John Leguizamo Thinks Costars Patrick Swayze and Wesley Snipes Were 'Brave' for Playing Drag Queens in 1995's To Wong Foo

John Leguizamo is looking back on the gamble openly straight costars Patrick Swayze and Wesley Snipes took playing drag queens in To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar.

Leguizamo, 64, starred alongside Swayze and Snipes in the 1995 comedy as New York City drag performers who set out on a road trip to Los Angeles, but end up stranded in a small town after a violent encounter with a local sheriff.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, published Friday, March 21, the Bob Trevino Likes It star called the film “very daring.”

“It was very groundbreaking because straight men were not playing those roles,” he said. “They just wouldn't; movie stars wouldn't do that because it would wreck their careers.”

“You had Wesley Snipes at the top of his action career. Patrick Swayze, top of his romantic lead era,” he continued. “It was a brave move and a beautiful move, a bold move by both those guys. And I was an up-and-coming star, so I didn't have as much to lose.”

While To Wong Foo received generally mixed reviews upon its release, the three lead actors were all praised for their performances, with Swayze and Leguizamo both earning 1996 Golden Globe Award nominations.

Leguizamo has previously spoken about the difficult time he and Swayze had working together on the film, with the late Dirty Dancing star frequently getting frustrated with his ad-libbing.

“Wesley and I, we vibed because, you know, we're people of color and we got each other. And I'm also an improviser, and [Swayze] didn't like that,” Leguizamo told Andy Cohen last year. “He'd be like, ‘Are you gonna say a line like that?’ I’d go, ‘You know me. I'm gonna do me. I'm gonna just keep making up lines.’ ”

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Nearly 30 years after its September 1995 release, Leguizamo told EW that To Wong Foo still has “staying power.” The actor also hinted at the film’s relevance amid attempts by some Republican state lawmakers across the country in recent years to pass laws characterizing drag performances as “adult entertainment,” as well as the Trump administration’s ongoing recent actions against the rights of transgender Americans.

"It was about inclusivity," Leguizamo said of To Wong Foo. "It was about respecting others. It was about respecting transgender people. It was about respecting the LGBTQ+ community, and it was dignifying them all. This hate against transgender people is so ridiculous. And all this talk about transgender people in sports. I mean, transgender people are less than one percent of the population, and transgender people going into sports are how many people in the country? One out of 350 million people? Relax people; just let them be and respect them. And we could bring that back. Bring back respect to the transgender community."