John Leguizamo, Gloria Calderon Kellett, and Xochitl Gomez Among Latino Artists Behind Letter to Hollywood After Odessa A’zion Casting Controversy

More than one hundred Latino actors, artists, and storytellers have signed an open letter urging Hollywood studios and executives to change how Latino voices are included in early development meetings, greenlighting rooms, and casting processes, calling for consistent access to auditions and lead roles that move past narrow stereotypes.

The letter emerges at a moment when questions about representation have returned to the center of industry debate, driven by recent events surrounding the A24 film Deep Cuts, directed by Sean Durkin and based on the novel by Holly Brickley, with Drew Starkey and Cailee Spaeny attached to star.

“Recent casting decisions around the character Zoe Gutierrez in A24’s Deep Cuts have exposed a troubling pattern. We acknowledge and commend Odessa A’zion for listening, reflecting and deciding to exit the project and become an ally. Yet how did this happen?” the letter states. “The absence of Latina audition opportunities, and the choice to replace a clearly Latina character with a non Latina actress, signals a broader, ongoing erasure of our community from the stories that define our culture. 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.”

Among the signatories are Eva Longoria, John Leguizamo, Xochitl Gomez, Jessica Alba, Danny Ramirez, Isabela Merced, Diego Boneta, Ismael Cruz Cordova, and Michael Pena, alongside dozens of writers, directors, producers, and creators who have built careers across film, television, and digital platforms.

Television creator Gloria Calderon Kellett, who previously wrote a guest column for Deadline addressing the consequences of excluding Latino performers, also added her name. Xochitl Gomez, known for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, initiated the effort and helped gather signatures.

Odessa A’zion and the Decision to Step Away

The open letter follows Odessa A’zion’s decision to exit Deep Cuts after being cast as Zoe Gutierrez, a character of Mexican heritage. She’s White. The casting took place earlier in the week, though the actress announced through Instagram that she would no longer continue with the project.

“Guys!! I am with ALL of you and I am NOT doing this movie,” A’zion wrote. “Thank you guys for bringing this to my attention. I AGREE WITH EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU! This is why I love you guys. I’m so sorry that this happened. It is SO important for me to let you in on how it all went down: I went in for Percy, but was offered Zoe instead and instantly said yes! I’m so pissed y’all, I hadn’t read the book and should have paid more attention to all aspects of Zoe before accepting.”

Her post circulated rapidly across social platforms, adding urgency to conversations already unfolding among Latino performers and advocates who had long questioned how characters rooted in specific cultural identities were being cast.

Before Starkey and Spaeny joined the project, the adaptation was originally set to star Saoirse Ronan and Austin Butler, with Ronan attached as a producer, though both later withdrew because of scheduling conflicts.

The film remains in development with producers Eli Bush, Ronald Bronstein, and Josh Safdie working alongside Durkin, Anthony Katagas, Jordan Tappis, and A24. Brickley serves as an executive producer.

Inside the Demands for Structural Change

The open letter positions the casting dispute as part of a larger pattern, connecting individual decisions to institutional practices that shape which stories reach screens and whose perspectives guide them.

“We write to you with urgency, because storytelling is humanity’s compass and Hollywood wields all the power. The stories you choose to tell, and how you tell them, shape public perception, cultural understanding, and who gets to see themselves reflected on screen. In these challenging moments that power comes with real responsibility,” the letter reads.

Signatories argue that Latino communities continue to face distortion and exclusion that affects both careers and public understanding, describing casting as a gatekeeping process that determines whose experiences are treated as credible and whose voices remain peripheral.

“Latino communities are already underrepresented and misrepresented in ways that distort reality and harm real people. Casting decisions carry real weight: they influence who is seen as worthy of authentic storytelling and who gets to tell those stories with care, nuance, and authority,” the letter states.

The writers also address the limits of surface level inclusion, asserting that meaningful representation requires participation in development, writing, and production, rather than isolated on screen appearances.

“We are calling for accountability, intentionality, and equity in casting and storytelling. Authentic representation means more than casting a performer who looks like the character; it means involving the communities being portrayed not just in front of the camera, but in the decisions that shape these stories from their inception. Our stories deserve to be shaped with the input, guidance, and leadership of Latino creators, consultants, writers, and performers at every stage.”

A Collective Push for Access and Accountability

The letter closes with a set of concrete demands aimed at shifting industry practices through measurable action.

“We implore you to join us in concrete action,” the writers state, before outlining four priorities: expanding auditions and hiring for non stereotypical leads, placing Latino executives in greenlighting rooms, including Latino voices at the earliest stages of development, and building mentorship and scholarship pipelines that broaden access throughout the industry.

The final line, “The world is watching,” frames the appeal as both a warning and an invitation, positioning Hollywood’s response as a public measure of its commitment to equity.

With hundreds of prominent names attached and a high profile production at the center of the debate, the letter reflects a growing willingness among Latino artists to coordinate publicly and speak with collective authority about structural barriers that have shaped careers for decades.

Studios now face public pressure to respond through real changes in how projects are developed and who receives opportunities. Hollywood has faced similar criticism over casting and Latino representation before, raising a familiar question about whether this moment will finally lead to lasting change.