Color. Dance. Music. Joy. An all Latino cast!
The hype for 鈥淚n the Heights鈥� has brought great expectation for Latinos in the United States, a group that鈥檚 been historically underrepresented and widely typecast in films. With upcoming titles like 鈥淐inderella鈥� with Cuban-American singer Camila Cabello, 鈥淭he Hitman鈥檚 Wife鈥檚 Bodyguard鈥� with Mexican star Salma Hayek and Steven Spielberg鈥檚 revival of 鈥淲est Side Story,鈥� it鈥檚 just the beginning of a string of productions that place Latinos front and center.
鈥淚n the Heights,鈥� which opens Friday, is director Jon M. Chu鈥檚 adaptation of the Tony-award winning musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegr铆a Hudes about the hopes and struggles of residents of New York City鈥檚 Washington Heights. Many hope it marks a new beginning on the big screen for the largest minority group in the country 鈥� one that mirrors shifts that have already happened for Black and Asian actors and creators.
鈥淵ou have this beautiful collage of people in the community,鈥� says Jimmy Smits, who plays Kevin Rosario, a single father and the owner a taxi cab service, in 鈥淚n the Heights.鈥� 鈥淚t鈥檚 the immigrant experience that鈥檚 been part of the fabric of this country since it started. And it鈥檚 positive. So we need that right now after the pandemic.鈥�
John Leguizamo agrees.
鈥淚 think that 鈥業n the Heights鈥� is gonna be THE project that changes the whole thing finally,鈥� says the Colombian-American actor and playwright, who won a special Tony Award in 2018 for his commitment to bringing diverse stories and audiences to Broadway through his one-man shows like 鈥淔reak, and 鈥淟atin History for Morons.鈥�
Leguizamo says he鈥檚 been pitching stories to Hollywood for 30-plus years.
鈥淚 started to believe that maybe I don鈥檛 know how to write, maybe I just don鈥檛 know how to pitch, cause all my stories were rejected,鈥� he says. 鈥淎nd then I started to realize, 鈥極h my God, it鈥檚 because it was Latin content!鈥� They didn鈥檛 know what to do with it.
鈥淭hey weren鈥檛 rejecting my ability, there were rejecting my culture.鈥�
The Census Bureau estimates almost 60 million Hispanics lived in the United States as of 2018. And many are devoted filmgoers: Latinos have consistently led the box office, reaching 29% of tickets sold, according to the latest Motion Picture Association report on theatergoers.
Yet they only represent 4.5% of all speaking or named characters and a mere 3% of lead or co-lead actors, a 2019 study of 1,200 popular movies from 2007 to 2018 by the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative found.
Awards recognition, too, has been elusive. This year鈥檚 Oscars featured a diverse slate of nominees, but no Latino performers.
Since Rita Moreno became the first Latina to win best supporting actress award in 1962 as Anita in 鈥淲est Side Story鈥� only one other Latino has won: Puerto Rican Benicio del Toro for his supporting role 2000鈥檚 鈥淭raffic.鈥� Before them, Puerto Rican Jos茅 Ferrer became the first Latino actor to receive an Academy Award for his leading role in 鈥淐yrano de Bergerac鈥� in 1951, and Mexican-born Anthony Quinn got two supporting actor statues for 鈥淰iva Zapata!鈥� (1953) and 鈥淟ust for Life鈥� (1957).
No Latina has won best actress at the Oscars, with Hayek one of the few who have even been considered.
Moreno, an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony winner whose career spans seven decades, says she doesn鈥檛 expect to live to see Latinos achieve broad success in Hollywood.
鈥淢y age forbids it. But I sure as hell hope something happens,鈥� Moreno says 鈥淚 can鈥檛 believe we鈥檙e still struggling the way we are.鈥�
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what the hell is wrong. I don鈥檛 know what is not working right,鈥� Moreno says. 鈥淭he Black community has done incredibly, and I have nothing but the deepest admiration for the Black professional community. They鈥檝e done it. And I think we can take some lessons from them. But where is our 鈥楳oonlight鈥�? Why are we not advancing?鈥�
Nevertheless, Leguizamo says he鈥檚 seen an important change during the COVID-19 pandemic and with the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement.
鈥淭he studios woke up,鈥� says Leguizamo, who is now in talks to direct a few projects, including one he鈥檚 written. 鈥淚 think everybody is making moves to change into being inclusive. I see it from small producers, directors in their offices, in their casting. I see it at Viacom. I see it at Univision. I see it at Netflix. I see it everywhere!鈥�
Audiences will too, starting this summer with releases like Everardo Gout鈥檚 鈥淭he Forever Purge鈥� with Ana de la Reguera (both Mexican); M. Night Shyamalan鈥檚 鈥淥LD,鈥� with Mexican actor Gael Garc铆a Bernal and Steven Soderbergh鈥檚 鈥淣o Sudden Move鈥� with del Toro.
Spielberg鈥檚 鈥淲est Side Story,鈥� set for December 10, includes a Latino cast this time. Many 鈥淧uerto Ricans鈥� in the original were white actors in brown makeup and, although widely successful, the 1961 movie was also criticized for stereotypical portrayals of Latinos.
Anthony Ramos, who leads 鈥淚n the Heights鈥� as Usnavi, the character originally played by Miranda on the stage, says that 鈥渘ow is an incredible, beautiful moment where we can capitalize on Hollywood being receptive to what is naturally happening in the streets.鈥�
As for Miranda, who became a superstar with the Broadway hit 鈥淗amilton鈥� and since then has been working also on TV and film, the 鈥渢ime has caught up to 鈥業n the Heights鈥欌�� and he hopes people of color will support it.
鈥淲e鈥檙e part of a larger series of voices,鈥� Miranda says. 鈥淚 remember how important it was for me to go support 鈥楤lack Panther鈥� opening weekend, to go and support 鈥楥razy Rich Asians鈥� opening weekend, to vote with my wallet, to go and support 鈥楳inari鈥� opening weekend. If you want newer and richer stories beyond the ones you鈥檝e heard, you vote with your wallet.鈥�
鈥擲igal Ratner-arias, The Associated Press
