Why John Leguizamo Should Be the Permanent Host of ‘The Daily Show’

Why John Leguizamo Should Be the Permanent Host of 'The Daily Show'
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For many, “The Daily Show” is the go-to source of satirical news and unique interviews. It focuses on everyday issues while giving a twist to headlines by using wit, comedic relief, and essential political analysis.  

Since 2015, it was hosted by the South African comedian, Trevor Noah. Before Noah, John Stewart led the late-night show. Though Noah had a successful run at “The Daily Show,” he announced his resignation at the end of 2022, which left everyone stunned – including the show-runners.  

It’s been a few months since the announcement, and “The Daily Show” has yet to replace Noah. Instead, the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning program is running through rotating guest hosts while they decide on who gets the gig.  

The guest hosts they’ve chosen are all grand in their way. They’ve invited Al Franken, Chelsea Handler, D.L. Hughley, Leslie Jones, John Leguizamo, Hasan Minhaj, Kal Penn, Sarah Silverman, Wanda Sykes, and Marlon Wayans. Each of them is a master of comedy.  

Yet, we can’t help but to feel excited entertaining the thought that John Leguizamo – a Latino – could be the permanent host of such an important show in the United States.  

Leaving our biases to the side, Leguizamo would be a great host because of his passion for his community – and all other multicultural communities. It is the norm for the Colombian descent star to shine a light on issues that affect those who have been historically excluded. Not only does he bring awareness to things that matter to Latinos/es, but he also tries to educate people.  

John Leguizamo understands the power of his platform

In a recent interview with CBS Mornings, he – once again – spoke about the lack of Latino/e representation in Hollywood after being asked about the letter he penned in November 2022. The hosts asked him to explain his reason for publishing the piece and why he even wrote it.  

“I mean, we’re the oldest ethnic group in America we’re the largest ethnic group in America. We didn’t just get here,” Leguizamo said. “We’ve been here for 500 years. And why are we still invisible? We’re 20 percent of the population.” 

The popular actor and comedian continued to say that Latinos/es have less than 1 percent of the leads in front of the camera.  

“How’s that possible? It’s not for lack of trying. You know what I mean? We’re at 30 percent of the U.S. box office. We had $2.8 trillion to the GDP. We’re not getting our money’s worth. I want my money’s worth.” 

His commitment to pushing the envelope is exactly what our community needs. We need someone who is constantly standing up for us in the public eye and who calls for more representation.  

“When we have 20 percent of the leads, 20 percent of the executives and the storytelling, I’ll be okay then.” 

It is safe to say that he’s not going to stop talking about this anytime soon.  

Leguizamo is not afraid of using his platform. He’s proved this with previous projects where he urges people to learn more about the Latino/e community, such as his Netflix special, “John Leguizamo’s Latin History for Morons.” His versatility has also allowed him to participate in movies that are taking the extra step to understand the Latino/e community like “Encanto.” 

His projects are a testament to his dedication to his community – and other marginalized communities.  

Can you imagine the impact he can have by hosting one of the most viewed programs in the United States? 

Though every host that has gone through “The Daily Show” is worthy, having a Latino lead it would hit differently.

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