# Characters who have changed race from book to movie **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 21, 2009, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-who-have-changed-race-from-book-to-movie/482244 "2009-01-21T01:48:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-who-have-changed-race-from-book-to-movie/482244/41 "2009-01-21T09:05:51Z")
I’m guessing it’s a play on “nancy boys.” ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-who-have-changed-race-from-book-to-movie/482244/42 "2009-01-21T09:18:07Z")
“Nancy Boys” ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-who-have-changed-race-from-book-to-movie/482244/43 "2009-01-21T11:13:51Z")
Ole Golly, the title character’s nurse/nanny in **Harriet the Spy** , was Black in the book but was white (played by Rosie O’Donnell) in the film. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-who-have-changed-race-from-book-to-movie/482244/44 "2009-01-21T11:29:28Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Which is also not a change seeing as how Nick Fury’s look in the comics is based on Sam Jackson. In fact, there’s no movie that qualifies in the least for this thread since the comic Fury IS Sam Jackson. I strongly doubt that Nick Fury has looked like Sam Jackson for over 30 years. Actually… nope. He hasn’t. > [@AngelSoft](#): > > Yes but there are obvious physical characteristics that differ between Chinese and Japanese people. You can’t look at a Caucasian person and say “Oh they’re Irish/Russian/German/etc” Not in every case, but yes, you can. There’s differences in facial shape, nose shape and size (lots of norse folk have “baby noses” by Spanish/Italian/Greek standards), body shape, etc etc. It’s not a matter of being able to pick the single Spaniard in a lineup of Portuguese but… the single Spaniard in a lineup of Germans? Someone with a good eye would. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-who-have-changed-race-from-book-to-movie/482244/45 "2009-01-21T11:40:25Z")
> [@AngelSoft](#): > > Yes but there are obvious physical characteristics that differ between Chinese and Japanese people. You can’t look at a Caucasian person and say “Oh they’re Irish/Russian/German/etc” But you can look at an Asian person and say “Oh they’re Chinese/Japanese/Korean/etc”. Granted many Americans can’t tell unless they see the person’s name but that doesn’t mean physical differences don’t exist. I beg to differ, there is a sort of muddy blond look to a lot of brits that have a lot of old norman in them, there is a particular dark look to southern french, spanish and western italians, there is a very distinctive apple headed look to many bavarian/southeastern germans, and a really funky pinkeye blond look to norwegians [not sure how to explain it, but my ex hubby who was norwegian said that there was a genetic predisposition to an eye condition that made the eyelash beds tend to look irritated all the time. I can generally spot a heavy norwegian mix when i meet them] Like the difference between chinese, japanese, korean, thai, it is a combination of bone structure, skin texture, coloring and features. ---
**Author:** ![Atomicflea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/58956e/32.png) [@Atomicflea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomicflea)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-who-have-changed-race-from-book-to-movie/482244/46 "2009-01-21T11:49:45Z")
> [@DataZak](#): > > You must be thinking of the _Ultimate_ version of Nick Fury but **Atomicflea** was perhaps referring to the original 616 version of Nick Fury who is definitely white. Indeed I was. Damnit, I hate that about comics. Another reason I quit reading them.:rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-who-have-changed-race-from-book-to-movie/482244/47 "2009-01-21T11:51:11Z")
Martin Lawrence is _not_ John Dortmunder. (What’s The Worst That Could Happen) Admittedly, they changed the character name in the movie, but still… that is the anti-Dortmunder. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-who-have-changed-race-from-book-to-movie/482244/48 "2009-01-21T11:51:36Z")
> [@AngelSoft](#): > > Yes but there are obvious physical characteristics that differ between Chinese and Japanese people. **You can’t look at a Caucasian person and say “Oh they’re Irish/Russian/German/etc”** But you can look at an Asian person and say “Oh they’re Chinese/Japanese/Korean/etc”. Granted many Americans can’t tell unless they see the person’s name but that doesn’t mean physical differences don’t exist. (bolding mine) [Por](http://www.townhouse.ie/ECom2/library3.nsf/(WebFiles)/4DECFB749CE37AE780256F570043327C/$FILE/Tis%20Herself,%20by%20Maureen%20O%20Hara.jpg) [que](http://dayton.hq.nasa.gov/IMAGES/MEDIUM/GPN-2002-000152.jpg) [?](http://www.jastaboelcke.de/images/Aces/m_v_richthofen/mvr-portrait02.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Atomicflea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/58956e/32.png) [@Atomicflea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomicflea)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-who-have-changed-race-from-book-to-movie/482244/49 "2009-01-21T11:52:25Z")
Also, the regional differences between races are very difficult to gauge unless you’re raised in that culture. To me an eastern European is just that, but my friend can pick out the country from the accent and the overall look. I can’t do that for eastern Europe (or Asia or anywhere else, really), but I can tell where most Latinos are from from a quick look and an accent. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-who-have-changed-race-from-book-to-movie/482244/50 "2009-01-21T12:33:44Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > I strongly doubt that Nick Fury has looked like Sam Jackson for over 30 years. Actually… nope. He hasn’t. You’re thinking of the wrong [Nick Fury](http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Image:Nick_Fury_(Ultimate)_006.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-who-have-changed-race-from-book-to-movie/482244/51 "2009-01-21T13:35:13Z")
Barney Matthews, the orderly who supervised Hannibal Lecter during his years in the mental hospital, is played by Frankie Faison, a black actor, in both **The Silence of the Lambs** and **Hannibal**. Neither novel describes the character as black; other characters, like Ardelia Mapp and Evelda Drumgo are clearly described as black. Harris, like many authors, writes all his characters as default white people unless otherwise specified. Race aside, Frankie Faison doesn’t match what description of Barney that Harris does give. Notably, Faison isn’t muscled like a bodybuilder. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-who-have-changed-race-from-book-to-movie/482244/52 "2009-01-21T14:09:26Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > Ole Golly, the title character’s nurse/nanny in **Harriet the Spy** , was Black in the book but was white (played by Rosie O’Donnell) in the film. I don’t remember any description of Ole Golly’s race. Cite? In the book _Where the Heart Is_, the character of Lexie is an obese black woman. In the movie starring Natalie Portman, Lexie is played by Ashley Judd. :dubious: And I am pretty sure that Lincoln Rhyme’s race is never mentioned in any of Jeffrey Deaver’s novels, but Amelia Sachs is frequently described as a tall redhead, so people assume. I’ve read all the books, but maybe I’m forgetting something. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-who-have-changed-race-from-book-to-movie/482244/53 "2009-01-21T14:18:01Z")
> [@AngelSoft](#): > > Yes but there are obvious physical characteristics that differ between Chinese and Japanese people. You can’t look at a Caucasian person and say “Oh they’re Irish/Russian/German/etc” But you can look at an Asian person and say “Oh they’re Chinese/Japanese/Korean/etc”. Granted many Americans can’t tell unless they see the person’s name but that doesn’t mean physical differences don’t exist. I don’t think it’s the same thing as having someone who is a Caucasian in a book becoming an African-American in another. Looking at photos from the late 19th century and early 20th century I can tell a difference between the Italians, Greeks, and eastern Europeans. Granted, most Americans these days can’t tell but that doesn’t mean the physical differences aren’t there. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-who-have-changed-race-from-book-to-movie/482244/54 "2009-01-21T14:46:37Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > I don’t remember any description of Ole Golly’s race. Cite? The discrepancy was mentioned in a newspaper review of the movie when it came out in 1996, either The Washington Post or USA Today. Wikipedia doesn’t mention it, nor any other online source I’ve seen. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-who-have-changed-race-from-book-to-movie/482244/55 "2009-01-21T15:34:36Z")
> [@](#): > > Felix Leiter is white in the Ian Fleming James Bond novels, but has been portrayed by both white and black actors. IMHO I wouldn’t take this as any kind of “selling out,” though perhaps an exercise in affirmative action. Sean Connery is quoted as saying the reason they did this was to make Leiter memorable – mosyt people don’t remember him very well. FWIW, David/Al Hedison, the only guy to play Leiter more than once, probably came closest to Fleming’s image of the character, although he shoulda been a bit more Southern. (The white actors who played him certainly weren’t identical – short, tall, bald, mop-haired…) **JThunder** , regarding Captain Nemo, one of the first adaptations, the 1916 version, features an Indian Captain Nemo, played by a blackface Allen Holubar ( [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0006333/](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0006333/) ). The film is worth seeing, since it’s remarkably faithful AND includes **The Mysterious Island** , not to mention revolutionary underwater filming. Nemo wouldn’t be played as Indian again until **The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen**. To give Nemo his due, however, he was originally supposed to be Polish, revolting against Russian imperalism. His publisher insisted on a change, so Verne made him Indian, revolting primarily against British Imperialism. It wasn’t a book, but Will Smith’s character in \*\*The Wild, Wild West-/B], James T. West, was played on TV by the very white Robert Conrad. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-who-have-changed-race-from-book-to-movie/482244/56 "2009-01-21T15:54:00Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > The discrepancy was mentioned in a newspaper review of the movie when it came out in 1996, either The Washington Post or USA Today. Wikipedia doesn’t mention it, nor any other online source I’ve seen. My copy of Harriet has a drawing of Ole Golly and she kinda looks like Anne Bancroft in her late days. It’s not a first edition but it’s pretty early. Guess I’ll go home and look for clues tonight. You know she marries the delivery “boy” and nobody seems too concerned – I mean Harriet is none too pleased her nanny is leaving, but interracial romance isn’t an issue. 😕 ETA: Ole Golly’s speech is, of course, without inflection as she is perfect. If we are going to get any clues they will come from her mother. ISTR that she was kind of a Bronx/Brooklyn loudmouth illiterate. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-who-have-changed-race-from-book-to-movie/482244/57 "2009-01-21T16:07:05Z")
> [@Paladud](#): > > In the movie “Rising Sun,” the lead character was black. > > IIRC there was no physical description of him in the book, but I distinctly remember his (white) mentor saying that the reason he had left Japan was that he was “tired of being the n\*\*\*\*r,” with no subsequent reaction. I thought of this when I read the thread title. When I watched the movie adaptation I was a little surprised and tried to remember any references to the main character’s race from the novel. (Side note: I was a little surprise when, a while after having read Rising Sun, I found a copy of it on the bookshelf of the library at my middle school (maybe high school). That was rather surprising, considering how even the first two pages are replete with racial slurs.) ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-who-have-changed-race-from-book-to-movie/482244/58 "2009-01-21T16:24:40Z")
In Tom Clancy’s **The Hunt for Red October** the pivotal character of sonar tech Jones is not specified to be black, but Courtney B. Vance played him in the movie. Given the nature of the role, a black sonarman on a US nuclear sub, and when the book was written, the mid-eighties, this character being black would have been unusual and worth mentioning. OTOH the character’s race, black or otherwise, wasn’t really essential to anything in the story so Clancy didn’t need to specify it. When the film came out and Clancy first met Vance he joked, “I had no idea Jonesy was black!” to which Vance replied, “He is now!” The Jonesy character has a small cameo in Clancy’s **Sum of All Fears** novel which came out _after_ the Red October film. I kinda of though he may have put some subtle references to him ‘now’ being black in the Jack Ryan universe. Oh, and let’s all pretend the film of SOAF doesn’t exist. Depressing thought for the day: The film Hunt for Red October came out _ **twenty years ago!!!** _ ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-who-have-changed-race-from-book-to-movie/482244/59 "2009-01-21T17:31:52Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > My copy of Harriet has a drawing of Ole Golly and she kinda looks like Anne Bancroft in her late days. It’s not a first edition but it’s pretty early. > > Guess I’ll go home and look for clues tonight. You know she marries the delivery “boy” and nobody seems too concerned – I mean Harriet is none too pleased her nanny is leaving, but interracial romance isn’t an issue. 😕 > > ETA: Ole Golly’s speech is, of course, without inflection as she is perfect. If we are going to get any clues they will come from her mother. ISTR that she was kind of a Bronx/Brooklyn loudmouth illiterate. I don’t remember her being black either. There were illustrations, and she looked white in them. So did her mother. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-who-have-changed-race-from-book-to-movie/482244/60 "2009-01-21T17:47:48Z")
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