118: A Life of Empathy, Family and Community – Actor & Producer, Luis Guzmán

Despite a highly successful acting career with some of the biggest names in Hollywood, Luis Guzmán never really wanted to be an actor. He was born in Puerto Rico and raised in Loísada, the name given to Manhattan’s Lower East Side by the massive working-class Puerto Rican community that migrated to New York in the 1950s. Loísada was also a hot bed for activism, with residents coming together to fight against discrimination and for better housing and working conditions. Guzmán admits to I SEE U that his calling was to be a social worker as he embraced the culture and spirit of his community, working extensively with youth to enhance their lives and help guide them to their own aspirations.Guzmán started performing in popular street theater as a hobby to showcase his acting ability through the art of social and political advocacy. To supplement his social work with more cash, he also appeared in several indie films, including his first movie role in 1977, Short Eyes—a prison life drama written by close friend and playwright, Miguel “Mickey” Piñero. Co-founder of the Nuyorican Poets Café, a haven for Black and Latinx artists and activists, Mickey even helped him land a role on NBC’s Miami Vice in 1985—a role that would change Guzmán’s life forever. 50 years and nearly 200 film and TV projects later, his comedic brilliance and authentic bravado have positioned him to become one of the most renowned and recognizable actors around the world.Join us as host Eddie Robinson chats with award-winning actor and producer, Luis Guzmán, from his farm in Vermont. The veteran performer reminisces on his family and how paying a phone bill as a young adult led to finding his biological father in Puerto Rico. Plus, Guzmán shares an incredible moment of vulnerability as he remembers his friend, the late Robin Williams—one of the greatest comedians of all time—and recalls how his death by suicide over a decade ago still affects him to this day.