Luis Guzman
by Gina Ponce
Photography by Chuck Hodes

You don’t have to Google his picture anymore to figure out who people are talking about when they say the name Luis Guzman. A Hollywood veteran by every means, you’ll be hard-pressed to come up with other names that have appeared in as many films and TV shows as Luis has – who else can you say has been cast in practically every other movie made each year? Typically given the gangster, sidekick and occasional police officer characters, this social worker turned actor started building his niche in the ‘70s with a role in Short Eyes and has been undeniably in demand ever since. Luis has proven he can switch into all types of diverse roles, all the while leaving his mark behind – not an Al Pacino, George Clooney type of mark – but a very definite, all-his-own, Luis Guzman mark.

YRB: How did you get your start in acting?
Luis: I was walking down the street looking for a couple of kids who didn’t show up to my program, ran into a friend of mine I hadn’t seen in a few years and he was writing for a TV show. They were coming to New York to do some shooting, so he gave me a phone number, I went in and got an audition; I had no clue what I was doing. I got me a co-starring part in the season premiere of Miami Vice, and all I wanted to get out of it was enough money to buy me a used car so I could drive to Orchard Beach on the weekends and not have to take the train and the bus. Ten years before that I was in the movie Short Eyes…but I wasn’t pursuing acting then; it just happened to be one of those things where I made some cash and I went back to being a community activist.
YRB: You’ve been cast in all genres of movies – except maybe romances – and you’re largely known as “the tough guy.” Why do you think that is?
Luis: Cause of my good looks (laughing).
YRB: Are you a tough guy in real life?
Luis: No, man. I’m an easygoing person, you know?
YRB: Do you have a favorite character out of all your movies, and is there any role you’d really like to portray in a film?
Luis: I have a few, to be honest with you. I don’t have just one. I loved my role as Pachanga in Carlito’s Way, Jacopo in The Count of Monte Cristo, Maurice TT Rodriguez in Boogie Nights, my role in Traffic, in The Limey, in Anger Management and my role in Nothing Like the Holidays that’s coming up. I’d like to portray the first Latino president.
YRB: You effortlessly move from thrillers to comedies to action films – how do you get in the right mindset for each character?
Luis: I just put myself into that situation, and what would Luis Guzman do in that particular situation. You know, I try to bring it as close to reality as possible.
YRB: Who do you consider to be an iconic actor, and is there anyone you presently see as “the one to watch?”
Luis: People like Marlon Brando, of course. He’s just one guy that comes to mind; I mean, I love Jack Nicholson, I love Denzel Washington, Benicio. I think it’s just how they portray and approach the whole aspect of the art of acting. I find these people to be really believable. They give really convincing performances. Another guy I really dig a lot is Don Cheadle. I tell you what, man, I think Robert Downey Jr. is one guy that’s pretty much still on the rise. It’s so great to see him doing so well. I think he’s phenomenal.
YRB: What is your favorite line from a movie?
Luis: My line that I said in Carlito’s Way when I said, “It be’s that way sometimes, papi.”
YRB: I’ve heard that you like to play pranks on movie sets. Is that true?
Luis: Very, very, very true.

YRB: What do you bring to a set?
Luis: Oh, man, I loosen things up. I’m just happy to be there. I’m happy to be around all the people I’m working with, I’m just a real fun-loving person and I focus on what I’m doing. I’m about making it all work as best as possible.
YRB: So, you have a lot of projects coming up in the next few months – can you tell me more about those?
Luis: Well, I have Beverly Hills Chihuahua (that opened in October); I play a German Shepard mutt mix. My role as Cousin Frankie in Nothing Like the Holidays, my role in Fighting with Terrance Howard and Channing Tatum; I play this cat named Martinez. There’s my role in The Taking of Pelham 123; I play this guy named Ramos who’s the motorman for the bad guys in that movie, and I have a couple other things too.
YRB: Do you know how many movies you’ve actually been in?
Luis: You could probably tell me better than I can say. A lot, a lot, a lot, a lot.
YRB: Did you ever think you’d be in the business this long?
Luis: You know, I never thought about it. It’s like things just kinda kept coming and I just kept going. I’m a pretty humble person, and I pinch myself every day. I say, “Wow, look at what I’ve done, look at where I’ve been, look at who I’ve worked with.” I’m just somebody that really appreciates the fact that I’ve had these opportunities and I’ve made the most of them.”
YRB: Is there anything negative about being famous?
Luis: Um, I mean you know people really appreciate you, and I don’t know if it’s a negative or an intrusion but everybody wants to party sometimes, and sometimes people want to use your name to get into places and things like that. I like my privacy and sometimes I miss that part. That’s about it.
YRB: What advice would you give to young people in Hollywood to achieve longevity – especially those who seem to keep finding themselves in trouble?
Luis: Number one, choose your friends very carefully. Take care of yourself, be humble, never forget where you came from and the saying I’ve always heard is, “You meet the same people on the way up that you meet on the way down.” And remain true to yourself. Remember you’re a human being.
YRB: So, how did you go from living in NY to Vermont?
Luis: Well, right now I’m raising chickens; I got a bunch of lamb. I wanted a good environment to raise my children; I wanted my children to have a real childhood. I thought that the city was a little too busy and there was too much going on, too many distractions. I love the city, don’t get me wrong, but man, you know it can be hard as a parent with five children dealing with all the riff-raff that goes on.
YRB: If you weren’t acting what would you be doing?
Luis: If I wasn’t acting I’d probably still be involved in some kind of aspect of social work, being a social activist, a community organizer.

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