John Leguizamo And Anna Chlumsky On ‘Smoke' And Her Hard No To ‘My Girl 3'

Forbes

a day ago

(Left to right) John Leguizamo and Anna Chlumsky in 'Smoke.'
Although John Leguizamo and Anna Chlumsky's characters don't appear until halfway through Smoke's nine-episode run, they wouldn't have passed on the chance to star in the crime drama series for anything.
"I would have taken the whole series if they'd written my character into the whole thing," the Veep actress confirms. "You want to be a part of something that's excellently written. We all dream of that when we sign up for a job, and this was presented to me. I read for it, and I was desperate for it because I loved it. Dennis Lehane is the voice we need right now."
Created and written by Lehane, the slow-burn Apple TV+ show stars Taron Egerton and Jurnee Smollett as an arson investigator and a detective, respectively, who are working together to stop two serial arsonists in the Pacific Northwest. Chulmsky and Leguizamo play pivotal roles, one a stickler for details and the other a disgraced officer, who both join the investigation. Based on a true story and a hit podcast, Smoke premieres the first two episodes on Friday, June 27, 2025, followed by one episode weekly every Friday through Friday, August 15, 2025.
Fiery Dialogue Made 'Smoke' A Dream Project
Leguizamo's character, Ezra Esposito, first appears on screen uttering a blistering diatribe that he considers a career high point.
"All the dialogue that Dennis wrote for me was top-notch," he explains. "It might be some of the best dialogue I've ever said or spoken in a series, movie, or animated movie, for that matter. The way Dennis writes is incredible. I felt incredibly fortunate to be asked to be part of this series because of the writing. It was exceptional. He's the preeminent true crime novelist in the world right now."
"It was a gift. It was such a pleasure to work with Anna. She is unbelievable. She's such a fire with intellect that it brings the whole level of the quality of the work up."
The spark between the pair raises the question of why they have never been paired together on screen before. The effortless banter and natural chemistry are lightning in a bottle.
"I love hearing that. I like it when I like it when we can have a little schadenfreude for casting agents," she says with a smile. "You are right that we've not had the chance to work together before."
The pair had barely met before they started shooting.
"In the trailer on the first day, I came in, and I was listening to what John was saying, and I was kind of like, 'Yeah,' and nodding," Chulmsky laughs. "I could tell he was like, 'Who is this?' and I was thinking, 'Anna, stop. You haven't introduced yourself yet,' but I couldn't stop being like, 'Yeah, I know this conversation.'"
Again, Leguizamo credits a lot of their connection to Lehane, the author behind books such as Mystic River, Shutter Island, and Gone Baby Gone, as well as the award-winning series Black Bird, which also starred Rocketman's Egerton.
"The way that Dennis juxtaposed our two opposing characters, and we're such an odd couple, is great," the Spawn actor enthuses. "I mean, she's a perfectionist and follows everything to the letter and does things by the book, and Ezra's a loose cannon. She comes to rein him in. They have such a great dynamic."
Chulmsky adds, "Ezra's heart is on his sleeve. She has a heart, but man, is it contained? It's fun to see the characters blossom and explore when put in the same place."
Taron Egerton and Jurnee Smollett in 'Smoke.'
'Smoke's Characters Do Things Wrong The Right Way
Smoke and its cast of characters don't hold back.
"It's very honest in the sense that in the world we live in, we are very sensitive and trauma-aware," Chulmsky explains. "Sometimes we are nervous about creating a character who says or does the wrong thing because it could be upsetting to the viewer. The way to do it right is the way Dennis does it, and where these things get said, people do the wrong thing. That's why we're discussing it and why we're traumatized by this. It's more about exploring how those conversations can even happen, as opposed to pretending that they just don't because they're too hurtful."
Another of Smoke's unique qualities is how it subverts several genre tropes, including some related to the gender dynamic. Rather than the women of the piece not being listened to by the powers that be, here it's several of the men who are being given the brush-off by authorities.
"I love your perspective on that, and it's true," Leguizamo enthuses. "I like the way that Dennis turns masculinity up on its head. Who is in power? Is it the guys or the women? I love that he doesn't go by the book, so everything is in the gray zone, and everybody is an anti-hero. It's a complexly written piece, and nothing is wasted. Everything is there for a reason and a purpose. I love the way he dives into the psychology. He explores it. He delves deeply into the rabbit hole of what causes a person to lose their empathy and care for human life. It's fascinating."
Festooned with memorable scenes, including some spectacular fire sequences, Smoke often scores big wins with subtle scenes, including one where Leguizamo, Chulmsky, and Rafe Spall's character are in an office discussing a book deal. All three play it cool, but their glances alone say it all.
"I loved that scene," she laughs. "I don't even say a lot in it, but it's still so fun because it's a different power dynamic. We're accustomed to the creative dynamic, and I also worked in publishing, so we're all accustomed to the situation where the publisher or literary agent has the power. They are like, 'I can accept your writing or not,' or a casting director will be like, 'I will have you do this reading or not,' whereas in this case, it was a case of, 'Yeah, you have the power, but we're asking you for something.' It was a really enjoyable thing because we've been around negotiations before, and it's a different way of doing it. It was fun."
Taron Egerton in 'Smoke.'
'Land Of The Dead' Lives But 'My Girl 3' Is DOA
Both Leguizamo and Chulmsky have storied careers with works that have stood the test of time, with Smoke being the latest addition to that. 2025 marks the 20th anniversary of Land of the Dead, a particularly pertinent piece of work by the late great horror director George A. Romero.
"I was a huge fan of Romero, and the fact that George was half Cuban and from the Bronx, it was a big deal for me to work with him. He was a legend," he recalls. "I loved the political commentary of the film. He was always a political commentator in his work. Night of the Living Dead is an anti-war and anti-racism picture, and Land of the Dead was against fascism. He knew what was coming before it came to be upon us. I love that flick. I'm so proud to be a part of that movie."
As well as Veep being an enduring show that people continue to discover as they digest the ongoing US political landscape, a whole new generation is discovering the two My Girl movies that gave Chulmsky her big break. With her continuing career ascendance and Jamie Lee Curtis being reappreciated by the industry and audiences, would she consider reuniting for a third film?
"I'm going to stop you there," she says firmly but politely as I finish the question. "I've heard so many different ideas about that, but I will never, ever do one. I will never be involved in that."
"Oh, wow," Leguizamo interjects with a laugh. "That's so definitive. You never say never in this business. I love that she takes a stand."
"Yes, because I don't want to do it. Sorry. Life's too short," the Smoke actress confirms. "I don't need to do that. No. I played that character when I was ten years old. I don't have to play it as an adult."