Leon Ichaso obit

Leon Ichaso (1948–2023), Cuban-born filmmaker known for urban realism 

 He was not on the list.

Leon Ichaso was a Cuban-born filmmaker whose gritty, realistic portraits of urban living explored life as a Latino in North America.

 

Died: May 21, 2023

Details of death: Died in Santa Monica, California of a heart attack at the age of 74.

Ichaso was born in Havana, Cuba. His family emigrated to Mexico when he was 14, and then to New York City while his father, Chilean-born poet Justo Rodriguez Santos, fought in the Cuban Revolution. Driven by his experiences as a young man, Ichaso gravitated towards film as a way to tell stories.

His 1979 debut, “El Super,” explored the difficulties of an immigrant trying to build a life in New York City. This focus on the hardships of urban life would become a hallmark of his work, even when directing episodes of television shows like “Miami Vice” and “The Equalizer,” as well as in the 1994 Wesley Snipes film, “Sugar Hill.”

Ichaso would examine the life of a disillusioned Cuban communist in 1996’s “Azúcar Amarga,” before moving into TV movies and biographies, including films about Muhammad Ali and Jimi Hendrix.  His final film, “Paraiso,” opened the 2009 Miami International Film Festival.

Notable quote

“I go around life and I don’t look at the flowers. I look at the bum on the sidewalk. The things that grab my attention are always depressing. I’ve never really understood that.”—Slant Magazine, 2001

Tributes to Leon Ichaso

We lost a real one today: Leon Ichaso. Cuban. Wrote/directed Piñero and El Cantante. I worked w/him on Queen of The South. The man DEFINED irascible. We argued, we made up, we laughed. He was incredibly sweet & charming to my gf & my mom. A true artist & caballero. RIP, hermano

— Jorge A. Reyes (@JorgeCoolReyes) May 22, 2023

I was his script supervisor for 2 episodes of Queen of the South. I loved working with him. That rare Director who never got mad when the day seemed to be going over the cliff. He just calmly steered the ship back on course. A very generous man with great stories. 

— Barry Caldwell (@safehousefilms) May 23, 2023

Rest in peace, Leon Ichaso. He explored the complexities of Latino identity through film, and now his legacy will continue to live on. As for the afterlife, I hope they have a great screening room up there!

— Lmao GPT (@LmaoGPT) May 23, 2023

 

Director

Alice Braga in Queen of the South (2016)

Queen of the South

8.0

TV Series

Director

2019–2021

2 episodes

 

Michael Sheen and Tom Payne in Prodigal Son (2019)

Prodigal Son

7.7

TV Series

Director

2019

1 episode

 

Joe Mantegna, Paget Brewster, A.J. Cook, Adam Rodriguez, Aisha Tyler, Kirsten Vangsness, and Ryan-James Hatanaka in Criminal Minds (2005)

Criminal Minds

8.1

TV Series

Director

2017–2018

2 episodes

 

Oliver Platt, Steven Weber, Marlyne Barrett, S. Epatha Merkerson, and Jessy Schram in Chicago Med (2015)

Chicago Med

7.6

TV Series

Director (as León Ichaso)

2018

1 episode

 

Gary Sinise, Alana De La Garza, Tyler James Williams, Daniel Henney, and Annie Funke in Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders (2016)

Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders

6.2

TV Series

Director

2017

1 episode

 

Rachael Leigh Cook and Barbara Hershey in Left to Die (2012)

Left to Die

5.6

TV Movie

Director

2012

 

Alan Ruck, Jason Wiles, Kandyse McClure, and Daisy Betts in Persons Unknown (2010)

Persons Unknown

6.8

TV Series

Director (as León Ichaso)

2010

1 episode

 

The Cleaner (2008)

The Cleaner

7.1

TV Series

Director

2008–2009

5 episodes

 

Paraiso (2009)

Paraiso

6.3

Director

2009

 

Patricia Arquette in Medium (2005)

Medium

7.1

TV Series

Director

2007–2008

2 episodes

 

Cane (2007)

Cane

7.1

TV Series

Director

2007

1 episode

 

Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony in El cantante (2006)

El cantante

5.5

Director

2006

 

Oded Fehr and Michael Ealy in Sleeper Cell (2005)

Sleeper Cell

8.0

TV Series

Director

2005

1 episode

 

Saturday Night Live: The Best of David Spade (2005)

Saturday Night Live: The Best of David Spade

6.6

TV Special

Director

2005

 

Joe Pantoliano, Hill Harper, Tanya Wright, and Anna Belknap in The Handler (2003)

The Handler

6.9

TV Series

Director

2004

1 episode

 

Bonnie Bedelia, Nancy McKeon, Lela Rochon, Lisa Vidal, and Tracey Needham in The Division (2001)

The Division

6.5

TV Series

Director

2004

1 episode

 

Benjamin Bratt in Piñero (2001)

Piñero

6.2

Director

2001

 

Hendrix (2000)

Hendrix

5.6

TV Movie

Director

2000

 

Ali: An American Hero (2000)

Ali: An American Hero

5.3

TV Movie

Director

2000

 

Peter Coyote and Tim Daly in Execution of Justice (1999)

Execution of Justice

5.8

TV Movie

Director

1999

 

Sins of the City (1998)

Sins of the City

6.8

TV Series

Director

1998

3 episodes

 

Free of Eden (1998)

Free of Eden

6.2

TV Movie

Director

1998

 

Bitter Sugar (1996)

Bitter Sugar

7.0

Director

1996

 

Louis Gossett Jr. and Khalil Kain in Zooman (1995)

Zooman

5.4

TV Movie

Director

1995

 

A Kiss to Die For (1993)

A Kiss to Die For

4.6

TV Movie

Director

1993

 

Sugar Hill (1993)

Sugar Hill

5.8

Director

1993

 

Christine Lahti and Dylan McDermott in The Fear Inside (1992)

The Fear Inside

5.7

TV Movie

Director

1992

 

Veronica Clare (1991)

Veronica Clare

6.9

TV Series

Director

1991

1 episode

 

Lisa Hartman and Ray Sharkey in The Take (1990)

The Take

5.0

TV Movie

Director

1990

 

Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas in Miami Vice (1984)

Miami Vice

7.6

TV Series

Director

1986–1988

5 episodes

 

Tales from the Hollywood Hills: A Table at Ciro's (1987)

Tales from the Hollywood Hills: A Table at Ciro's

6.2

TV Movie

Director

1987

 

Edward Woodward in The Equalizer (1985)

The Equalizer

7.8

TV Series

Director (directed by)

1987

1 episode

 

Billy Campbell, Dennis Farina, Paul Butler, Steve Ryan, and Bill Smitrovich in Crime Story (1986)

Crime Story

8.3

TV Series

Director

1986

5 episodes

 

Crossover Dreams (1985)

Crossover Dreams

6.0

Director

1985

 

Saturday Night Live (1975)

Saturday Night Live

8.0

TV Series

Director

1980–1981

2 episodes

 

Saturday Night Live - Pepe Gonzalez

TV Series

Director

1980

 

El Super (1979)

El Super

7.4

Director

1979

 

Writer

Paraiso (2009)

Paraiso

6.3

written by

2009

 

Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony in El cantante (2006)

El cantante

5.5

screenplay

2006

 

Benjamin Bratt in Piñero (2001)

Piñero

6.2

written by

2001

 

Bitter Sugar (1996)

Bitter Sugar

7.0

screenplay

story

1996

 

Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas in Miami Vice (1984)

Miami Vice

7.6

TV Series

story

1986

1 episode

 

Crossover Dreams (1985)

Crossover Dreams

6.0

Writer

1985

 

Fat Chance (1981)

Fat Chance

6.5

Writer

1981

 

Saturday Night Live - Pepe Gonzalez

TV Series

Writer

1980

 

El Super (1979)

El Super

7.4

writer

1979

 

Producer

Bitter Sugar (1996)

Bitter Sugar

7.0

producer

1996

 

Fat Chance (1981)

Fat Chance

6.5

associate producer

1981

 

El Super (1979)

El Super

7.4

producer

1979

 

Soundtrack

Paraiso (2009)

Paraiso

6.3

writer: "Otro Dia Otro Amor"

2009

 

Crossover Dreams (1985)

Crossover Dreams

6.0

writer: "Otro Dia Otro Amor"

1985

 

Self

Klaudia Kovacs and Jamel Wade in Directors on Directing 2: The Story of the Storytellers (2008)

Directors on Directing 2: The Story of the Storytellers

Self

2008

 

The Sound and the Heat of El Cantante

7.6

Video

Self

2007

 

HBO First Look (1992)

HBO First Look

6.2

TV Series

Self

2007

1 episode

 

2002 ALMA Awards

6.1

TV Special

Self

2002

 

Archive Footage

Billy Campbell, Dennis Farina, Paul Butler, Steve Ryan, and Bill Smitrovich in Crime Story (1986)

Crime Story

8.3

TV Series

(archive footage)

1986–1988