Moved to New York from Colombia with family at age four

Moved to Colombia and back to New York twice with younger brother before age nine

Grew up in Jackson Heights, Queens

Arrested while in high school for truancy and then for commandeering the public address system of a subway train with a friend

Began writing comedy material in high school, trying it out on classmates

While attending NYU, discovered by casting director Bonnie Timmerman who saw him in the award-winning student film "Five Out of Six"

Was a member of the New York improvisational performance group First Amendment

Played NYC comedy clubs in mid-1980s; worked also as comedy duo with Carolyn McDermott

Feature acting debut, in Paul Morrissey's "Mixed Blood," a French-produced crime comedy shot on NYC's Lower East Side

Played the recurring role of vengeful drug boss Orlando Calderone in three episodes of "Miami Vice" (NBC)

First substantial film role, "Gentile Alouette," a Chilean-French co-production starring Geraldine Chaplin (shelved until 1990)

First notable film credit, Brian De Palma's "Casualties of War"

Appeared in stage production, "Parting Gestures," with the Intar Hispanic American Arts Center

Wrote and starred in the one-man show, "Mambo Mouth" (moved Off-Broadway to the Orpheum Theater in 1990); show was later taped and broadcast in 1991 as an installment of the "HBO Comedy Hour"

Appeared in "Hangin' With the Homeboys," directed by Joseph Vasquez

Played the thug who shoots Harrison Ford in "Regarding Henry"

Created second one-man show, "Spic-o-Rama: A Dysfunctional Comedy"; show was later taped and broadcast in 1993 as an installment of the "HBO Comedy Hour"

Portrayed Benny Blanco "from the Bronx" in De Palma's "Carlito's Way"

Starred in "Super Mario Bros.," as Luigi Mario opposite Bob Hoskins

Created, executive produced, wrote for, and starred in "House of Buggin'" (Fox), a Latino-oriented sketch comedy show

Garnered excellent notices for his breakthrough lead performance as a touchingly funny transvestite in "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar"

With screenwriter David Bar Katz, formed Lower East Side Prods.; also signed two-year, first-look deal with New Line Cinema

Portrayed Tybalt in Baz Lurhmann's "William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet" as a macho Latin gangster with a sacred heart tattoo and satanic facial hair

Co-produced "The Pest" with writing partner Katz, revisiting a variety of characters he had created in the past; received story credit, in addition to writing the song "Spank It" and performing "The Pest" song

Premiered new one-person show, "Freak: A Semi-Demi-Quasi-Autobiographical Comedy"; show opened on Broadway in February 1998; received Tony Award nominations for Best Play and Best Actor

Provided the voice of Rat No. 2 in the non-musical remake of "Dr. Dolittle"

Starred in HBO adaptation of "Freak," directed by Spike Lee; garnered Emmy Award for performance

Executive produced "Joe the King," written and directed by Frank Whaley; also had a small role in film

Co-starred in Spike Lee's "Summer of Sam"

Cast as Toulouse-Lautrec in Baz Luhrmann's big screen musical "Moulin Rouge!"

In August, signed a seven-figure deal with CBS to star in an hour-long drama

Appeared on stage in one-person show "John Leguizamo LIVE"; opened on Broadway in October under title "Sexaholix ... A Love Story"; aired on HBO

Executive produced "Pinero," a biopic of the poet-playwright Miguel Pinero

Provided a character voice in the animated "Ice Age"

Made directorial debut with HBO production "Infamous"; also starred as a boxer who escapes his impoverished roots through fame

Co-starred in "Spun"; premiered at Cinevegas Film Festival

Cast in George A. Romero's "Land of the Dead," a thriller where the living dead have taken over the world

Joined the cast of the NBC medical drama "ER" playing Dr. Victor Clemente

Published his memoir, Pimps, Hos, Playa Hatas and All the Rest of My Hollywood Friends: My Life

Cast in the Spike TV eight part series, "The Kill Point"

Had a supporting role in the Mike Newell adaptation of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's "Love in the Time of Cholera"

Co-starred in M. Night Shyamalan's "The Happening"

Joined a Broadway revival of David Mamet's "American Buffalo"