{"id":157958,"date":"2026-01-31T12:23:21","date_gmt":"2026-01-31T12:23:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/157958\/"},"modified":"2026-01-31T12:23:21","modified_gmt":"2026-01-31T12:23:21","slug":"over-100-latinos-sign-open-letter-to-hollywood-for-deep-cuts-fiasco","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/157958\/","title":{"rendered":"Over 100 Latinos sign open letter to Hollywood for ‘Deep Cuts’ fiasco"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Eva Longoria, John Leguizamo and Xochitl Gomez are among the 100-plus Latino actors, artists and creatives who have signed an open letter calling for accountability in Hollywood \u2014 citing longtime discrimination<\/a> in casting and storytelling.<\/p>\n

The public statement follows the controversy surrounding Odessa A\u2019zion, who dropped her role as a Latina character <\/a>in Sean Durkin\u2019s \u201cDeep Cuts,\u201d following online backlash over the actor herself not being Latina.<\/p>\n

\u201cRecent casting decisions around the character Zoe Gutierrez in A24\u2019s \u2018Deep Cuts\u2019 have exposed a troubling pattern,\u201d the letter states. \u201cWe acknowledge and commend Odessa A\u2019zion for listening, reflecting and deciding to exit the project and become an ally. Yet how did this happen?\u201d<\/p>\n

Earlier this week, the Wrap<\/a> revealed that the \u201cI Love L.A.\u201d<\/a> and \u201cMarty Supreme\u201d<\/a> breakout star was cast as Zoe Gutierrez in the A24 film adaptation of Holly Brickley\u2019s music-filled coming-of-age novel. The character\u2019s identity plays an important role in the book, as she is written as a half-Mexican and half-Jewish lesbian.<\/p>\n

Though the 25-year-old announced Wednesday night that she had dropped the role \u2014 admitting through her Instagram stories that she had not yet read the book, nor learned of all the character\u2019s traits \u2014 the incident has unearthed questions about Latino representation in Hollywood.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis isn\u2019t about Odessa,\u201d said Xochitl Gomez to The Times on Friday. \u201cIt\u2019s about the executives, the producers and the whole system at the top. They thought it was OK to not even audition Latinas for the role in the first place. Latinas were pitched, including me, but we were told that there was an actress with an exclusive offer. This role never showed up on the casting grid because it was already gone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Xochitl <\/p>\n

Xochitl Gomez attends \u201cREBBECA\u201d LA Premiere on November 30, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by JC Olivera\/Getty Images for State of the Art)<\/p>\n

(JC Olivera \/ Getty Images for State of the Art)<\/p>\n

According to UCLA\u2019s 2025 Hollywood Diversity Report<\/a>, Latinos were cast in only 1% of the leading roles in the top 104 English-language films released theatrically in 2024, despite constituting roughly 20% of the total U.S. population.<\/p>\n

In TV, representation is just as stark. Latinos are cast in only 6% of all roles across the top U.S. broadcast series, as per a recent study by \u00a1Pa\u2019lante!<\/a> \u2014 a Latino representation initiative from the USC Norman Lear Center \u2014 which also found that 1 in 4 Latino characters are depicted as career criminals.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe absence of Latina audition opportunities, and the choice to replace a clearly Latina character with a non-Latina actress, signals a broader, ongoing erasure of our community from the stories that define our culture,\u201d the letter continues. \u201cThis is not about any one actor or project. It is about a system that repeatedly overlooks qualified Latino talent even as our identities, histories, and experiences fuel the most enduring stories.\u201d<\/p>\n

The signatories request that Latino actors be hired for a diverse range of roles, including non-stereotypical leads. There is also a demand for more Latino executives to be involved in green-lighting projects and the inclusion of Latino consultants, writers and producers from the earliest stages of development. Finally, there is a call on Hollywood to create mentorship, scholarships and opportunities that expand access on all levels of the ecosystem.<\/p>\n

This plea by marginalized creatives is not the first pushback \u2014 nor likely the last \u2014 against a stagnant Hollywood machine.<\/p>\n

As early as the 1920s, the portrayal of Latinos was so negative that the Mexican government, and even Woodrow Wilson reportedly<\/a> told Hollywood producers to \u201cplease be a little kinder to the Mexicans.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 1999, the National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC) and the National Assn. for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) called for the boycott of broadcast networks\u2019 26 new fall series<\/a> because they did not feature a non-white lead, sparking dialogue over the diversity of Hollywood at the time.<\/p>\n

Comedian Chris Rock blasted the industry in a 2014 essay<\/a> for its omission of Mexicans in Los Angeles, where nearly half of the population is Latino: \u201cYou\u2019re in L.A., you\u2019ve got to try not to hire Mexicans.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) \u2014 who in recent years has nominated several Latino-focused films to the Library of Congress National Film Registry<\/a> \u2014 also penned a 2020 column in Variety<\/a>, underscoring the dearth representation of Latinos in entertainment and the consequences of omission. \u201cPrejudice has existed in the United States for generations, but the image of our community created by film and television has done little to counter bigoted views, and too often has amplified them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another letter published in October 2020<\/a> with over 270 showrunners, creators, television and film writers signatures \u2014 including Lin-Manuel Miranda and \u201cOne Day at a Time\u201d co-creator Gloria Calder\u00f3n Kellett \u2014 called for systemic change in the industry. \u201cWe are tired,\u201d they wrote.<\/p>\n

The pushback continued in 2022, when actor Leguizamo penned an open letter in The Times<\/a> about the history of Latino representation and the co-option of Latino stories \u2014 including that of Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata, who was portrayed by a brownface Marlon Brando in the 1952 film \u201cViva Zapata!,\u201d and Al Pacino, who played the fictional Cuban character Tony Montana in the 1983 film \u201cScarface.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wrote Leguizamo, \u201cThere\u2019s a fix for this: Cast more Latinos!\u201d<\/p>\n

Read the full open letter below.<\/p>\n

Dear Casting Directors, Creative Executives, Writers, Producers, and Hollywood Leaders,<\/p>\n

We write to you with urgency, because storytelling is humanity\u2019s compass and Hollywood wields all the power. The stories you choose to tell, and how you tell them, shape public perception, cultural understanding, and who gets to see themselves reflected on screen. In these challenging moments that power comes with real responsibility.<\/p>\n

Recent casting decisions around the character Zoe Gutierrez in A 24\u2019s Deep Cuts have exposed a troubling pattern. We acknowledge and commend Odessa A\u2019zion for listening, reflecting and deciding to exit the project and become an ally. Yet how did this happen? The absence of Latina audition opportunities, and the choice to replace a clearly Latina character with a non-Latina actress, signals a broader, ongoing erasure of our community from the stories that define our culture. This is not about any one actor or project. It is about a system that repeatedly overlooks qualified Latino talent even as our identities, histories, and experiences fuel the most enduring stories.<\/p>\n

Latino communities are already underrepresented and misrepresented in ways that distort reality and harm real people. Casting decisions carry real weight: they influence who is seen as worthy of authentic storytelling and who gets to tell those stories with care, nuance, and authority.<\/p>\n

We are calling for accountability, intentionality, and equity in casting and storytelling. Authentic representation means more than casting a performer who looks like the character; it means involving the communities being portrayed not just in front of the camera, but in the decisions that shape these stories from their inception. Our stories deserve to be shaped with the input, guidance, and leadership of Latino creators, consultants, writers, and performers at every stage.<\/p>\n

We implore you to join us in concrete action:<\/p>\n

Audition and hire more Latino actors for a diverse range of roles, including non-stereotypical leadsHire Latino executives in your greenlighting roomsInclude Latino voices as consultants, writers, and producers from the earliest stages of developmentCreate and support pipelines: mentoring, scholarships, and opportunities that expand access all levels of the ecosystem<\/p>\n

The world is watching.<\/p>\n

Aaron Dominguez<\/p>\n

Aitch Alberto<\/p>\n

Alex Lora<\/p>\n

Alma Martinez<\/p>\n

Amanda Diaz<\/p>\n

Ana Navarro Cardenas<\/p>\n

Andrea Chignoli<\/p>\n

Angel Manuel Soto<\/p>\n

Angelique Cabral<\/p>\n

Anna Terrazas<\/p>\n

Annie Gonzalez<\/p>\n

Antonio Negret<\/p>\n

Becky G<\/p>\n

Benjamin Odell<\/p>\n

Brandon Guzman<\/p>\n

Brandon Perea<\/p>\n

Bricia Lopez<\/p>\n

Camila Baquero<\/p>\n

Carla Gutierrez<\/p>\n

Carla Hool<\/p>\n

Carlo Siliotto<\/p>\n

Carlos Eric Lopez<\/p>\n

Carlos Gutierrez<\/p>\n

Carlos Lopez Estrada<\/p>\n

Chrissie Fit<\/p>\n

Christian Serratos<\/p>\n

Cierra Ramirez<\/p>\n

Cristina Rodlo<\/p>\n

Cyria Fiallo<\/p>\n

Daniella Pineda<\/p>\n

Danny Ramirez<\/p>\n

David Castenada<\/p>\n

Desi Perkins<\/p>\n

Diego Boneta<\/p>\n

Edgar Ramirez<\/p>\n

Edher Campos<\/p>\n

Eiza Gonzalez<\/p>\n

Elisa Capai<\/p>\n

Elsa Collins<\/p>\n

Emilie Lesclaux<\/p>\n

Ennio Torresan<\/p>\n

Enrique Melendez<\/p>\n

Eva Longoria<\/p>\n

Fabrizio Guido<\/p>\n

Felipe Vargas<\/p>\n

Fernando Garcia<\/p>\n

Flavia Amon<\/p>\n

Flavia De Sousa<\/p>\n

Francia Raisa<\/p>\n

Gabriela Maire<\/p>\n

Gina Rodriguez<\/p>\n

Gloria Calderon Kellett<\/p>\n

Gregory Diaz IV<\/p>\n

Ilda Santiago<\/p>\n

Isabella Gomez<\/p>\n

Isabela Merced<\/p>\n

Isabella Ferria<\/p>\n

Isis Mussenden<\/p>\n

Ismael Cruz Cordova<\/p>\n

Ivette Rodriguez<\/p>\n

Jacob Scipio<\/p>\n

Javier Munoz<\/p>\n

Jazmin Aguilar<\/p>\n

Jesse Garcia<\/p>\n

Jessica Alba<\/p>\n

Jesus Pimental-Melo<\/p>\n

Jillian Mercado<\/p>\n

John Leguizamo<\/p>\n

Jose Velazquez<\/p>\n

Juan Pa Zurita<\/p>\n

Julio Macias<\/p>\n

Justina Machado<\/p>\n

Karrie Martin Lachney<\/p>\n

Kate Del Castillo<\/p>\n

Klaudia Reynicke<\/p>\n

Kylie Cantrall<\/p>\n

Leo Gonzalez<\/p>\n

Lisette Olivera<\/p>\n

Lorenza Munoz<\/p>\n

Luca Castellani<\/p>\n

Lucila Moctezuma<\/p>\n

Lucy Barreto<\/p>\n

Lynette Coll<\/p>\n

Maia Reficco<\/p>\n

Marcel Ruiz<\/p>\n

Maria Legarda<\/p>\n

Mariana Oliva<\/p>\n

Mariem Perez Riera<\/p>\n

Marvin Lemus<\/p>\n

Mauro Mueller<\/p>\n

Mayan Lopez<\/p>\n

Melissa Barrera<\/p>\n

Melissa Fumero<\/p>\n

Melissa Martinez<\/p>\n

Michael Cimino<\/p>\n

Michael Pena<\/p>\n

Miguel Mora<\/p>\n

Mishel Prada<\/p>\n

Monica Villarreal<\/p>\n

Natalia Boneta<\/p>\n

Natalie Chaidez<\/p>\n

Natalie Morales<\/p>\n

Nava Mau<\/p>\n

Naz Perez<\/p>\n

Nezza (Vanessa Hernandez)<\/p>\n

Neysa Bove<\/p>\n

Nicolas Celis<\/p>\n

Nicole Betancur<\/p>\n

Orlando Pineda<\/p>\n

Patricia Cardosa<\/p>\n

Patricia Riggen<\/p>\n

Patty Rodriguez<\/p>\n

Paulina Garcia<\/p>\n

Petra Costa<\/p>\n

Rafael Agustin<\/p>\n

Rafael Cebrian<\/p>\n

Ramon Rodriguez<\/p>\n

Rene G. Boscio<\/p>\n

Robin De Jesus<\/p>\n

Rodrigo Teixeira<\/p>\n

Rudy Mancuso<\/p>\n

Ruy Garcia<\/p>\n

Sierra Ornellas<\/p>\n

Stephanie Beatriz<\/p>\n

Tonatiuh Elizarrarz<\/p>\n

Tony Revolori<\/p>\n

Victoria Alonso<\/p>\n

Xochitl Gomez<\/p>\n

Xolo Mariduena<\/p>\n

Yareli Arizmendri<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Eva Longoria, John Leguizamo and Xochitl Gomez are among the 100-plus Latino actors, artists and creatives who have…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":157959,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[1872,179,77111,77113,1743,48,52,51,77109,77114,40472,11703,47,50,49,77110,18303,1506,6049,3044,77112],"class_list":["post-157958","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-los-angeles","tag-actor","tag-community","tag-deep-cuts","tag-english-language-film","tag-hollywood","tag-la","tag-la-headlines","tag-la-news","tag-latina-character","tag-latino-consultant","tag-latino-representation","tag-latinos","tag-los-angeles","tag-los-angeles-headlines","tag-los-angeles-news","tag-open-letter","tag-producer","tag-project","tag-role","tag-story","tag-storytelling"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/157958","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=157958"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/157958\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/157959"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=157958"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=157958"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=157958"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}