John Leguizamo received a call from Dennis Lehane, one of the leading thriller novelists and writers in America. He was told about a project, based on a real crime story centered on one of the most proficient arsonists in America. Lehane told Leguizamo that he had written one of the roles specifically for him. "Am I being punked?" asked Leguizamo. He wasn't.
"Smoke" is a new Apple TV series starring Golden Globe nominee Taron Egerton as Dave Gudsen, an arson investigator who teams up with a detective (Jurnee Smollett) in tracking two serial arsonists in the Pacific Northwest. There's, of course, more to the story.
I read Ezra, and it was amazing. It was like, ‘I can do this.’ I can play a guy who's fighting for the truth, who's hit rock bottom, who's self-sabotaging but still has a sense of humor and thinks he’s sexy (laughs).
John Leguizamo
Lehane, who has written novels that have become award-winning movies like "Mystic River," "Shutter Island," "Gone, Baby Gone," is developing the series following his success with "Black Bird," his previous Apple TV+ show that also starred Egerton.
"Smoke" is an all-star production, made up of an ensemble cast that includes Greg Kinnear, Anna Chlumsky, Adina Porter, and more. Leguizamo plays Ezra Esposito, reckless and down on his luck cop; if you've seen some of Leguizamo's filmography you already know that this is a role that he can play in the blink of an eye, containing reverberations of some of the most notorious characters that he's played over his career, a list that includes Benny Blanco in "Carlito's Way," Toulouse-Lautrec in "Moulin Rouge," and Sid Sloth in "Ice Age."
In an interview with HOLA! Leguizamo opened up about "Smoke," collaborating with Lehane and the cast, and the work that goes into playing a part like this as a method actor. He also discussed his legacy as a Latin artist who makes it his mission to elevate Latino voices in the U.S. and has advocated for representation in Hollywood for the past three decades.
The first five episodes of 'Smoke' are available on Apple TV+
John, congratulations on the show. You play a jaded cop with many layers. Throughout your career, you’ve played these morally complex figures. Were there any personal references in your earlier work that influenced this role?
Dennis Lehane, the great American crime novelist, called me up and wanted to talk to me. And we zoomed, and he told me that he wrote Ezra Esposito specifically for me and my abilities. And I was like, ‘Come on. Am I being punked?’ It was such an exhilarating moment to have somebody write a role that uses all of me. And I read Ezra, and it was amazing. It was like, ‘I can do this.’ I can play a guy who's fighting for the truth, who's hit rock bottom, who's self-sabotaging but still has a sense of humor and thinks he’s sexy (laughs). I got all these colors in me.
The series is based on a real-life story told in a true crime podcast. Did that affect the way you approached your character?
Absolutely. I love that it's based on truth. The series is loosely based on the story of John Orr, who in the nineties was the leading arson expert in America. And it turned out that he was setting the fires himself. That's why he was such an expert. He was remorseless and felt nothing about what he’d done and the people who died from it. I definitely wanted to make my character as authentic as possible. We talked with arson experts, and we had them on set as consultants. We went to the fire department and talked to them, too.
I think when you know that something is real, although you should do it for everything anyway, you have to be more specific. And I'm a method actor, so I love talking to real people anyway, and getting my character from their knowledge and experiences.
As you’ve said, Dennis Lehane is a huge voice in America and in the crime genre. Compared to the other crime stories that you’ve been involved in, what was the difference between Lehane’s vision for this show?
Well, I think Dennis Lehane’s specialty in true crime is that he knows how to layer a story. He knows where to put all the right clues and how not to let the audience get ahead. I think that's what's so brilliant about him. Plus, he picked a great story. He’s always picked great stories. This one is amazing, you can’t believe the twists and turns. They’re shocking at every point.
There’s also a great cast. You have scenes with Anna Chlumsky and Greg Kinnear.
And Taron Egerton and Jurnee Smollett.
It's so good. There are so many moving parts in some of these scenes. What was the dynamic like on set, and how did you build that chemistry?
It's so great when you're working with great actors and great writing. And we had great directors as well. These guys were seasoned veterans who understood the value of actors and what they bring. I've been on projects where they don't respect actors, and they don't allow your opinion. They don't allow your input. On this set, it was all welcome. It was such a nurturing environment that allowed for exciting, riveting acting, and working with Jurnee and Greg… It was amazing. To vibe off of them is so effortless and thrilling, because you know they’re getting it. They understand the nuances of what you’re throwing, and they throw it right back. It’s like playing tennis with the best tennis player.
I also wanted to talk about your heritage. You've inspired a generation of Latinos and played a big part in the way that we're depicted on screen. You're also vocal about the issues that we face in our community. Do you see it as a part of your mission to uplift Latinos? How do you enforce that on and off set?
Well, I see myself very differently than most people see me. I see myself as an artist. I've always had. I've always respected artists because they are political and outspoken. I'm not just an entertainer. I feel like when I write and create, I want to change the world somehow. I want it to have an impact and make a statement. I don't wanna just create fluff, you know what I mean? I don’t want to just create escapist content, which is fine for people who wanna do it, but that's not me. I wanna be about something. I want my life to have a meaning. And I try to do that with my choices. I definitely do it in my writing.
In my show, “Leguizamo Does America,” I go across America looking for Latin excellence and genius, and I find it in abundance. I get to investigate and celebrate Latin ability. And then with my PBS series, “American Historia,” I get to go into the history and our contributions to the making of America. Johns Hopkins University did a study, and 87% of Latino contributions to the building and development of America are not in the history books. That's a huge disrespect to our community, which has been here for hundreds of years and is the only ethnic group that has fought in every single war that America's ever had.
You’ve also done this work for Latinos in your industry, calling out Hollywood’s exclusion of Latinos. Have you seen any meaningful change over the years?
I've definitely seen change. This year is, I think, the most change I’ve seen. I think we have five Latino leads across platforms, in movies and series, and they’re having huge ratings. So the hard work pays off. I'm still not happy about it, because until we have 20 percent of the parts on entertainment, it’s not truthful. We make up 20 percent of the population, and in entertainment, we’re at like 6 percent. White people make up only 58.9 percent of the population, and yet they have almost a hundred percent of the executives, the storylines, and the movie stars. I want parity. When we have that, I’ll be happy.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
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