No one is going to know the difference."
And I understand that this is a person that means a lot to a lot of people."
That is the point I was making, albeit didn’t come across that way.
Tommaso Boddi/FilmMagic; Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
A week later, following growing controversy over his hiring, Skreinannounced he was dropping out of the film.
“I accepted the role unaware that the character in the original comics was of mixed Asian heritage.
We fully support his unselfish decision.
Glen Wilson / Focus Features
But producers argued shifting the story to Seattle turned it into an American story.
“They could have gone [with an] Asian [actor], I can’t deny that.
The studios were adamant about trying to cast Asian actors.
John Phillips/Getty Images
I mean, this was a difficult one.
It was something we were definitely conscious about.”
“Our heroes don’t look like Matt Damon.”
Samir Hussein/WireImage; Dark Horse Comics
It was something that I thought about before I met with [director] Joe [Wright].
But I totally sympathize with why people were upset and feel really bad about it.”
The live-action adaptation, however, starred Scarlett Johansson, a white actress.
James Dittiger/Netflix
She’s essentially identity-less.
I would never attempt to play a person of a different race, obviously.
Zoe Saldana as Nina Simone inNina
Zoe Saldana faced heat over playing Nina Simone in the filmNina.
Neal Preston/Columbia Pictures
AfterSaldana tweeted a quotefrom Simone reading, “I’ll tell you what freedom is to me- No Fear… For the rest of your life.”
I think that’s all that should matter."
The British actor was taking on a character with Egyptian roots, leading whitewashingcontroversyto surround the film.
I’m just not going to get it financed.
So the question doesn’t even come up."
So they want names they recognize.
Jay Maidment/Marvel
Ridley’s not like that at all.
If you look atKingdom of Heaven, Saladin was played by a Syrian actor."
She played real-life journalist Mariane Pearl in the film, bringing Pearl’s memoir to the big screen.
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
Gyllenhaal is not Persian.
Some viewers took issue with Affleck playing a real-life person with roots in Mexico.
“I don’t think of myself as a Hispanic,” he added.
Jasin Boland
“I think of myself as a person who grew up in the desert.
If I had been in a different family circumstance, I might have felt that way.
Fans of Suzanne Collins' originalHunger Gamesbooks took issue with Lawrence playing the role of Katniss.
It is a time period where hundreds of years have passed from now.
There’s been a lot of ethnic mixing.
But I think I describe them as having dark hair, gray eyes, and sort of olive skin.
Photo: Kerry Brown/20th Century Fox
You know, we have hair and makeup.”
We need to cast critical eyes toward these things.
What are the motivations behind directors and casting?
Peter Mountain/ Paramount Vantage
I totally support it.
But our intention is the antithesis of that idea.
The intention is to talk about things that are beyond race.
Andrew Cooper, SMPSP/Disney
Courtesy Warner Bros.
Reiner Bajo/Warner Bros.
