Diversity!

[Paul Whybrow]

The casting of film roles involving diversity has taken a strange twist recently. Zoe Saldana played Nina Simone in a movie of her life, but apparently her skin colour wasn't dark enough, so she blacked up! I'm getting confused....Something tells me that there would have been even more fuss had a black actress lightened her skin for a part—though skin lightening creams and hair straightening products are widely sold, a face that startled me the first time I saw them in Walmart.

Nina Simone estate slams Nina star Zoe Saldana for 'blacking up' to play the singer

 

[Katie-Ellen]

Biopic; don't know. First thought is just, make up. An actor aims to try and look as much like 'their' character as they can. Who played Stephen Hawking?

 

[Jason Byrne]

The casting of film roles involving diversity has taken a strange twist recently. Zoe Saldana played Nina Simone in a movie of her life, but apparently her skin colour wasn't dark enough, so she blacked up! I'm getting confused....Something tells me that there would have been even more fuss had a black actress lightened her skin for a part—though skin lightening creams and hair straightening products are widely sold, a face that startled me the first time I saw them in Walmart.

Nina Simone estate slams Nina star Zoe Saldana for 'blacking up' to play the singer

Oh holy crap she did! How come it's okay for her to use black-face?

Biopic; don't know. First thought is just, make up. An actor aims to try and look as much like 'their' character as they can. Who played Stephen Hawking?

Eddie Redmayne.
Who was awesome.

 

[Paul Whybrow]

Oh holy crap she did! How come it's okay for her to use black-face?


Eddie Redmayne.
Who was awesome.
View attachment 1153

He did a great job as Stephen Hawking, but there's also an issue over what is being termed 'cripping up', whereby able-bodied actors play roles involving disabilities. If blacking up is unacceptable, then why is it OK for those with physical and mental challenges to be imitated by actors who are in perfect health?

We wouldn’t accept actors blacking up, so why applaud ‘cripping up’? | Frances Ryan

The simple reason for why this happens is bums on seats. Audiences pay to see well-known stars perform, but would stay away from a film with an unknown disabled actor in the lead role.

 

[Carol Rose]

Not always...

Children of a Lesser God (1986) - IMDb

Marlee Matin lost her hearing at 18 months and this was her first film. She won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for her performance in it, plus the film was nominated in beaucoup categories for both awards, and for a host of others. She's gone on to play a multitude of roles, including a recurring one in The West Wing.

 

[Jason Byrne]

He did a great job as Stephen Hawking, but there's also an issue over what is being termed 'cripping up', whereby able-bodied actors play roles involving disabilities. If blacking up is unacceptable, then why is it OK for those with physical and mental challenges to be imitated by actors who are in perfect health?

We wouldn’t accept actors blacking up, so why applaud ‘cripping up’? | Frances Ryan

The simple reason for why this happens is bums on seats. Audiences pay to see well-known stars perform, but would stay away from a film with an unknown disabled actor in the lead role.

This is hilarious. Not the people with disabilities part. The part where people care about stuff like this.

Scientists have proven that people give 60% too much of a f*ck.
See the following presentation. **May contain profanity.**

 

[Katie-Ellen]

I don't know. Lots won't care and just want to see the story, but a 'big name' will certainly be a draw for a lot of people.