Luis Guzman has a face you’ve seen before, whether or not you consider yourself a cinephile. Born in Cayey, Puerto Rico and raised in New York City, Guzman has been a part of some of the most emblematic films and TV shows in Hollywood, with a career that spans over 40 years and features collaborations with some of his generations' leading directors, like Paul Thomas Anderson, Steven Soderbergh, Brian De Palma, and more.
'Wednesday' star Luis Guzmán honors his roots as King of the Puerto Rican Pride Parade
Over the past couple of years, Guzman has been one of the key players in “Wednesday,” the Netflix hit show and global cultural sensation. As Gomez Addams, he grants a touch of solemnity and hilarity to the beloved and storied role, which has historically been depicted as having a Hispanic or Spanish background. Guzman shares the screen with many members of this iteration of The Addams Family, which includes talented actors like Jenna Ortega, Catherine Zeta-Jones,Fred Armisen, and more.
"I think of myself as an artist. A Latino artist, creating art or a character. There are little things here and there that I sprinkle in, but that’s across the Latin hemisphere, you know, not just Puerto Rican but also Mexican, and Cuban, and Colombian, and all across Latin America. That’s the world I represent."
Luis Guzman
Aside from building a stunning acting career, Guzman has always prioritized his identity, creating a space for it long before Latinos occupied the forefront of entertainment. He’s been an outspoken voice for the Puerto Rican community, showcasing the magnitude of the island’s talent with his comedic and dramatic performances while never backing down from discussing the reality of Puerto Rico and its complicated politics.
Jenna Ortega and Luis Guzman as Wednesday and Gomez Addams
In a chat with HOLA!, Guzman shared his pride over being named this year’s King of the Puerto Rican Day Parade, and some of what he loves most about these events. He also emphasized the importance of creating a space for reflection in large celebrations like these, focusing on ways in which the community can move forward, improve, and learn from past injustices.
Congratulations on being selected as this year’s King of the Puerto Rican Day Parade. I know you're a proud New Yorker and a proud Boricua. What does it feel like to carry the flag of your community in this way?
First of all, I'm very honored, very humbled by it, and very proud. I always lend my voice to the things that we go through, through the struggles that we've been through as Puerto Ricans, not only on the island, but also here in the States. I’m happy to be a representative of our people.
Have you been to the parade before, and have you had any fun or wild experiences?
Everything you said.
(Laughs).
I’ve been to the parade many times. There’s a lot of joy in celebrating our people, our heritage, and our culture. I take a lot of pride in that. The music, the celebration, you know? And I also feel the flip side of that. I always want to see our people doing better. I know the Boricua community and how they’ve been afflicted, overrun by drugs. You know, back in the eighties, we were overrun by AIDS. And also the politics in Puerto Rico, and all the corruption that happens there.
You go to these parades, and it's like, man, we can always do better for ourselves. We’re always gonna celebrate because that’s who we are. Our music is the best music because that’s what we produce. Our pride is wonderful. But then you gotta go down to the layers of who we are, and I feel like that’s something that has to be addressed and has to be sorted out, because we’re better than that.
"I always want to see our people doing better. I know the Boricua community and how they’ve been afflicted, overrun by drugs. You know, back in the eighties, we were overrun by AIDS."
Luis Guzman has built a career that spans for over 40 years
I agree. And I think it's not something that people usually discuss when speaking about parades and celebrations. I think it's also important to make space for reflection
It’s just something that you can't ignore. Listen, I've been to too many funerals of people passing away from diabetes and heart disease and AIDS and alcoholism and drug overdoses and violence. Those things are never really addressed. Like I said, you could celebrate all you want, but after that celebration, you gotta go back to reality and what you’re willing to do to change that reality.
And that's how I look at things, because many people come out to see that parade. That’s something that’s about us. But it’s an opportunity for us as a people to look within ourselves and say, ‘We can do better for ourselves.’
I'll give you one example. The mass sterilization that happened to our women. They didn’t even know it was happening. And we were guinea pigs, and you know what? We never got any reparations from that. Hopefully, someday this can be a part of the parade, and this issue is brought up, because I think it’s really important. And remember, it was the Young Lords [a primarily Latino political organization that collaborated with many civil rights movements] that started the free breakfast, free lunch programs within our community. Those then became national and global, and it was all because we addressed that.
Luis Guzman is this year's King of the Puerto Rican Day Parade
"It's a show that's really well written, super well performed by the actors, the set design, the camera work, the music, everything."
Luis Guzmán
I wanted to talk about your heritage and how that connects to your role in ‘Wednesday.’ You play Gomez Adams, a character who a rich history, appearing in comic strips, movies, cartoons, etc. Do you think of your Puerto Rican heritage as you play him?
No, I don't. I think of myself as an artist. A Latino artist, creating art or a character. There are little things here and there that I sprinkle in, but that’s across the Latin hemisphere, you know, not just Puerto Rican but also Mexican, and Cuban, and Colombian, and all across Latin America. That’s the world I represent.
You're getting ready for the release of the second season. Do you have anything you can share or tease about the series? What can we expect?
It’s gonna be a lot of fun. It's gonna be pretty spectacular. A lot of surprises. It's a beautiful show and beautiful entertainment. It's mysterious, it's dangerous, it's dark, it's witty, it's funny. It's a show that's really well written, super well performed by the actors, the set design, the camera work, the music, everything. You bring this all together in one package, and you have something that just absolutely genius entertainment.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
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