John Leguizamo says ‘neurotic’ Patrick Swayze was ‘difficult’ on ‘Too Wong Foo’ when they nearly got into physical fight

“Too wong…feud?”

In an question and reply on SiriusXM’s “Andy Cohen Live,” John Leguizamo described his precocious co-star Patrick Swayze arsenic “neurotic” and “difficult” to activity with. The 2 actors starred successful nan 1995 resistance queen cult classical “To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar,” alongside Wesley Snipes and Stockard Channing.

Leguizamo’s comments were spurred by big Andy Cohen’s proposal that Swayze had a sterling estimation among his co-stars.

Leguizamo, 63, disagreed, “That’s different than what I experienced. Rest successful peace, I emotion him. He was conscionable neurotic. And I’m neurotic too, but I don’t know, he was conscionable – it was difficult moving pinch him.”

Eternally youthful, Leguizazmo is besides famously outspoken; successful 2020 he boycotted nan Emmys citing “cultural apartheid.”

Leguizamo likewise slammed nan intermezo manufacture for casting James Franco arsenic Fidel Castro successful an upcoming movie project. “I don’t sewage a prob pinch Franco but he ain’t Latino!” nan comedian concluded successful an impassioned Instagram post.

Cohen suggested that Swayze, who died astatine 57 successful 2009 aft losing his conflict pinch pancreatic cancer, whitethorn person been a perfectionist.

Leguizamo countered, calling nan character neurotic and insecure, “I don’t know, conscionable neurotic, possibly a mini spot insecure. Wesley and I, we vibed, ‘cause, you know, we’re group of color, and we’ve sewage each other.”

Leguizamo’s caller speech pinch Cohen is not nan first clip he has publically commented connected his on-set differences pinch Swayze. In 2018, he relayed to a crowd astatine New York Magazine’s Vulture Festival that nan two astir came to blows connected nan group of “Too Wong Foo.”

“One time he told maine to unopen up and I was like, ‘Make me,’” he continued. “We’re astir to punch each different isolated from I’m successful basking pants and pumps and he’s dressed for illustration Audrey Hepburn…Wesley’s like, ‘Let him go. Let him go,’ but nan head stopped him.”

Leguizamo joked, “We were truthful successful characteristic we were PMSing astatine nan aforesaid time.”

Leguizamo speculates that his improvisational acting style whitethorn person been aggravating to nan straight-laced Swayze.

“He couldn’t support up pinch it, and it would make him huffy and upset sometimes. He’d beryllium like, ‘Are you gonna opportunity a statement for illustration that?’ I go, ‘You cognize me, I’m gonna do me. I’m gonna conscionable support making up lines.’ He goes, ‘Well, tin you conscionable opportunity nan statement nan measurement it is?’ I go, ‘I can’t.’ And nan head didn’t want maine to.”

Leguizamo credits that off-the-cuff spontaneity for adding magnitude to his portrayal of resistance queen Chi-Chi Rodriguez.

“I invented my role. I rewrote that role,” Leguizamo said. “I expanded that role, ‘cause that domiciled was nothing.”

Beyond nan creator differences betwixt himself and Swayze, Leguizamo is proud of nan enduring effect and queer resonance of “Too Wong Foo.”

“It was very important because a batch of transgender kids, [LGBTQ+] kids travel up to me, who are now I conjecture a small older, they said because of that show and my character, they felt assured to travel retired to their parents,” said Leguizamo.

“And I felt like, ‘Wow, that’s what art’s expected to do.’ Art’s expected to springiness group courage, art’s expected to thatch group empathy, that’s what I sewage successful nan business for.”