season 3 was supposed to put Ozzy and Eve, Nolan's mother, in focus.

Ozzy's efforts eventually went unfulfilled in Bloodline's current state, where Eric is basically just going to rot in jail because nothing good comes to Danny and his friends, but it's eye-opening to learn that Ozzy and Eve's story would have really opened up in the story's original form. Which means we never would have gotten to see that incredibly uncomfortable scene at the church where Ozzy is demanding to talk to a priest who never worked there. It's a shame, to be sure, but Leguizamo has certainly made the character's present existence all the more interesting with his reveals.

All 3 seasons of Bloodline are available to stream on Netflix. After finding out what the co-creator said about that very last scene, find out what else is coming to the streaming service this year, check out our 2017 Netflix calendar, and then head to our summer TV schedule to see when everything is premiering in the coming months.

As if someone was reading our minds on a regular basis, it was announced last weekend that director Robert Rodriguez is looking to bring the long developing remake of Escape From New York to the big screen. So with such a dynamic director behind the camera, you can expect not only a lot of fun in front of the camera, but also some top notch casting. After all, the man's not a contemporary of Quentin Tarantino's for no good reason. But just who could take the role of Snake Plissken and make it as balls out exciting as Kurt Russell did in John Carpenter's 1981 original?

Well, in the 36 years between the original film's release and now, there have been quite a few actors that came along and walked the line between bad ass and wise ass that Plissken has always occupied in our hearts and minds. And these 10 contestants are the ones that should be on Rodriguez's short list, with a couple of them undoubtedly being on that list already as he's worked with them in the past. So join us now as we slither through these select few people who could possibly come close to that 80s Kurt Russell magic synonymous with Snake's legacy.

Ben Foster

Snake Plissken needs an actor that knows how to take the bad guys to task, and do so with a smile on his face. We need to identify with him, but at the same time know that he's going to do some stuff we might begin to question. After watching Ben Foster in his turn as Chris Pine's brother in Hell or High Water, he became one of the first people we'd cast in this role in a heartbeat. Even with his total resume laid out on the line, we'd be sold to cast Foster as the next stage of Snake's pop culture lifespan. But recalling the mix of raw threatening energy and good ol' boy charm, piss and vinegar, just makes us thrill at the prospect of Ben Foster turning New York city into his own playground.

Antonio Banderas

Robert Rodriguez and Antonio Banderas are like peanut butter and chocolate: they've been paired before, they'll be paired again and we'll line up for our fair share whenever they decide to do it again! In the case of the Escape from New York remake, it'd pair the two together for a project that'd harken back to the days of Desperado and Once Upon A Time In Mexico. Except Snake is a bit more of an anti-hero than El Mariachi ever was, which should be fun when played with Banderas' darker sensibilities. It's also been way too long since Antonio Banderas has gotten to shoot stuff up and spout witty lines, so this is too good a possibility to pass up.

Alexa Vega

Now, let's say for a moment that Robert Rodriguez wants to go in a really different direction with Snake Plissken and gender swap the character. Snake is a pretty gender neutral name, last we checked, so why not bring in long time Rodriguez contributor Alexa Vega into the mix? She's already worked on some action friendly projects with the director, such as Machete Kills and Sin City: A Dame To Kill For, and she's young enough that a franchise wouldn't be out of the picture. Also, it'd be kind of cool to see how the role of Snake would change with a female actor taking the lead, and it's the sort of experimentation that can make a remake like this really sing.

Chris Pine

Hewing closer to the short list a major studio would probably draft up once Escape From New York's remake was announced, Chris Pine's name seems like a natural to be linked to Snake Plissken. That said, Pine has definitely shown range outside of any typical studio picture, in both Hell or High Water and Stretch. Pine is definitely up for getting crazy while staring danger dead in the eye, and he just has one of those faces that screams Snake. You could practically imagine him speaking in a low, menacing drawl similar to that of Kurt Russell as you're reading this sentence.

Gael Garcia Bernal

With what could arguably be the most varied range roles in his personal canon, Gael Garcia Bernal definitely has what it takes to play Snake Plissken. Bernal's experience in everything from independent dramas to a Spanish language Will Ferrell comedy, he's flexible enough that you could drop him in any project, and he'd fit. But between the cheerful defiance of authority in Mozart In The Jungle, and the pulse pounding action he endured in Desierto, it's that combination that wins Gael Garcia Bernal a spot on this list.

Chris Pratt

You can blame James Gunn for this one, as casting Kurt Russell as the father of Chris Pratt's Star-Lord in Guardians of The Galaxy Vol. 2 showed us just how alike the two actors are. In fact, it could even be said that Peter Quill feels like a Marvel/Disney version of Snake Plissken, only with more humanity and the ability to give a shit about the people he's working with. Those could easily fall away though, and Pratt's natural swagger and command of the screen take after his soon-to-be on screen dad's earlier masterworks. From here on out, you're probably going to hear Pratt's name as an automatic option whenever a Russell picture is being remade.

Diego Luna

Above any other role on Diego Luna's resume, Cassian Andor from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is the one that really sold us on Luna becoming the next Snake Plissken. Charming when he has to be, yet dangerous all the time, Cassian was a vital piece to the operation that stole the Death Star plans. He's also a dyed in the wool anti-hero for a good portion of the film, which also helps sell his credibility in the role. So naturally, if Diego Luna can navigate through Imperial forces to complete such a task, rescuing the president from post-apocalyptic New York should be a walk in the park.

John Leguizamo

It's no secret that Robert Rodriguez loves to work with Latino and Latina actors, and we've definitely played that fact to the hilt with previous contenders we've put onto this short list. But if there's anyone who could use an awesome career resurrection in the vein of so many others Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino have brought into the modern world, John Leguizamo is certainly one of them. With his work in the John Wick franchise laying down some serious framework, Leguizamo would not only be a perfect fit for the gruff and grumpy side of the character, but he's also a shoo-in for the wise cracking part of the deal. Giving him a chance to take on a wild future New York, with all of the gangs and freaks waiting to take a piece of him, would be a glorious cherry on top of an already legendary career.

Michael Biehn

Dipping into the Robert Rodriguez stable of character actors for one final time, we can't help but think that Michael Biehn would be a fantastic Snake to bring Escape From New York into the 21st century. As if plum roles in films like Terminator, Aliens and Tombstone didn't prime us to automatically cast this fellow 80s bad-ass in Rodriguez's new iteration of Snake Plissken's infamous adventure, his work with the director only reinforces our feelings. Playing the sheriff in Planet Terror has familiarized him with the director's unique touch, so this is only another hand in glove combo that could serve the material perfectly. Well, maybe there's one last person that could do justice to Snake Plissken.

Kurt Russell

If something's not broken, then you really shouldn't try to fix it. Which is why we think if Robert Rodriguez is going to give Escape From New York some serious thought, he should consider making a call to Kurt Russell and inviting him to grow out his hair and don the eye patch once more. The only real drawback is the fact that casting Russell does limit Rodriguez's remake in terms of how much it can innovate or diverge from the original. Still, with his action franchise cred being renewed with Furious 7, having the OG Snake riding again would not only help us forget Escape From L.A. ever existed, it kind of makes sense.

Nobody expected John Wick to become such a phenomenon when it landed on the scene in the fall of 2014. A small-scale revenge thriller, the Keanu Reeve fronted action movie made a serious impression on audiences with its relatively simple story, its immaculately crafted action sequences, and (most of all) its utter dedication to creating an authentic, lived-in world of killers, thugs, and bad guys. Despite the fact that it was produced on a shoestring budget of roughly $20 million, John Wick became a bona fide R-rated hit by grossing $86 million worldwide. Beyond that, the film also performed incredibly well with critics, garnering an 85% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes -- no easy feat for an R-rated action movie.

With that combined commercial and critical acclaim, it only made sense that a sequel quickly entered development. The John Wick sequel -- appropriately titled John Wick: Chapter 2 -- will hit theaters in 2017, and it's quickly become one of the most highly anticipated action movies of the coming year. We cannot even begin to express our excitement for John Wick 2, and as such we have taken it upon ourselves to compile all of the information we can regarding its upcoming release. Now let's get started with one of the most basic, and yet most important, elements of the upcoming John Wick sequel: the story...

What Is The John Wick 2 Story?

The original John Wick deserves quite a bit of credit. The filmmakers really tied up the story so neatly that none of us can really figure out where a sequel could possibly go. Mr. Wick got everything he needed out of the events of the original film; the men who killed his beloved beagle were punished, and he managed to walk (read: limp) into the night with a new canine companion to take care of. Now it seems that the sequel will take the basic DNA of the original, and send it in a very new direction. The overarching narrative of John Wick 2 will see the titular killer once again come out of retirement due to a blood oath he owes a former associate. This commitment will see him travel away from his home in New York to Europe in order to face off against a group of ruthless killers intent on taking over the underground assassin's guild. You know that this means: more carnage.

With that in mind, it sounds like the next John Wick will draw from John Wick's past for its conflict, and that means we will get far more insight into the mind of the character himself. Keanu Reeves recently revealed that the film would deal with the duality of Wick. There's "John," the docile man who spent five years married to the love of his life. Then there's "John Wick," the deadly assassin feared by the entire criminal underworld. Something from John's past will come back to haunt him in John Wick: Chapter 2, and the John Wick side of his personality steps in to fight for his survival.

When Is The John Wick 2 Release Date?

Although the original John Wick was a fall release (hitting theaters on October 24, 2014), it seems that John Wick: Chapter 2 will switch things up a bit and opt to hit theaters in late winter. According to Box Office Mojo, John Wick: Chapter 2 will hit theaters on February 10, 2017. Just in time for Valentine's Day, obviously.

In previous years, releasing a major R-rated action movie like John Wick: Chapter 2 in the middle of February would've seemed like a generally odd endeavor for a studio. However, the recent success of Deadpool showed us that audiences will turn out in droves for a solid action blockbuster during the shortest month of the year if it's worth it. We're not saying that John Wick 2 will rival the success of Deadpool, but anticipation for it is very, very high.

Who Is The Director Of John Wick 2?

If it isn't broken, then don't fix it. Behind the scenes everything worked perfectly on the first John Wick, and it seems that nobody has any intention of changing horses midstream. Keeping that in mind, Chad Stahelski will once again return behind the camera to helm the next installment in John Wick's story. Additionally, his uncredited co-director from the original John Wick, David Leitch, has also opted to stay onboard as a producer for the upcoming sequel. Considering the quality of the action as well as the performances, in the original John Wick, the decision to bring these two back should instill quite a bit of confidence in audiences.

In addition to Chad Stahelski's return as franchise director, John Wick: Chapter 2 has also brought screenwriter Derek Kolstad back to pen the film's script. With so many familiar elements returning to the fray, we have a feeling that Chapter 2 will truly feel like a proper sequel.

Where Does John Wick 2 Take Place?

The upcoming John Wick sequel will provide plenty of familiar environments, but it will also introduce a new world within the established one. We already know that Winston's Continental Hotel will return as a central location for the film's narrative, which means that all of the rules and customs established in the first movie will return as well. This definitely comes as a relief, because the gritty, urban New York setting of the original John Wick certainly added a great deal of authenticity to the proceedings.

However, as previously stated, John Wick: Chapter 2 will eventually switch things up and take the action overseas as well. In addition to the New York shooting locations, we have learned that the John Wick sequel has also shot scenes in Rome, Italy. The exact nature of these scenes (as well as their overall impact on the plot) remains a mystery, but we have a feeling that the Rome location will come with its own new set of rules and customs that John will have to abide -- or face the consequences.

Keanu Reeves - John Wick

The man himself. Of course Keanu Reeves will return for John Wick: Chapter 2. You cannot have John Wick without John Wick. Despite the fact that John tried to find peace again at the end of the original film, it appears that something will occur in his life that will once again draw him back into the underground world of criminals, assassins, and general low-life scum. If he's coming back, expect plenty of mayhem and bloodshed to follow.

As previously stated, it appears that John Wick: Chapter 2 will delve much deeper into the duality of the series' titular gun-toting hero. John Wick is very clearly a man more at odds with himself than we even realize. The "John" portion of his personality longs for a peaceful existence, but the"John Wick" aspect of his mind has an innate knack for killing, and it's difficult for him to completely suppress that bloodlust. We saw hints of that underlying rage during the events of the original film, and it looks as though we will get a much more thorough understanding of what makes this assassin tick in the coming film.

Laurence Fishburne - The Bowler King

That's right, folks. John Wick: Chapter 2 will feature a bona fide Matrix reunion, and we cannot even begin to describe how excited we are for it. Laurence Fishburne will take on the role of The Bowler King in the upcoming John Wick sequel. It's unclear whether or not he's a friend or a foe to John Wick, but his presence will quite obviously be one of the major reasons that Mr. Wick jumps back into action. Given their previous on-screen interactions, we're willing to bet that they're allies.

One of the most intriguing aspects of Laurence Fishburne's involvement in John Wick: Chapter 2 is the way in which he will reportedly expand the John Wick universe. He has nothing to do with the world we have already been introduced to. During a recent interview, the former Morpheus opened up regarding his involvement in the highly anticipated sequel and explained that The Bowler King comes from a world entirely separated from Winston's Continental Hotel, but still firmly rooted within the John Wick universe. This seems to indicate that the film's world of assassins and criminals runs even deeper than we realized, and possibly even points towards warring factions of killers.

Ian McShane - Winston

If there's one character from the original John Wick that we're excited to see return (aside from Wick himself), it's Ian McShane's Winston. The prim, proper, and generally dapper owner of The Continental Hotel, Winston proved himself quite reliable as one of the few allies that John Wick could really trust during the events of the first movie. Ian McShane completely owns the character, sipping a martini casually while talking with John across the table, or ordering the death of a rule-breaker in his hotel. The Deadwood star does quiet menace better than anyone.

However, knowing that John Wick will leave the confines of The Continental and make his way to Europe has us scratching our heads. Winston seems so inextricable from The Continental itself that we cannot really the gauge the size or scope of his role in John Wick: Chapter 2. Will he survive long enough to see John off? Will he simply wish John well as he travels overseas to kick some ass? Or will he even decide to accompany John Wick on this mission? These are questions we need answered.

John Leguizamo - Aurelio

The moment John Leguizamo first appeared on screen during the events of the original John Wick was the moment we truly realized the depth of the universe we would soon enter. His character, Aurelio, is the owner of a high-end chop shop in New Jersey, and a source of information regarding the ins and outs of the criminal underworld. If he's coming back to the fray, we can likely assume that John Wick will turn to him for inside information concerning the new threat that he's facing, and perhaps a shiny new car.

Common

Another major addition to the cast, Common has continuously proven himself as one of the best musicians turned actors working today. Although very few details regarding the exact nature of his character have been made available to us, we have learned that he will take on the role of a security head for a major female crime lord during the events of John Wick: Chapter 2. With that in mind, we can reasonably assume that he will pose a serious physical threat to the titular hero, while an even worse big bad continues to loom in the shadows.

This casting shouldn't come as a major shock to anyone that has become familiar with Common's body of work in recent years. His turn as "Price" in the wholly underrated 2015 Liam Neeson thriller, Run All Night, proved that the rapper has what it takes to pull off the role of a cold, meticulous assassin. We have nothing but faith in his ability to present a distinct challenge to Mr. Wick throughout the course of the upcoming sequel.

Ruby Rose

Rounding out the principle cast of John Wick: Chapter 2 is none other than Orange is the New Black's Ruby Rose. Out of all the major players in the upcoming John Wick sequel, she's the character we really know the least about. On one hand, her character could provide a potential love interest for the deadly Mr. Wick, if he's ready to finally move on following the passing of his wife -- played by Bridget Moynahan in the original movie, who will once again return for flashback sequences.

On the other hand (and this is a far more likely scenario) Ruby Rose's character could be one of the many deadly criminals that John Wick will face off against during his next rampage. The original John Wick's Ms. Perkins (Adrianne Palicki) already proved that woman can be just as deadly (if not deadlier) than men in this universe, so anything's possible. Ruby Rose will also appear in xXx: The Return of Xander Cage one month and Resident Evil: The Final Chapter before John Wick: Chapter 2 hits theaters, so she seems to be gunning for action hero status in Hollywood.

In Kevin Smith's Clerks II, there's a scene where Randall, one of Smith's most iconic characters, derisively described The Lord of the Rings trilogy as a lot of walking, only to drop a ring into a volcano. If he were to sum up the Ice Age films, he'd have basically done the same thing, except he'd still be walking, and there'd be no closure in a ring being destroyed. Indeed, Ice Age: Collision Course is just more of the same for the franchise that spawned it: travel from here to there, make some jokes, and once and awhile check in on Scrat. Suffice it to say, this movie only really serves one purpose: to prove that the franchise needs a swift and sudden ending.

With a series of meteors threatening life as they know it, Manny (Ray Romano,) Diego (Denis Leary,) and Sid (John Leguizamo) must lead their group, including Ellie (Queen Latifah,) Shirah (Jennifer Lopez,) Peaches (Keke Palmer,) and Julian (Adam Devine) to safety. Of course, the road to safety is really a path to danger, as Buck (Simon Pegg) has convinced the team to head to where the largest meteor is supposed to hit, in an effort to somehow avoid their historically dictated fate.

If you're looking for an animated film that tests the boundaries of storytelling in the medium of children's films, then you'd better go see Finding Dory again, as Ice Age: Collision Course is pretty much your standard, all-star kids comedy. With glowing nipples, dangerous yoga contortions, and a marriage subplot that plays it so safe it requires a combination to unlock, you basically know where this film is going at least 20 steps ahead of time. I wish I could say that there's at least enough humor to keep the audience past the age of 6 entertained, but unless you're really hankering for jokes referencing Armageddon, then I really can't say that. In fact, it seems that the Ice Age series has mistaken adding characters to its already hefty dramatis personae as a tactic for making things funnier. As you can tell by the constantly unfunny Crash and Eddie, it's not.

All's not lost though, as there are a couple of bright spots that save Ice Age: Collision Course from itself. Scrat, as per usual, gets some of the funniest gags involving zero dialogue, but a Looney Tunes sensibility. Also, Simon Pegg's Buck continues to be a character that deserves his own spin off, as his adventures and witty repartee are an oasis from the cloying wedding subplot this film contains. And last, but not least, Neil deGrasse Tyson's minuscule cameo kind of makes me wish Fox would commission a Cosmos for Kids series, using his character, Neil deBuck Weasel as the storyteller. But considering Scrat has always been the crutch of the Ice Age series, and the roles of Pegg and Tyson are so small, they can't overcome the crushing pall of unfunny material that makes up the meat of the film.

The fact that Ice Age is on its fifth sequel, and still hasn't resolved itself into an ending, is enough to make you apologize to The Land Before Time franchise for complaining when it crossed the threshold of ten films. It would be best if Fox just feeds this languishing franchise to the nearest predator, in order to give Scrat, Buck, and Neil deBuck Weasel their own buddy comedy. Alas, the chances of this happening are the same as an asteroid wiping out the animated cast of Ice Age: Collision Course, so I wouldn't recommend holding your breath.

Not every movie is perfect, but Super Mario Bros. is the movie that tainted the video game movie genre, ended the careers of its directors, and is infamous for being all-around mediocre. At least, according to the latest installment of Honest Trailers. Watch it below. 

The Screen Junkies series has tackled many sub-par films, so it’s kind of a shocker that it took the producers this long to feature Super Mario Bros. The film starred the late Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo as brotherly plumbers, Mario and Luigi. To save a princess (Samantha Matthis) they have to travel to another dimension and release her from the clutches of an evil dictator, King Koopa (Dennis Hopper). Other nods to the video game source material lie in the presence of Toad, Bertha, the fungus growing all over the place, the Goombas, and Yoshi. But overall it was an epic disaster. As the video jokes, these directors took all the acid. 

When you get right down to it, the Honest Trailer for this film was actually pretty kind, considering how hard it could have bashed this one. Critics savaged the film, with Roger Ebert calling it "a complete waste of time and money." And when Hoskins got to talking about it, he really let loose. The actor told The Guardian back in 2007 that Super Mario Bros. was "the worst thing [he] ever did," calling the production "a nightmare," and saying the co-directors’ arrogance was mistaken for talent. Because the film was such a failure for the studio — it didn’t even earn back half of the money that went into it — it also persuaded Nintendo to never dabble in live-action adaptations of their games again. Even now, when fans are crying out for a Zelda TV series or movie, the company remains steadfast in its belief. 

In defense of the film, it’s hard to make a live-action Super Mario Bros. cool. Then again, these guys did it pretty well, and they didn’t have the budget of a Hollywood studio backing them. 

A few months ago, a report detailing leaked emails from Sony claimed the studio was looking to make a new Super Mario Bros. movie. Producer Avi Arad reportedly emailed then Sony head Amy Pascal about an animated version, while the president of Sony Pictures Animation told Arad that he wanted to build this into an empire. At the time, talks were continuing between Sony and Nintendo, who is rightfully cautious. Even then the project would have to go through an extensive script process, and that doesn't guarantee a film will be developed. The last thing we need, after all, is a repeat of this 1993 flop.

A few weeks ago, we shared this Tweet/image of John Leguizamo donning prosthetic makeup to transform into Pablo Escobar for a test shoot of the soon-to-enter-production drama King of Cocaine, formerly called Ballad of Pablo Escobar.

At the time, Leguizamo was facing off against Elysium’s Wagner Moura for the title role in the wake of Inside Llewyn Davis’s Oscar Isaac departure. Deadline now reports Leguizamo has since come out on top, and that the makeup mock up above was a major factor in the filmmakers’ decision.

Director Brad Furman, best-known for helming the Matthew McConaughey vehicle The Lincoln Lawyer, needed no convincing. He had previously worked with Leguizamo on his feature directorial debut The Take back in 2007. Not only was he impressed by Leguizamo’s performance in the lesser-known crime drama, but also Furman credits Leguizamo with igniting his career. His faith in the Colombian-born actor who has long been fascinated by the Colombian drug lord’s rise from poverty to power made Leguizamo Furman’s first pick for the role of Escobar. But foreign investors and the film’s producers were more interested in actors like Oscar Isaac.

Leguizamo’s second chance to land the role came about when Isaac abandoned it, but King of Cocaine producer and financier Scott Steindorff was still unconvinced Leguizamo was right for it. Showing an incredible tenacity, the ambitious actor laid down $15,000 of his own money to create a fat suit and pay for the makeup test above. From there, he and Furman teamed up to shoot test footage to win over Steindoff. The resulting footage, which split screened Leguizamo in character next to archival footage of the real Escobar, was so convincing that some of the features producers didn’t even recognize the actor. At long last Leguizamo won the role he fought like a champ for.

Here’s a Vine showing some of the intense plaster-casting required to for his Escobar makeover.

Penned by Matthew Aldrich and David McKenna, King of Cocaine has been described as “The Latino Godfather” and is expected to chronicle Escobar’s life with a particular focus on the $3 billion empire he built trafficking cocaine in the 1980s. The film is expected to shoot in Colombia in January of 2014. In the meantime, Leguizamo can be seen in Kick-Ass 2, and fans of Furman can look out for his next release, the Ben Affleck/Justin Timberlake vehicle Runner Runner, which opens October 4th.

By our count there are currently three dramas coming up that include notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar as a main character. But the soon-to-shoot Ballad of Pablo Escobar has just suffered a major blow, having lost its leading man Oscar Isaac. The rising star who plays the title character of the forthcoming Coen Bros. drama Inside Llewyn Davis has reportedly walked away from the role of Escobar, but Latino Review has uncovered two intriguing contenders whoa are now squaring off for the part: Wagner Moura and John Leguizamo.

The project described as “The Latino Godfather” will show the Colombian criminal’s rise to power and—we expect—his eventual gruesome demise. With a script by Matt Aldrich, a scribe whose made the coveted Black List, and The Lincoln Lawyer director Brad Furman at the helm, The Ballad of Pablo Escobar looks good on paper, but it definitely needs a strong leading man to ground its narrative. Leguizamo has been gunning for the role, sharing the audition process with his Twitter followers through Vines and snapshots:

Leguizamo, who was born in Colombia and lived there until age four, is definitely a more recognizable name in the U.S. than Moura. Plus, as he’s worked with Furman before on The Lincoln Lawyer, he may seem to have an edge. However, Moura has had a pair of high-profile roles to his credit recently while Leguizamo’s mostly been voicing Ice Age’s Sid. The Brazilian star first scored notice Stateside with Jose Padilha’s action-packed crime-drama Elite Squad: The Enemy Within. And just this past weekend he could be seen stealing scenes as the crippled coyote called Spider in Neill Blomkamp’s Elysium. Also, Leguizamo is best known as a zany comedic actor, which could hurt him in trying to switch over to something so heavily dramatic. Regardless, with The Ballad of Pablo Escobar set to shoot this September, we’re sure to hear word on Furman’s final decision soon. Tell us who you’d like to see snag the role below:

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In the meantime, a drama about Escobar’s battle against General Hugo Martinez called Silver and Lead is in development. And Paradise Lost, which features Benicio Del Toro as Escobar, will hit theaters next year.

While every actor in Hollywood wants to be a leading man or woman, there is definitely an added benefit to being a character actor. While being a lead can tie up your schedule and enforce the need to be very careful about the projects you choose, being a character actor you have the opportunity to play smaller roles in a wide variety of cool and interesting projects. Take, for example, John Leguizamo, who is now getting the chance to be in both a superhero movie and a hardcore drama from one of film's most celebrated directors.

Deadline says that Leguizamo has signed on for roles in both Kick-Ass 2 and Ridley Scott's The Counselor. In the first film, which is being written and directed by Jeff Wadlow (Cry_Wolf), he will play a man named Javier, who serves as the lead bodyguard of Red Mist, the film's central villain. Christopher Mintz-Plasse is set to reprise the role while Aaron Johnson, Chloe Moretz and Nicolas Cage are set to return as the titular hero, Hit Girl, and Big Daddy, respectively. Mintz-Plasse said earlier this month that production on the movie would start in September.

As for The Counselor, which is based on an original screenplay by Cormac McCarthy, Leguizamo will play a "low-level drug dealer." The film is about a lawyer living on the Texas border who tries to dip his toe into the drug game to try and make a little extra money on the side. Unfortunately he gets sucked in too deep and finds himself needing to fight to survive. Michael Fassbender will play the lawyer, while the rest of the cast includes Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Cameron Diaz, Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz, Dean Norris and Rosie Perez.

When Jeremy Renner was cast as the lead in The Bourne Legacy last week, I was surprised not only because it will be his third on-going franchise, but because I learned that he is 40 years old. Not only could he pass for being in his late 20s-early 30s, but it's amazing that it's taken this long for him to get the notice he deserves. As a result, it's understandable that he would want to start taking on as many projects as he can. Fortunately, this one only requires him to stand in a sound booth for a few hours.

THR reports that Renner, Jennifer Lopez, Wanda Sykes, Keke Palmer, Aziz Ansari And hip-hop star Drake have all been added to the cast of Ice Age: Continental Drift, the third sequel in the long running series. The story also says Ray Romano, Denis Leary, John Leguizamo, Queen Latifah, Seann William Scott and Josh Peck will all be back to reprise their roles from the previous films. While character details have not been released for all of the new actors, Renner will be playing " Gutt, a self-styled master of the high seas" (it doesn't say what kind of animal), while Lopez will play Shira, a sabretooth tiger who will serve as a romantic interest for Diego, Leary's character. The film is scheduled to be released on July 13, 2012.

Much like the Shrek franchise before it, the Ice Age movies have been getting worse and worse with each sequel, so I wonder if this is the one that finally drives it straight into the ground. Considering that it seems as though they're adding six new characters to an over-crowded cast, I'd say that it's a safe bet.

I sometimes wonder if my intense hatred of Hayden Christensen isn't all his fault. Looking at his resume, which includes titles such as the Star Wars prequels, Takers, Awake and Jumper, one begins to realize that he has a knack for starring in films that would probably be god-awful with or without his involvement. Perhaps he's not a bad actor; maybe he just has really bad taste. Vanishing on 7th Street may be a great way to find out and now we have the film's first trailer, courtesy of Yahoo!

Directed by Brad Anderson, the man who got Christian Bale to lose 63 pounds for his role in The Machinist, Christensen plays a man who wakes up one morning to discover that everyone in the world has vanished and that light is quickly disappearing. Joining up with the only survivors he can find, played by Thandie Newton and John Leguizamo, they realize that the only way to stay safe is to stay in the light.

Check out the trailer below or in HD over at Yahoo! and then join me afterward for some discussion.

What the movie seems to have working for it is atmosphere. As a person who ranks losing his sight among his top fears, moving into a world of darkness seems pretty terrifying, particularly when you're being haunted by dark apparitions. In addition to making The Machinist, a dark and creepy film in its own right, Anderson is also known for making Session 9, a terrific atmospheric horror film in its own right. Maybe this will work, maybe it won't. Guess we'll have to wait until February 18, 2011 to see.

The one time in his life Hayden Christensen played a role that was remotely critically acclaimed, it was as disgraced journalist Stephen Glass in Shattered Glass. Perhaps realizing it might be best to just start over again, Christensen is returning to that journalism well, signing on to play a reporter in the supernatural thriller Vanishing in Seventh Street.

He's joined in the film by Thandie Newton and John Leguizamo, and all three will play survivors of mysterious shadowy forms that cause people to suddenly disappear. According to THR they'll be filming in Detroit, a brilliant move for a movie set in a once-thriving, now demolished city.

The film is directed by Brad Anderson, who made last year's thriller Transsiberian and has directed a handful of Fringe episodes. It seems daring for anyone to film a movie in Detroit, but we'll see if the story can hold up against that one bold move.