Eva Longoria, John Leguizamo, Xochitl Gomez sign open letter to Hollywood after 'Deep Cuts' fiasco

Eva Longoria, John Leguizamo and Xochitl Gomez are among the 100-plus Latino actors, artists and creatives who person signed an unfastened missive calling for accountability successful Hollywood — citing longtime favoritism successful casting and storytelling.

The nationalist connection follows the contention surrounding Odessa A’zion, who dropped her relation arsenic a Latina quality successful Sean Durkin’s “Deep Cuts,” pursuing online backlash implicit the histrion herself not being Latina.

“Recent casting decisions astir the quality Zoe Gutierrez successful A24’s ‘Deep Cuts’ person exposed a troubling pattern,” the missive states. “We admit and commend Odessa A’zion for listening, reflecting and deciding to exit the task and go an ally. Yet however did this happen?”

Earlier this week, the Wrap revealed that the “I Love L.A.” and “Marty Supreme” breakout prima was formed arsenic Zoe Gutierrez successful the A24 movie adaptation of Holly Brickley’s music-filled coming-of-age novel. The character’s individuality plays an important relation successful the book, arsenic she is written arsenic a half-Mexican and half-Jewish lesbian.

Though the 25-year-old announced Wednesday nighttime that she had dropped the relation — admitting done her Instagram stories that she had not yet work the book, nor learned of each the character’s traits — the incidental has unearthed questions astir Latino practice successful Hollywood.

“This isn’t astir Odessa,” said Xochitl Gomez to The Times connected Friday. “It’s astir the executives, the producers and the full strategy astatine the top. They thought it was OK to not adjacent audition Latinas for the relation successful the archetypal place. Latinas were pitched, including me, but we were told that determination was an histrion with an exclusive offer. This relation ne'er showed up connected the casting grid due to the fact that it was already gone.”

Xochitl Gomez attends “REBBECA” LA Premiere connected November 30, 2025 successful Los Angeles, California. (Photo by JC Olivera/Getty Images for State of the Art)

(JC Olivera / Getty Images for State of the Art)

According to UCLA’s 2025 Hollywood Diversity Report, Latinos were formed successful lone 1% of the starring roles successful the apical 104 English-language films released theatrically successful 2024, contempt constituting astir 20% of the full U.S. population.

In TV, practice is conscionable arsenic stark. Latinos are formed successful lone 6% of each roles crossed the apical U.S. broadcast series, arsenic per a caller survey by ¡Pa’lante! — a Latino practice inaugural from the USC Norman Lear Center — which besides recovered that 1 successful 4 Latino characters are depicted arsenic vocation criminals.

“The lack of Latina audition opportunities, and the prime to regenerate a intelligibly Latina quality with a non-Latina actress, signals a broader, ongoing erasure of our assemblage from the stories that specify our culture,” the missive continues. “This is not astir immoderate 1 histrion oregon project. It is astir a strategy that repeatedly overlooks qualified Latino endowment adjacent arsenic our identities, histories, and experiences substance the astir enduring stories.”

The signatories petition that Latino actors beryllium hired for a divers scope of roles, including non-stereotypical leads. There is besides a request for much Latino executives to beryllium progressive successful green-lighting projects and the inclusion of Latino consultants, writers and producers from the earliest stages of development. Finally, determination is simply a telephone connected Hollywood to make mentorship, scholarships and opportunities that grow entree connected each levels of the ecosystem.

This plea by marginalized creatives is not the archetypal pushback — nor apt the past — against a stagnant Hollywood machine.

As aboriginal arsenic the 1920s, the portrayal of Latinos was truthful antagonistic that the Mexican government, and adjacent Woodrow Wilson reportedly told Hollywood producers to “please beryllium a small kinder to the Mexicans.”

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’ 26 caller autumn bid due to the fact that they did not diagnostic a non-white lead, sparking dialog implicit the diverseness of Hollywood astatine the time.

Comedian Chris Rock blasted the manufacture successful a 2014 effort for its omission of Mexicans successful Los Angeles, wherever astir fractional of the colonisation is Latino: “You’re successful L.A., you’ve got to try not to prosecute Mexicans.”

Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) — who successful caller years has nominated respective Latino-focused films to the Library of Congress National Film Registry — besides penned a 2020 file successful Variety, underscoring the dearth practice of Latinos successful amusement and the consequences of omission. “Prejudice has existed successful the United States for generations, but the representation of our assemblage created by movie and tv has done small to antagonistic bigoted views, and excessively often has amplified them.”

Another missive published successful October 2020 with implicit 270 showrunners, creators, tv and movie writers signatures — including Lin-Manuel Miranda and “One Day astatine a Time” co-creator Gloria Calderón Kellett — called for systemic alteration successful the industry. “We are tired,” they wrote.

The pushback continued successful 2022, erstwhile histrion Leguizamo penned an unfastened missive successful The Times astir the past of Latino practice and the co-option of Latino stories — including that of Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata, who was portrayed by a brownface Marlon Brando successful the 1952 movie “Viva Zapata!,” and Al Pacino, who played the fictional Cuban quality Tony Montana successful the 1983 movie “Scarface.”

Wrote Leguizamo, “There’s a hole for this: Cast much Latinos!”

Read the afloat unfastened missive below.

Dear Casting Directors, Creative Executives, Writers, Producers, and Hollywood Leaders,

We constitute to you with urgency, due to the fact that storytelling is humanity’s compass and Hollywood wields each the power. The stories you take to tell, and however you archer them, signifier nationalist perception, taste understanding, and who gets to spot themselves reflected connected screen. In these challenging moments that powerfulness comes with existent responsibility.

Recent casting decisions astir the quality Zoe Gutierrez successful A 24’s Deep Cuts person exposed a troubling pattern. We admit and commend Odessa A’zion for listening, reflecting and deciding to exit the task and go an ally. Yet however did this happen? The lack of Latina audition opportunities, and the prime to regenerate a intelligibly Latina quality with a non-Latina actress, signals a broader, ongoing erasure of our assemblage from the stories that specify our culture. This is not astir immoderate 1 histrion oregon project. It is astir a strategy that repeatedly overlooks qualified Latino endowment adjacent arsenic our identities, histories, and experiences substance the astir enduring stories.

Latino communities are already underrepresented and misrepresented successful ways that distort world and harm existent people. Casting decisions transportation existent weight: they power who is seen arsenic worthy of authentic storytelling and who gets to archer those stories with care, nuance, and authority.

We are calling for accountability, intentionality, and equity successful casting and storytelling. Authentic practice means much than casting a performer who looks similar the character; it means involving the communities being portrayed not conscionable successful beforehand of the camera, but successful the decisions that signifier these stories from their inception. Our stories merit to beryllium shaped with the input, guidance, and enactment of Latino creators, consultants, writers, and performers astatine each stage.

We implore you to articulation america successful factual action:

• Audition and prosecute much Latino actors for a divers scope of roles, including non-stereotypical leads
• Hire Latino executives successful your greenlighting rooms
• Include Latino voices arsenic consultants, writers, and producers from the earliest stages of development
• Create and enactment pipelines: mentoring, scholarships, and opportunities that grow entree each levels of the ecosystem

The satellite is watching.

Aaron Dominguez

Aitch Alberto

Alex Lora

Alma Martinez

Amanda Diaz

Ana Navarro Cardenas

Andrea Chignoli

Angel Manuel Soto

Angelique Cabral

Anna Terrazas

Annie Gonzalez

Antonio Negret

Becky G

Benjamin Odell

Brandon Guzman

Brandon Perea

Bricia Lopez

Camila Baquero

Carla Gutierrez

Carla Hool

Carlo Siliotto

Carlos Eric Lopez

Carlos Gutierrez

Carlos Lopez Estrada

Chrissie Fit

Christian Serratos

Cierra Ramirez

Cristina Rodlo

Cyria Fiallo

Daniella Pineda

Danny Ramirez

David Castenada

Desi Perkins

Diego Boneta

Edgar Ramirez

Edher Campos

Eiza Gonzalez

Elisa Capai

Elsa Collins

Emilie Lesclaux

Ennio Torresan

Enrique Melendez

Eva Longoria

Fabrizio Guido

Felipe Vargas

Fernando Garcia

Flavia Amon

Flavia De Sousa

Francia Raisa

Gabriela Maire

Gina Rodriguez

Gloria Calderon Kellett

Gregory Diaz IV

Ilda Santiago

Isabella Gomez

Isabela Merced

Isabella Ferria

Isis Mussenden

Ismael Cruz Cordova

Ivette Rodriguez

Jacob Scipio

Javier Munoz

Jazmin Aguilar

Jesse Garcia

Jessica Alba

Jesus Pimental-Melo

Jillian Mercado

John Leguizamo

Jose Velazquez

Juan Pa Zurita

Julio Macias

Justina Machado

Karrie Martin Lachney

Kate Del Castillo

Klaudia Reynicke

Kylie Cantrall

Leo Gonzalez

Lisette Olivera

Lorenza Munoz

Luca Castellani

Lucila Moctezuma

Lucy Barreto

Lynette Coll

Maia Reficco

Marcel Ruiz

Maria Legarda

Mariana Oliva

Mariem Perez Riera

Marvin Lemus

Mauro Mueller

Mayan Lopez

Melissa Barrera

Melissa Fumero

Melissa Martinez

Michael Cimino

Michael Pena

Miguel Mora

Mishel Prada

Monica Villarreal

Natalia Boneta

Natalie Chaidez

Natalie Morales

Nava Mau

Naz Perez

Nezza (Vanessa Hernandez)

Neysa Bove

Nicolas Celis

Nicole Betancur

Orlando Pineda

Patricia Cardosa

Patricia Riggen

Patty Rodriguez

Paulina Garcia

Petra Costa

Rafael Agustin

Rafael Cebrian

Ramon Rodriguez

Rene G. Boscio

Robin De Jesus

Rodrigo Teixeira

Rudy Mancuso

Ruy Garcia

Sierra Ornellas

Stephanie Beatriz

Tonatiuh Elizarrarz

Tony Revolori

Victoria Alonso

Xochitl Gomez

Xolo Mariduena

Yareli Arizmendri