Luis Guzmán on Voicing Super Mario Galaxy’s Wart, Wednesday Season 3, and His Ultimate Legacy
The veteran actor talks about the fan response to his new film and being recognized by Marlon Brando.
At last count, actor Luis Guzmán has over 170 credits to his name with no signs of slowing down. He’s worked alongside directorial titans like Sidney Lumet, Steven Soderbergh, Brian De Palma, and Paul Thomas Anderson, and while those are roles he’s certainly proud of, he’s just as honored to be playing the crime boss Wart in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, in theaters now. “This is what I consider to be a real legacy kind of project,” Guzmán tells Rotten Tomatoes. “Because it’s that huge. It resonates with not just kids but adults [who], at one time, were kids.”
Guzmán admits he wasn’t well-versed in the Mario landscape before taking on the role, though his kids certainly were. “They’re the ones that would ask me for these games,” he said. “I would get them the game and watch them… I couldn’t tell you how many times I would hear that [theme music]. I’m sleeping and Mario just got 10 times bigger because he went through the channel.” When he was offered the Matthew Fogel-penned script, the first people Guzmán “consulted” were his children. “When I mentioned, ‘Hey, do you know Wart?’ They go, ‘Do we know Wart? Yeah. What’s up?’ ‘They want me to play Wart in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.’ All I’m hearing on the other side [of the phone is] screaming and jumping around. So, I got their blessing.”
That being said, they did give him a piece of advice: “Be a good baddie.” And for Guzmán, that meant making sure he didn’t overcompensate or be too grandiose with his vocal performance. He didn’t do any specific prep for how he wanted Wart to sound, because what was presented on-screen aligned with what his children would have wanted from a good baddie, like his character being introduced cutting up an apple. “That’s pretty badass,” he said.
How Wart Is Different From His Other Roles
Guzmán has learned a lot over his lengthy career as an actor. It’s not about the money these days but the opportunity to work with unique people and appreciate the artistry of movies. “When I first started out my career, it was really about the hustle,” he said. “It was about laying the bricks to your foundation… Then you get to a point that it’s like, ‘What is the material?’ It really becomes the significance of the art of what I’m doing.” Guzmán even took the time to shout out Rotten Tomatoes itself. “They really do look at the artistry of some of these films.”
The role is certainly a departure for him of sorts, not only because it’s an animated feature (though Guzmán has done a few voiceover roles), but because of how large the characters loom in pop culture. “Luigi and Mario are two of the most iconic characters in the game world. You say the name, everybody knows who [they are] right away, whether they play the game or not.” Guzmán also got to witness firsthand the impact of seeing these characters during a recent screening of the film. “The best part was when [Wart] showed up and they heard my voice… I saw all these little heads turn around and give me the thumbs up. That was a super cool Mario kind of feeling.”
Wednesday Season 3 Hints?
Outside of Wart, Guzmán has another iconic character under his belt: that of Gomez Addams in the Netflix series Wednesday. The show is currently filming its third season, and while the actor couldn’t give away much, he did want to share a little bit. “There’s some cool surprises. We’re just ripping away at it,” he said. “It goes without saying, but the writing on this show is pretty incredible… We’re having a great time, you know? I’m proud of this cast, this crew. I’m proud of this whole writing team.”
On Legacy, Being Recognized by Marlon Brando, and Playing A Romantic Lead
This brings things back to the nature of legacy and a time Guzmán remembers when he was still an up-and-coming actor. Raised on the work of actor Marlon Brando, Guzmán was shocked when he walked the streets of Studio City, in Los Angeles, and saw Brando walk past him. “I do what people do to me now,” Guzmán said. “I doubled back. I knew I didn’t really want to bother him, but I just went up to him and all I said was, ‘Thank you. Thank you for inspiring me.’ I started to walk away and he goes, ‘Excuse me, young man.’ I turn around, and I walk back, and he points at me and goes, ‘You, young man, do very fine work.’”
Guzmán was shocked that Brando even knew who he was. It wasn’t until talking to director Sidney Lumet later on — the pair had recently worked on the 1990 crime feature Q&A — that Guzmán learned Brando had watched the movie and was drawn to his performance. “Marlon told Sidney that I was his favorite character in the movie because he said I was so truthful. That’s part of the legacy. I would never think that I would hear something like that.” For him, doing Super Mario Galaxy is another brick in that foundation.
Guzmán doesn’t plan to retire anytime soon, and despite the big names he’s worked with, there are still some things he’d like to accomplish in his career. “I would like to play the romantic lead,” he said. No matter what, the actor wants to make a movie people will remember forever. “I want it to be something original, yeah, a good story. I want it to be the kind of project that people are talking about six months later… Something that hits the heart.”
It’s unknown currently whether Wart will return to the Super Mario landscape, but Guzmán is hopeful. “I would be more than [happy] to continue into this universe,” he said. “Watching this movie and hearing the voices of friends of mine that I have actually worked with, and to know that I’m a part of their legacy and they’re part of mine. It’s beautiful.” Regardless, he’s happy that he made his kids proud, that he played a “good baddie,” and that it’s another link in an illustrious career.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is in theaters now.
