John Leguizamo on 'To Wong Foo,' 25 Years Later: Trans Roles Should Go to Trans Actors

Actor John Leguizamo, reflecting on the 1995 hit movie "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar," said in a new interview that LGBTQ characters like the one he played in the film - Chi-Chi Rodriguez, widely interpreted as being transgender - ought to be played by actors who are part of the community.

"Not everybody is allowed to play everything, so until we get to that place, it is important for trans actors to get a chance to act," Leguizamo told NBC News.

The film follows the adventures of three drag performers - played by Leguizamo, Patrick Swayze, and Wesley Snipes - who suffer a vehicular breakdown in a small town in Nebraska.

"While never fully articulated in the film, Chi-Chi has widely been perceived as transgender by longtime fans of the film – and Leguizamo himself," NBC News notes.

Leguizamo took his comment further, saying that "Latin people should be playing Latin people – no more brown face," reported MSN.

"Enough of that," Leguizamo added, "and the same thing in the LGBTQ community, same thing. There are actors out there who are out that should be playing those roles."

The actor shared that he has heard from many GLTBQ fans over the years, many of them youth. "I get lots of fan mail from LGBTQ teens telling me how my character helped them come out to their parents," he said.

NBC News described Leguizamo as an "LGBTQ ally," and reported that he is currently "writing a musical about transgender immigrants at Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention camps along the U.S.-Mexico border."

Said Leguizamo: "I enjoy using my voice to make the world a better place for everybody, 'cause we're not equal until we're all equal."