Actor John Leguizamo, known for his roles in When They See Us, the Ice Age film series and Moulin Rouge! has just opened up about his life-changing experience making one of his most notorious films: To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar. The film cast Leguizamo Chi-Chi Rodriguez, part of a trifecta of drag queens, opposite Wesley Snipes and Patrick Swayze.
Speaking on the 25th Anniversary of To Wong Foo‘s release, Leguizamo reveals how the film broke new ground for mainstream, Hollywood cinema, and altered the trajectory of his career.
“It was a groundbreaking movie in so many ways,” he tells Yahoo Entertainment. “There have always been actors playing women’s roles, but this time we were playing gay roles and giving them dignity and respect. That was huge. Especially with these action stars, Wesley and Patrick. We knew we were on a mission and we wanted to do it right. That was a beautiful time…because of the respect for the LGBTQ community.”
Related: These four gay cult classics are making a comeback just in time for Pride
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Despite the euphoria from playing a groundbreaking character, Leguizamo also confirms a long-standing rumor: he and Swayze almost got into a fistfight on set.
“I had something to prove,” Leguizamo confesses. “Patrick didn’t. So I was ad-libbing. And he was tired. And he said, ‘Are you going to do that again?’ And I said, ‘Yeah, you know how the routine is.’ He goes, ‘Why don’t you shut up?’ I said, ‘Why don’t you make me?’ And Wesley was like, I got your back. So we were about to fight, but we took a look at ourselves wearing hot pants, wearing pumps. It was ridiculous. We hugged and we made up.”
Leguizamo went on to score a Golden Globe nomination for his performance in To Wong Foo. The success of the film also helped him land high-profile parts in Romeo + Juliet as well as Moulin Rogue!. Still, the greatest legacy of Chi-Chi, according to Leguizamo, is the way that his character became an icon for queer people, especially within the drag community.
“My character, Chi-Chi Rodriguez became a teen icon for LGBT teenagers,” he says. “I got many letters from kids telling me that they felt safe to come out to their parents because of my character. They saw themselves in me, and I’ve always cherished that.”
So do we, John.
kevininbuffalo
I saw it the other night. It sucked. It’s just poor rip off of “Priscilla” which was superior in every way.
Harley
I have to agree. Drag queens don’t dress in drag 24/7. Transsexuals do. Priscilla was a much more realistic interpretation. But both movies moved the needle in positive directions.
fur_hunter
I’m more man than you’ll ever be and more woman than you’ll ever have. AHAHAHH EHHEHEHHE AHAHAHAHAHAH Take care and stay well.
DarkZephyr
I don’t know why you gotta tear one movie down because you liked another. I saw Priscilla and Too Wong Foo and for my part, I preferred Too Wong Foo. Priscilla was OK. It was interesting watching General Zod from Superman II playing a trans woman. But the two films were very different. There was no “ripping off” going on. You say that like there should have only ever been ONE movie about drag queens in the world. That’s nonsensical.
Sister Bertha Bedderthanyu
Many of you are too young to remember this but it was felt by many in the gay community that this disaster of a movie was a response to the success of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, which was released a year earlier (1994). John was the only one who gave the impression of being a drag queen but as to be expected from all of his other performances in drag you just wanted to slap the shit out of him no matter what he said. I change the channel after She’s A Lady (about ten minutes into the movie).
RosemarysBaby
You poor dear. Is there anything that doesn’t cause you to complain?
DarkZephyr
NONE of my friends felt the way you claim “the gay community” felt about it. Dream on.
innocentgay
It’s not the high art so many drag queen road trip movie aficionados believe Priscilla was, but you know what? My parents and most of America didn’t see Priscilla, and likely never will. A movie with Patrick Swayze, Wesley Snipes, and Stockard Channing, set against a comfortable and familiar background of every white character actress of the 90s? Yeah, they saw that. That movie made gay men, drag, and even RuPaul dressed in a rebel flag family-friendly, and for that it deserves some respect in it’s own right.
rray63
If you want to watch one that was ground breaking take a look at La Cage aux Folles from 1978. One of the two main characters is a drag queen. Two brilliant actors play the main roles. Later, here in the U.S. it was remade as, “The Birdcage” with Robin Williams. I still remember seeing the original in the theater, it’s subtitled but worth a viewing.
Dymension
I loved it. I also loved Priscilla. Saw both these in the theater and it was a real blast. The audience just ate it up.
Hillers
Groundbreaking is a bit of a stretch. Derivative might be more accurate. It was a clear rip-off of “Priscilla” and a pale comparison. The primary three actors were rarely seen out of drag. It was like their drag personas and real personas were one and the same, which is not an accurate portrayal of actual drag queens.
ScottOnEarth
John was AMAZING in ‘To Wong Fu….” I didn’t know he was and genuinely thought he was a drag queen because he played that part for all it was worth. It’s so sweet that he takes pride in empowering LGBTQ youth. I appreciate his support and advocacy.
averageguy40
I love this movie. Can’t it just be fun and entertaining without ripping it apart?
BoylesqueBubble
NEWMAR not Numar ya idiot!
bobbyjoe
Curious John Leguizamo gets praise from any LGBT folk when his last show on Broadway was so homophobic. I guess doing a routine where you play on the worst gay stereotypes making the one character in the show presented as gay a lisping, mincing psychopath and then turn around and literally acknowledge in the show how bad what you just did was saying “oh it’s okay my brother is gay” like the “some of my best friend” excuse is fine in his mind. Talk about coasting on his previous goodwill from a minority; any other comedian who did the same routine would have been rightly criticized.
dhmonarch89
There was a pro golfer named Chi Chi Rodriguez- he won some majors back in the 60s and played on the seniors tour when this film came out…he sued to have the character’s name changed, thinking it was an insult to him. The case was thrown out of court…that was what the 20th century was like- even having the same name upset the str8s!
DarkZephyr
OMG all the Priscilla fans attacking this movie and calling it a “rip off”. Have you actually seen both movies? I sure have. There was no ripping off going on. Jesus Christ, more than one drag queen movie can exist.
Sister Bertha Bedderthanyu
The theaters you saw them in must have been extremely dark for you to not have noticed the similarities . Both movies contained a three ring circus of queens. There were two in each movie who had extreme animosity toward each other. Both movies showed them traveling across a country breaking down along the way and getting involved with the locals with a grand drag finally. You missed all of that? I don’t believe it possible you didn’t see all of that. Too Wong Foo was what it was, a ripoff of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.
DarkZephyr
Yes, they’re both drag queen road trip movies. I guess there can only be one. And there were instances of animosity. That is fairly standard movie fare and par for the course with Queens. I think you’re just a sour person.
Sister Bertha Bedderthanyu
Your idiotic responses to me always indicate you have a problem with me and my name. As always we depart knowing that again you made an ass of yourself and needed no help doing it. I can only imagine the number of fist fights over the years that you’ve gotten into with your outburst in bars and social settings.
Jack Meoff
They should have included a smack down between these two in the movie it might have made it worth watching.
Alejandro De La Garza
Leguizamo’s character may have been an icon to a lot of drag queens, but it was yet another stereotypical portrayal of gay men. No drag queen has ever spoken for me when it comes to gay rights, and no one takes drag queens seriously. It wasn’t a drag queen who defended same-sex marriage before the U.S. Supreme Court.
The one thing I remember from “To Wong Fu” is Snipes’ character commenting that Leguizamo looked like “she’s running across the border.” Imagine if someone had said something about the Blackness of Snipes. Even in 1995, hell would have been raised!
RosemarysBaby
You do realize that drag queens were fighting for your rights at the Compton’s Cafeteria and Stonewall riots, don’t you?
Preppy1000
Saw both up a theatre. “Priscilla” was great—“To Wong Foo” wasn’t. Wesley Snipes looked downright terrifying in drag!