John Leguizamo Feels “Humiliated ” By His Role In ‘Regarding Henry’

Actor Reflects on Latino Stereotypes in Hollywood and His Fight for Representation

Washington DC [US], August 24 – Comedian and actor John Leguizamo has opened up about one of the earliest roles in his career, recalling how he felt “humiliated” while playing a convenience store robber in Mike Nichols’ 1991 drama Regarding Henry.

The film starred Harrison Ford as a successful lawyer who loses his memory after being shot during a robbery, forcing him to rebuild his life. Leguizamo played the assailant in that scene – a part he now admits left him conflicted.

“You know, I was kind of humiliated by it. I did it because I got no jobs. There were no jobs for Latin folk. There just weren’t,” Leguizamo told People.

Reflecting on the challenges Latino actors faced in the ‘90s, he revealed that opportunities were scarce and often reduced to negative portrayals.
“When I got Regarding Henry, it was a drug dealer. I shoot this white guy. It was like I’m perpetuating what they want to see – negative Latino images,” he added.

When asked if filmmakers pushed him to lean into stereotypes, the actor said it was rarely explicit but always implied:

“They didn’t have to say that to me as much. I was the flavor they were looking for, like a ghetto hoodrat. All my acting teachers, when I was 17, were like, ‘No one can understand you with that accent. Do you really speak that way?’”

Despite his reservations, Leguizamo admitted that part of the motivation to take the role was the chance to work with legendary director Mike Nichols.
“But there I am with my sloppy fro in the bodega, and there’s Harrison Ford, and I’m robbing the place. Even talking about it gives me PTSD,” he recalled.

Over the years, however, Leguizamo has transformed his early frustrations into a mission. From championing Latino representation in Hollywood to lobbying for the National Museum of the American Latino, he has consistently worked to uplift his community. His docuseries Leguizamo Does America is one such effort, celebrating “Latin excellence” across the country.

Now, more than three decades later, his journey reflects not just the story of a struggling young actor, but of a man who turned pain into purpose.