John Leguizamo Passionate about Indie Filmmaking

By Greg Hernandez

...	Actor John Leguizamo

John Leguizamo has appeared in major studio films like "Moulin Rouge!" "Collateral Damage" and "Land of the Dead," and his extensive TV work included a few seasons playing a doctor on "ER."

But when I asked the Emmy-winning actor this week what kind of big-screen roles he's eyeing, he has no doubt they'll be in low-budget, independent movies.

Films like "The Take," the crime drama he stars in with Rosie Perez and Tyrese Gibson that opens in limited release in L.A. and New York on Friday.

"I'm better at picking (projects) than I used to be," he said. "If I don't feel passion, there's no way I can give my heart and soul.

"Everything I've picked in the last three years, I was really passionate about. I used to like to move around among genres. My favorite thing at the moment seems to be independent drama."

But independent filmmaking can pose a series of logistical challenges. And the Brad Furman-directed "The Take" seemed to have more than its share. The film was shot entirely on location in a "guerrilla filmmaking" style.

"Doing this movie was the hardest one I've ever had to do and I think it really helped the movie's tone and I think it made (cast and crew) closer," John said. "On the first day of shooting in Boyle Heights, there was a shooting near our set.

"The second day, the hair and makeup people quit because they were scared and Rosie had to do her own hair. Then we had to fire the kid who was playing my son.

"Tyrese had to do reshoots for `Transformers' and we saw a guy on the street who was fighting with his girlfriend and ended up using him as a double. All 30 days were hectic, but the tension on film put us in the zone."

In "The Take," John plays Felix De La Pena, a family man who drives an armored truck that is robbed at gunpoint, and he ends up with a brain injury after being shot in the head.

As he struggles to recover, he finds out he is a suspect in the deadly robbery since it appears to be an inside job. With short-term memory loss and violent mood swings, he fights to prove his innocence.

"I feel it's my favorite film that I've done in a long time," John said. "The theme of it is very important to me: There's a hero in every man, a hero inside of everybody if you push far enough.

"I thought that was a great message. If you love your family, how far are you willing to go? Most action films are about the protagonist and the cops. But this is the victim in a more character-driven way."