John Leguizamo is celebrated for his incisive, culture-skewering one-man shows, such as the critically acclaimed “Latin History for Morons” and the groundbreaking “Mambo Mouth.” However, about five years ago, when he sought a “culturally exciting” theatrical production to enjoy with his Latin friends, he found himself without options.
“I was like, ‘Wow, that’s crazy,’” reflects Mr. Leguizamo, 65, the actor and playwright who calls Lower Manhattan home since 1986, having grown up in Queens. “We’re equal to white people in New York City in terms of population — probably more — and there’s nothing for us.”
Motivated by this void, he set out to create the very show he yearned to see. The result is “The Other Americans,” a compelling new play that delves into the aftermath of a hate crime experienced by a Latino family, who have relocated from Mr. Leguizamo’s childhood neighborhood of Jackson Heights to Forest Hills. He takes on the role of Nelson Castro, a Colombian American laundromat owner. This powerful production is currently running at the Public Theater in downtown Manhattan until October 26.
“I find theater is where you can take the risks, where people want you to take the risks, where you can push the envelope on storytelling, on structure, on themes,” states Mr. Leguizamo, who was honored with a special Tony Award in 2018 for “Latin History for Morons.”
His commute to the theater is a short six-block bike ride from his 4,500-square-foot Greenwich Village brownstone. He and his wife of 22 years, Justine Maurer, 57, acquired the property in 2008 for $6 million, investing another $2 million and a year into meticulously restoring its original 19th-century grandeur. Adding to their vibrant home is their Bengal cat, affectionately named Leonard Bernstein.
The New York Times recently shadowed Mr. Leguizamo on a Thursday during the preview period of his latest show, offering a glimpse into his pre-performance routine.
Image: John Leguizamo is starring in a show he wrote, “The Other Americans,” about a Latino family dealing with a hate crime. He’s also already thinking ahead to a new show: a family comedy about three sisters.
Image: Mr. Leguizamo rides his bike to and from the Public Theater. He likes sportswear (three-stripe Adidas track pants and a tank top) but tries to dress up a little when he heads to work.
This interview has been condensed and lightly edited.
EARLY START I get up at 6 a.m. I was trying to join the 5 a.m. club, but I couldn’t make it. I was too tired by 8 p.m. I need eight hours of sleep, otherwise I can’t function.
KNEES AND TOES I stretch immediately after I wake up. I dance a lot in this show, so I have to make sure I’m flexible enough so I don’t tear something onstage. I do pigeons, quad stretches, hamstring stretches, neck stretches, upper torso, my hands, feet, ankles — all of it.
HORMONE-FRIENDLY HYGIENE I floss and brush my teeth with toothpaste that doesn’t have any chemicals. I use non-hormone-disrupting deodorant. A couple of years after my kids were born, I started to really study and read about how to cleanse my life of toxins and endocrine disrupters. Having kids makes you really aware of your environment. When you’re young and single, you don’t care. You’re indestructible.
Image: So fresh, so clean.
SECRET RECIPE I down some coffee with skim milk. And then I have my fruit. I like to have my fruit 20 minutes before I eat anything that’s not fruit. I love papaya with a little kefir and a little bit of raw honey. And then I’ll make a raw chocolate shake with banana, dates — no sugar — raw cacao, cacao nibs, a teaspoon of raw almonds, a teaspoon of raw cashews and cayenne.
SILENT SWEAT When I did “Romeo and Juliet,” I really got into fitness. That’s when I got the weights, and the pull-up bar and the half rubber ball. Everything that I like to use, I have in my basement. I like total silence when I work out. Because my day is so full of sounds, I need quiet just to hear my thoughts. It’s kind of like my meditation. I try to do at least 30 minutes of some kind of intense workout — push-ups, pull-ups, curls, squats, sumos, abs.
FUNK IT UP I do a session of dancing at least twice a day, where I just put on tunes that turn me on and dance for 15 to 20 minutes. Right now I’m into a little bit of old school: Denroy Morgan’s “I’ll Do Anything for You,” Casual Connection, “Do It in the Dark,” Zhané’s “Hey Mr. D.J.,” Foxy’s “Get Off,” Cheo Feliciano’s “El Ratón.” I do the hustle in the play, and I’ve gotten really good at it, so I try to keep my hustle as hustle-y as possible.
COFFEE AND CREATIVE TIME I try to write at least two hours every day, if not longer. Writing is my favorite part of the day. It’s my creativity moment. I treat it as sacred. We have two living rooms, and I write in our orange living room. And the cat comes to sit next to me and jumps on my computer and makes me mistype.
Image: Mr. Leguizamo said he likes to write in his home’s orange living room, at least when his cat doesn’t get in the way.
TENNIS THROWDOWN Around 9 a.m., I drive to Randall’s Island to play tennis with my son [Lucas Leguizamo, 24] for a couple of hours. It’s one of my favorite parts of the week. I’ve been playing tennis for six years, and I’ve been playing with my son for the last two. It’s a blast. He’s incredible. To watch him be such a powerhouse is really thrilling as a dad.
PRESHOW FIX I get back a little after noon and make lunch, which is usually eggs with manchego cheese and avocado. We have a chef who does prep for us twice a week, so I also eat a lot of that, which is salmon or chicken thighs — no salt, no oil — and broccoli and brown rice.
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT I run lines with my assistant, Joe. He’s the best line runner in the world because he can act, so he makes the lines interesting and fun. I go over the passages I’m struggling with at least five times.
Image: Running lines.
REHEARSAL I get to the rehearsal space at 1 p.m. Then I meet with the show’s director, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, and the cast, and we go over new lines I wrote, notes from Ruben about what we want to do differently, issues that actors are having. Then we do dance class. And then we do fight choreography, and then a semi run-through. We finish up around 4:30. Then I’ll have physical therapy before I head home to rest and try to write for 20 minutes.
CIRCLE UP I bike back to the theater by 6:30 and get ready to start warming up my body, my mind, my vocals and connecting with the cast. And then we do a beautiful circle — Ruben started this — and we talk about what we’re going to try to do tonight. We all hold hands, and then we get ready to go out there and kill it.
Image: Connecting with the cast before the show. Mr. Leguizamo said audiences laugh, gasp in horror and weep. “I’m in the moment, so I can’t really take it in,” he said.
POST-SHOW BITE After the show ends around 10:30, I’ll go to the Library at the Public Theater and either get their deviled eggs or their spicy vodka rigatoni and unsweetened iced tea. Then I’ll hang out and talk with guests, other actors, for around half an hour. Then I put my lights on my bike and try not to get hit by a car as I ride home.
TIRED AND WIRED I get home around 11:30 or midnight. I’m really exhausted and burned out, but I’m also wired at the same time, which is a weird feeling. My wife will ask me how the show went, and then we’ll go play Mexican Train. It’s our favorite new game. If we have a little extra energy we’ll play a round of backgammon. And then we’ll listen to a political podcast. She loves the comedian Tim Dillon’s podcast, or we’ll listen to “Ear Hustle” sometimes, or Judge Napolitano.
OUT LIKE A LIGHT With the play now, it’s getting harder to get my eight hours of sleep. Fortunately, I fall asleep quickly. Sleep is my favorite drug, so I nurture that.