Violent Night was a Christmas movie that turned Santa Claus, who was played by David Harbour, into a knight in shining armor for a family that was being held hostage by A man named Scrooge, played by John Leguizamo, who was the main villain of the movie. The movie provided a fresh, new twist in terms of Christmas movies and was pretty well received.
Leguizamo had an amazing performance in the movie which is no surprise as this is not the first time he has played a villain. From playing one of Col. Stuart’s henchmen in Die Hard 2 to playing the man who shot Harrison Ford in Regarding Henery, Leguizamo has definitely enjoyed playing the bad guy throughout his career. In an interview with Shobiz Cheat Sheet about Violent Night, he spoke more about his memorable roles throughout his career.
How did Violent Night Make Up for Die Hard 2 for John Leguizamo?
John Leguizamo, when auditioning for Die Hard 2, expected much from his casting. He was, however, originally supposed to play Terrorist #1 but was later demoted to Terrorist #7 due to casting issues.
“When I auditioned for Die Hard 2, I was a good auditioner,” Leguizamo said. “I auditioned on video in New York and I got Terrorist #1. They brought us to L.A., they made us stand next to each other and they realized that I was the shortest, skinniest of the bunch and they demoted me to Terrorist #7. So yeah. So this is definitely a promotion.” Leguizamo
Leguizamo has also starred in many other action movies where he has played both the antagonist and protagonist; in Spawn, he played the villain- Clown/Violator and in Executive Decision, he played the hero.
How did John Leguizamo Prepare for his Role in Violent Night?
Leguizamo talked about how filming the movie was an incredibly challenging task for him. The filming of the movie took place in Winnipeg, Canada during the mons of January through March. It was heavily showing during this time so the outdoor scenes were especially challenging.
“It was the coldest snowiest winter they’ve had in Winnipeg, Canada,” Leguizamo said. “We were there January, February and March, the coldest days of the planet. And we shot it exteriors. It hurt. The cold that’s coming out of our mouth is not CGI. That tense look we have when we’re outdoors, that’s pain.”
Leguizamo also spoke about how he was to face off against Harbour (who had gained nearly 300lbs for the role) and so was trained accordingly, It appears that his costume also posed a challenge as his coat was very heavy and he had to be careful not to trip because of his boots.
