John Leguizamo Wins Pablo Escobar Role In ‘The King of Cocaine’
John Leguizamo has won the role of Pablo Escobar in the upcoming movie The King Of Cocaine.
And it wasn’t easy.
Deadline reports that Relativity Media and producer/financier Scott Steindorff didn’t believe that Leguizamo had enough international appeal to carry the movie. The actor petitioned for the role but he was repeatedly rejected.
So, the actor found a more creative way to audition.
The star of Ice Age ended up spending $15,000 of his own money on a fat suit and some makeup and then sent the producers footage of himself next to footage of the real Pablo Escobar. But here’s the thing: The footage was delivered to the studios without any information about the actor.
The producers watched the tape and didn’t realize that they were watching John Leguizamo until after Director Brad Furman made the big reveal. The producers may still be unsure about Leguizamo’s international appeal but at least they know now that he can play a convincing Pablo Escobar.
Deadline writes: “Leguizamo got the job basically because he refused to take no for an answer… Leguizamo, who was born in Colombia, has long felt he was born to play the role of Escobar… Leguizamo went out and spent upwards of $15,000 of his own money for a fat suit and prosthetic makeup that rendered him a dead ringer for Escobar at his prime.”
http://t.co/cbIv1rtzq4 Check it out my peeps! Give it all u got every time!
— John Leguizamo (@JohnLeguizamo) September 9, 2013
