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Ghetto Klown


Summary: Just how do so many Hollywood stars become successful?  Did they have any struggles before they became successful?  Was there any help along the way?  There are so many questions we all have when it comes to celebrity biographies and it's no different with John "Legs" Leguizamo.  In this autobiography, we are supposedly told of his struggles and triumphs, we are asked to empathize with him in his journey.  But just as Hollywood has the reputation for being a tinsel town, this autobiography is somewhat flimsy, too.

Reference: John Leguizamo 2015. Ghetto Klown. Abrams ComicArts. New York, NY.

Why I Picked It Up: I wasn't necessarily a big fan of John Leguizamo, but I knew who he was and enjoyed some of his movies, like Hangin' with the Homeboys, Spawn, and Ice Age.  When I saw this biography, I was interested in finding out just how he made it to Hollywood and just how did he become a sought-after star.

Why I Finished It:  I was initially surprised to learn that John started out in theater.  He had numerous One-Act Plays off Broadway and was well received because of them.  He worked hard for his success despite the negativity he faced from his parents and some of his friends.  However, it's often times his own personal demons that constantly weighed him down.  As he tells of his experiences in show business, I couldn't help but be amazed at the way that people in the motion picture industry treated him and each other.  Unfortunately, whatever empathy I may have felt as I read about his triumphs it soon went away once I learned of the book's dalliances. 

Recommendations:  Initially, I felt that this would be good for people who like to read People and Us Magazine because it has a lot of juicy celebrity gossip and Hollywood insight.  But I soon changed my mind as I researched Leguizamo's biography and came across the book's perplexing timeline and blatant omission of facts.  In the graphic novel, Leguizamo states that he was married to someone named "Lissette."  However, according to research, John's first marriage was to Yelba Osorio.  This can mean one of two things: one - Lissette is really Yelba; two - John was married to someone named Lissette before he married Yelba.  In either case, this autobiography cannot not be accurate.  Let me explain.

If we go with the first option that Lissette is in in fact Yelba then the timeline doesn't work out.  John was officially married to Lissette from 1994-96.  In his authoritative biography, John tells us that Lissette left him before he stars in Carlito's Way.  Yet, this is not possible since Carlito's Way came out in 1993, which is before he evens gets married to Lissette.  Plus, John mentions that his television variety show, House of Buggin' debuted in 1995 which would mean this was during his marriage to Lissette and not after it as his biography would indicate.  What is even more disheartening is that John makes no mention that Lissette was one of the actors in his variety show or that they starred together in two movies.  Was this information deliberately omitted in order to fit the books timeline?  If not, then why write such a disjointed timeline, a timeline that is supposed to be an official telling of your life?

Now if we choose the second option that John was married to someone named Lissette before Yelba, then there is no record of that first marriage ever happening.  How can you have a marriage that is on no official record?  Was it annulled?  Why do we never learn of Lissette's full name?  I don't know because John doesn't say.  This would also mean then that he completely omits any information about Yelba.  Which again would be intentional negligence not only toward his marriage to her, but also to her performances in his television program and their starring together in Carlito's Way and Pest.  With so much detail being left out or manipulated, I couldn't help but feel deceived.

To intentionally omit any information with regards to people or marriages brings into question the validity of the book and the practices of the publishing company, Abrams ComicArts.  After all, a publishing company should have an editor who checks and verifies all the facts.

Whatever the answer may be, this misinformation leaves a sour taste and makes me wonder how something like this could have every been published in the first place.  It's sad to think that what started off so intriguing ends up being something so questionable. Therefore, I really cannot recommend this "autobiography" to anyone.


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