An analysis of the lack of Latino representation in Hollywood
Luces! Camara! Acción! It was announced on January 26 that Odessa A’zion, star of I Love LA and Marty Supreme, was set to star in the upcoming A24 adaption of Holly Brickley’s novel Deep Cuts.
The book follows Percy Marks, a music lover with no talent, and songwriter Joe Morrow as they develop a relationship that evolves through friendship and professional collaboration. Creative insecurity and emotional dynamics play a role in their psychological situationship.
A’zion was set to play Zoe Guiterrez, Joe’s girlfriend, who is described in the book as being Jewish and having a Mexican heritage. This decision sparked huge controversy online as outraged fans argued that a Mexican actress should have been cast instead.
Hollywood is a battlefield where everyone is looking for their 15 minutes of fame. In this ambitious world, not a lot of demographics are properly represented, and it makes Hollywood feel like it’s set up for ethnic people to fail.
People of color, especially Latinos, are shown time and time again how much they are overlooked and how even the roles that are meant for them — like Zoe — aren’t given to them.
This isn’t just an opinion — it’s a sentiment shared by many. For example, actor Alexa Demie spoke on The A24 Podcast with comedian Nathan Fielder about her frustration at Hollywood’s pattern of overlooking mixed and Latin women for leading roles.
“I wasn’t booking anything, ever. It was really hard, especially because I feel like a lot of the lead roles I would go out for would go to a blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl … I just don’t think I would be typically looked at for a lead role. You never see mixed or Latin girls as a lead … I was over people saying ‘no’ to me,” Demie said.
I began to wonder: who gets to be Latino on screen, and who gets to make that decision?
The lack of Latino representation on the silver screen isn’t new. In fact, Latinos hold less than 5% of leading on-screen, off-screen and executive roles in Hollywood.
The industry’s inability to recognize new talent is what makes controversies like A’zion’s the ongoing norm. For years, Hollywood has given roles destined for Latino actors to their white counterparts.
Most recently, Jacob Elordi has ignited fierce debates over his casting as Heathcliff in the upcoming adaptation of Wuthering Heights, who in the book is written as “dark-skinned” and described as “ethnically ambiguous,” facing rejection for his skin color.
Director Emerald Fennell defended her choice to cast Elordi, saying to BBC News, “I think the thing is everyone who loves this book has such a personal connection to it, and so you can only ever make the movie that you sort of imagined yourself when you read it. I don’t know, I think I was focusing on the pseudo-masochistic elements of it.”
With her own personal connection driving the directorial choices, it leaves an absence of representation in a film that has a canonical person of color — something seen in many Hollywood films.
The industry fails to realize the untapped success that can come from reaching out to Latino talent and voices.
Look at the success of movies like Coco, which won two Academy Awards and grossed over $814 million worldwide, or Roma, which had 10 Academy Award nominations and represented a shift in the industry with Netflix’s promotion and campaign strategies.
These films highlight a side of Latino culture that isn’t one-dimensional and stereotypical. Coco embraces the beauty of Mexican heritage and the importance of family, dead or alive. Roma explores themes of class systems in 1970s Mexico City and highlights the unseen heroes of domestic workers and societal shifts.
Films like these that showcase the Latino community in different roles than delinquency have the possibility of performing well and even better than their peers.
A 2024 McKinsey report explains, “films written, produced and directed primarily by Latinos and focusing on Latino stories perform 60% better than their counterparts with 25% less budget.”
This shows how much Hollywood is missing out on using Latino voices. We’re talking about millions in potential additional revenue that could be brought in. Latinos are more than their portrayals of drug dealers and gardeners. When that is showcased, the communities will come out and support them.
Sara Balzan, a DePaul film student, agrees that Latino actors aren’t taken seriously and get comedic roles that run the risk of typecasting.
“I believe that there is so much power in seeing somebody like you, with a similar story to you, succeed. It’s inspirational in a way that can’t really be expressed simply,” Balzan said. “At a time when Latinos and immigrants across the nation are being targeted, it is crucial for Hispanics to be seen and heard. Celebrating our roots, being unapologetic about our language and background in spaces where we are not typically embraced, is a form of activism in itself.”
Balzan feels that Hollywood needs to do better about giving POC actors the recognition they deserve, and she’s not the only one.
A’zion’s casting also caused a huge stir among more than 100 Latino creatives, who have since called for “accountability and equity in casting.” In an open letter to Hollywood, celebrities like Eva Longoria, Gloria Calderon Kellet, John Leguizamo, Danny Ramirez, Becky G and more urged for an increase in Latino voices.
“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,” the letter said. “Latino communities are already underrepresented and misrepresented in ways that distort reality and harm real people.”
Prior to the letter, A’zion took to Instagram to announce her departure from the adaptation on Jan. 28. She thanked everyone for making her aware and insisted that she would never want to take a role away from someone else.
While this action of A’zion is commendable as she fights for representation as an ally, I’m left to wonder who will take her place and if they will meet the qualifications.
In this political climate, Latino representation is scarce, so it’s up to us to stand up and call out when something isn’t right. Dear Hollywood: please open your eyes.
Header Image by Noemi Romero
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