John Leguizamo Slams the Emmys Over Lack of Representation: “That’s Cultural Apartheid”

Don’t expect John Leguizamo to join in as part of the Emmys’ virtual audience on Sunday. This year, the actor is standing up to the awards ceremony over lack of Latinx representation, The Wrap reports. In an interview with Yahoo Entertainment, Leguizamo slammed the Emmys, declaring that he’s boycotting the event this year.

“If you don’t have Latin people, there’s no reason for me to see it. What’s the point?” he said. “It’s unbelievable that our stories aren’t being told, and there’s one reason for that. Executives don’t see us, don’t get us — don’t care about us. It’s crazy.

“Like, we’re 50% of the population of Los Angeles and less than 3% of the faces in front of the camera? Less than 2% of the faces behind the camera? Less than 1% of the stories being told by Hollywood streamers and networks? That’s cultural apartheid.”

This year’s Emmy nominees included only one single Latinx actor, recognizing Alexis Bledel for her role in The Handmaid’s Tale. Big names, including One Day At A Time‘s Rita Moreno, Pose‘s Mj Rodriguez, and the series Vida and Orange Is the New Black, were all left off the list of 2020 nominees. When the Academy of Arts and Television released the official list in July, the lack of Latinx representation sparked criticism online, with the hashtag #LatinosAreOnTVToo spreading across Twitter.

The snubs caught the attention of The Hispanic Caucus, which criticized the Emmys after nominees were announced. “There is not a single Latino or Latina nominated for @TheEmmys awards,” the group wrote on Twitter. “A demoralizing disappointment for the U.S.’s largest minority group, representing nearly 1-in-5 Americans. Hollywood must acknowledge and address the erasure of Latinx actors.”

In a string of tweets, they added, “Media depictions of Latinos shape public perceptions. Lack of positive representation can lead to ignorance, even hate when taken to the extreme. There were good shows and performances by Latinos— @TheEmmys could have chosen at least one to celebrate,” continuing, “Studio executives should green-light more films and shows starring Latinos, made by Latinos and telling Latino stories. Latino stories are American stories. Our stories are as good as anyones—as universal, as moving, as funny, as heroic. We deserve the opportunity to tell them.”