John Leguizamo, Eva Longoria, and Jessica Alba are just a few stars who signed an open letter demanding better representation for Latino creatives amid the “Deep Cuts” casting controversy.

Latino stars demand answers after movie whitewashing controversy that led to actress quitting

John Leguizamo, Eva Longoria, and Jessica Alba are just a few stars who signed an open letter demanding better representation for Latino creatives amid the "Deep Cuts" casting controversy.

By Emlyn Travis

Emlyn Travis is a news writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2022. Her work has previously appeared on MTV News, Teen Vogue, and *NME*.

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January 30, 2026 11:44 a.m. ET

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Eva Longoria; John Leguizamo; Jessica Alba. Credit:

Taylor Hill/FilmMagic; Manny Carabel/Getty; Pascal Le Segretain/Getty

John Leguizamo, Jessica Alba, and Eva Longoria, are among the more than 100 Latino creatives who have signed an open letter to Hollywood calling for more “accountability, intentionality, and equity in casting and storytelling.”**

The letter, published Thursday, asks that casting directors, creative executives, writers, producers, and other higher-ups increase the number of Latino voices in the development and greenlighting stages, as well as the number of Latino actors attending auditions and being offered non-stereotypical lead roles. Deadline was the first to report the news. **

“We write to you with urgency, because storytelling is humanity’s compass and Hollywood wields all the power,” the letter said. “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.”

Odessa A'zion at the 2026 Golden Globes.

Christopher Polk/Getty

The letter was released just one day after *Marty Supreme *actress Odessa A’zion dropped out of A24’s upcoming romantic drama *Deep Cuts *following online backlash to her casting. The Actor Awards nominee was set to play a half-Mexican, half-Jewish character named Zoe Gutierrez in the Sean Durkin-directed film, which is adapted from Holly Brickley’s 2025 novel of the same name. **

“Recent casting decisions around the character Zoe Gutierrez in A24’s *Deep Cuts* have exposed a troubling pattern,” the letter noted. “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?”

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It continued, “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.”**

Still, the letter acknowledged that the problem is “not about any one actor or project,” but rather “about a system that repeatedly overlooks qualified Latino talent even as our identities, histories, and experiences fuel the most enduring stories.”**

“Latino communities are already underrepresented and misrepresented in ways that distort reality and harm real people,” it added. “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.”

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It’s why all of the creatives who signed their names are demanding more accountability and representation in the casting and storytelling process. **

“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,” it read. “Our stories deserve to be shaped with the input, guidance, and leadership of Latino creators, consultants, writers, and performers at every stage.”

The cover of Holly Brickley's novel 'Deep Cuts'.

Their list of demands includes that Hollywood “audition and hire more Latino actors for a diverse range of roles,” hire Latino executives, involve more Latino voices throughout the development process, and create mentoring and scholarship pipelines that will “expand access” across all levels of the entertainment industry. **

“The world is watching,” the letter concluded.

Besides Leguizamo, Alba, and Longoria, the letter was signed by such stars as Marvel actors Danny Ramirez and Xochitl Gomez, as well as *Jane the Virgin *alum Gina Rodriguez and *Brooklyn Nine-Nine *star Stephanie Beatriz.

A’zion announced that she would be exiting *Deep Cuts* on her Instagram Story on Wednesday, claiming that she’d originally auditioned for a different role and was offered Zoe instead. **

“I’m so so sorry that this happened. It is SO important for me to let you in on how it all went down," she wrote. "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… and now that I know what I know??? F--- that! IM OUT."

Directed by Durkin, *Deep Cuts* follows the complicated relationship between music critic Percy (Cailee Spaeny) and songwriter Joe (Drew Starkey). A release date has yet to be announced.**

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