John Leguizamo Says ‘Ice Age’ Money ‘Paid for My Kids’ to Go to College and ‘Got Me a Second and Third Home’

John Leguizamo has been voicing Sid the sloth since the “Ice Age” franchise launched in 2002, and the blockbuster success of the animated franchise is what allowed Leguizamo to put his kids through college. The actor told “Entertainment Tonight” on his press tour for “The Odyssey” that “Ice Age” has predominantly paid for the bills over the years.

“‘Ice Age’ allowed me to be as funny as I want to be. I got to be hilarious and so silly and create this incredible character and creature. It paid my bills, so I could be a theater actor,” Leguizamo said. “Now we got the sixth coming up. The longest-running animated movie franchise in the history of animated movies. It paid my bills. It got me a second and a triple home. It paid for my kids’ college.”

“Ice Age” debuted in March 2002 and featured the voices of Leguizamo, Ray Romano and Denis Leary. The movie earned solid reviews and was nominated for the best animated feature Oscar after a $383 million box office haul. A franchise was born, and 2006’s “Ice Age: The Meltdown” was an even bigger hit with $667 million worldwide to become the year’s third highest grosser. 2009’s “Dawn of the Dinosaurs” ($886 million, third highest grosser of the year) and 2012’s “Continental Drift” ($877 million, fifth highest grosser) were global smashes. The franchise came down a bit with 2016’s “Collision Course” ($408 million) and then dormant on the big screen until a sixth movie, “Boiling Point,” was announced in November 2024.

According to an official description, “Boiling Point” is a “dinosaur-and-lava-filled madcap adventure that takes Manny, Sid, Diego, Ellie, Scrat and the rest of the herd to visit never-before-seen corners of the treacherous Lost World.” The “Ice Age” franchise as a whole has grossed $3.2 billion since its inception. “Boiling Point” is set for release on Feb. 5, 2027.

Watch Leguizamo’s full interview with “Entertainment Tonight” in the video below.