John Leguizamo recently shared with Business Insider some of the roles he wishes he hadn’t passed up in his career. These include Stanley Tucci’s iconic character Nigel in “The Devil Wears Prada,” Robin Williams’ voice role in the animated film “Happy Feet,” and Vince Vaughn’s role in the action-packed movie “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” alongside Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt.
Leguizamo explained that he had his reasons for declining the opportunity to work on “Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” even though he admits they may seem silly. He revealed that the main factor was a salary concern, as he was offered to work for scale while Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were set to receive a $20 million payday. Although there have been conflicting reports about the exact figures, with some suggesting Pitt received $20 million and Jolie earning $10 million.
Leguizamo shared his experience with the film “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” and how he felt “dissed” when he discovered that he was being paid scale while the lead actors were receiving $20 million. He acknowledged that it’s possible that he misinterpreted the situation and that it wasn’t intended as a slight towards him. However, as a person of color, Leguizamo explained that there can be a tendency to feel overlooked or undervalued, even when it may not be the case. He humorously added that therapy might be necessary to address these insecurities.
Leguizamo is well aware that Pitt and Jolie were offered significantly more money than him to star in “Mrs. & Mrs. Smith” due to their successful careers in blockbuster films. However, this didn’t prevent him from feeling disrespected at the time. As for “Happy Feet,” the animated musical set in Antarctica, Leguizamo already had a successful animated franchise with the “Ice Age” movies. He expressed his frustration, saying, “I don’t want to keep doing these ice movies. It’s such a silly reason. But in that moment, it seemed logical to me, and as a result, I missed out on millions.”
Last year, the actor garnered attention when he revealed to ComicBook.com that he had engaged in negotiations to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Vulture in “Spider-Man: Homecoming.” Although the role eventually went to Michael Keaton, it seems that there were enough discussions with Leguizamo for Marvel to have him as a potential backup for the villainous character.
“I was actually supposed to play the Vulture,” Leguizamo revealed. “We had already negotiated the role, but then they told me that Michael Keaton wanted it back. They asked if I would be willing to give it up, and reluctantly, I agreed. They assured me that they would find another project for me to work on, so that’s what happened.”
According to Leguizamo, the studio presented him with a meager offer as a consolation after he relinquished the bigger role of Vulture. The actor promptly rejected the offer, stating, “Nuh uh.”
In his recent interview with Business Insider, Leguziamo revealed that he had reached an agreement with Marvel to portray the character of Vulture. He expressed his surprise that another actor did not file a lawsuit when they were dropped from the role, like he was. Leguziamo mentioned that although he hadn’t signed a contract, both parties had come to an understanding, which he believed could be grounds for legal action.
“The studio head reached out to me and expressed their dissatisfaction, saying, ‘This is terrible. I feel terrible. Would you be willing to give it up?’ And I complied. It was disheartening to feel unwanted, and I didn’t want to stay where I wasn’t valued,” Leguizamo revealed. He continued, “As my grandma used to say, ‘If they don’t want you at a party, don’t go.’ So, if they didn’t want me there, I didn’t want to be a part of it either. I felt disrespected and belittled, so it wasn’t something I wanted to be associated with.”
In response to a question about returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe or another big franchise, Leguizamo expressed interest in playing a character like The Riddler. He stated that he would be open to returning to other franchises if the right opportunity came along. However, he declined a role as a small scientist in a movie, politely turning down the offer.
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