# Evil albinos in films? (possible spoilers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 23, 2005, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-albinos-in-films-possible-spoilers/286287 "2005-01-23T20:06:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sam\_Lowry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Sam\_Lowry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Lowry)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-albinos-in-films-possible-spoilers/286287/1 "2005-01-23T20:06:14Z")
In the January 21 _Entertainment Weekly_ (the one with Will Ferrell and Nicole Kidman on the cover), there is a small artlice about how The National Organization of Albinism and Hypopigmentation (NOAH) doesn’t want “Silas, the self-flagellating killer albino” from _The DaVinci Code_ to be in the movie. According to Dr. Vail Reese, a dermatologist that works with NOAH, > [@](#): > > The evil albino has become a Hollywood stock character. And one would hope an Oscar winner like Ron Howard would take the game higher than this hurtful B-movie stereotype. Now, that stereotype does seem slightly familiar, but I can not think of any movies with evil or killer albinos. There must be a bunch of recent ones too, since the article also says that 2004 was the second year in 20 years in which there wasn’t a movie with an evil albino. So, what movies are there with evil albino characters? And out of all the genetic conditions that are out there, why is albinism so often used as a characteristic of evil characters? ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-albinos-in-films-possible-spoilers/286287/2 "2005-01-23T20:46:24Z")
Well, there was _The Island of Dr. Moreau._ There was also the albino in _Princess Bride_, but he wasn’t particularly evil, just kinda comic relief/sidekick guy. He was wincing in sympathy as Westley was being tortured. There was a weird guy in _The Name of the Rose_, who fits the complaint better. I can’t really recall if he was actually supposed to be an albino, or just weird looking. That’s all I can think of, and two of those go back almost 20 years. Maybe I’m watching the wrong movies. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-albinos-in-films-possible-spoilers/286287/3 "2005-01-23T20:50:54Z")
> [@Jenaroph](#): > > There was a weird guy in _The Name of the Rose_, who fits the complaint better. I can’t really recall if he was actually supposed to be an albino, or just weird looking. Wouldn’t be too surprising if Brown borrowed from that. Maybe the Evil Albino really is a stereotype in movies, but this still makes me think of [a Steve Martin piece about the Wily Filipino.](http://www.compleatsteve.com/essays/filipino.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-albinos-in-films-possible-spoilers/286287/4 "2005-01-23T20:52:11Z")
[Foul Play](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077578/), with Goldie Hawn and Chevy Chase, had an albino assassin in it who was trying to kill the Pope. But that was back in 1978. And [Powder](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114168/?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnxteD0yMHxzZz0xfGxtPTIwMHx0dD1vbnxwbj0wfHE9cG93ZGVyfGh0bWw9MXxubT1vbg__;fc=1;ft=50;fm=1) , I suppose, although I don’t recall hearing that the lead character was evil. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-albinos-in-films-possible-spoilers/286287/5 "2005-01-23T20:54:19Z")
The only movies I can think of is “The Omega Man” and possibly “The Time Machine”(The 1960’s version). ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-albinos-in-films-possible-spoilers/286287/6 "2005-01-23T21:00:37Z")
_Foul Play_ an albino hitman persues Goldie Hawn backstage at a performance of _The Mikado._ ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-albinos-in-films-possible-spoilers/286287/7 "2005-01-23T21:01:27Z")
If you wanted to _really_ stretch things, you could note that the recent _Time Machine_ had albino-ish morlocks as well. But that’s all I can think of. The only famous albinos I’m aware of are Johnny and Edgar Winter, (victims of a cruel joke on a Simpsons Halloween episode o so many years ago :rolleyes: ), so my stereotypical albino might be a hard-drinking blues rocker. Is that less objectionable? Failing that, I think this sounds like it could be a throw-away joke in _Arrested Development_. Ron Howard’s narrator could say something about the Bluth company being sued by NOAH. Or “that’s the last time will call anyone ‘albino homo’ again.” ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-albinos-in-films-possible-spoilers/286287/8 "2005-01-23T21:11:21Z")
There’s a vicious albino street gang in the campy vampire flick _Vamp_ ( with Grace Jones! ). Evil psychic albinos ( morlocks ) in the truly awful recent remake of _The Time Machine_. An albino killer in the mediocre ( IMHO, I know some disagree ) Grisham flick _The Firm_. - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-albinos-in-films-possible-spoilers/286287/9 "2005-01-23T21:22:29Z")
The father/son bad guys (Gary Busey as Joshua) in the first **Lethal Weapon** movie were albinos. Not sure if they’re supposed to be albinos, but the very pale “Twins” from **The Matrix: Reloaded** should probably count. The awful **Congo** , by Michael Crichton, had killer albino gorillas. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-albinos-in-films-possible-spoilers/286287/10 "2005-01-23T21:53:29Z")
Blade Runner A View To A Kill ---
**Author:** ![Thin\_Ice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@Thin\_Ice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thin_Ice)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-albinos-in-films-possible-spoilers/286287/11 "2005-01-23T22:01:23Z")
The Burt Reynolds film **Stick** , from 1985, featured an albino villain, Moke, played by normally pigmented Dar Robinson, the legendary stunt man who died in a motorcycle accident in 1986. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-albinos-in-films-possible-spoilers/286287/12 "2005-01-23T22:14:36Z")
Does Draco Malfoy count? ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-albinos-in-films-possible-spoilers/286287/13 "2005-01-23T22:21:49Z")
I was thinking about Goldmember but he wasn’t albino, just Svedish- isn’t that vierd!? ---
**Author:** ![Mississippienne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d2c977/32.png) [@Mississippienne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mississippienne)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-albinos-in-films-possible-spoilers/286287/14 "2005-01-23T22:39:28Z")
The evil hillbilly in _Cold Mountain_. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-albinos-in-films-possible-spoilers/286287/15 "2005-01-23T22:42:16Z")
Have they ever made a film about Elric of Melnibone? (Of course, he’s morally ambiguous, not “evil” – in fact he’s plainly the least evil person in Melnibone.) ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-albinos-in-films-possible-spoilers/286287/16 "2005-01-23T22:47:07Z")
How about the head of the agency that Clint Eastwood works for in the Eiger Sanction? ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-albinos-in-films-possible-spoilers/286287/17 "2005-01-23T22:51:20Z")
I found a [list.](http://itsb.ucsf.edu/~vcr/AlbinismList2005.html) ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-albinos-in-films-possible-spoilers/286287/18 "2005-01-23T22:53:11Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > I was thinking about Goldmember but he wasn’t albino, just Svedish- isn’t that vierd!? He was Dutch, actually. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-albinos-in-films-possible-spoilers/286287/19 "2005-01-23T22:58:02Z")
> [@Sam Lowry](#): > > So, what movies are there with evil albino characters? I think all the ones I know of have been mentioned already. A quick search of the IMDB revealed that the only movie titled [**Albino**]([http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074108/](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074108/) ?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnxteD0yMHxzZz0xfGxtPTIwMHx0dD1vbnxwbj0wfHE9YWxiaW5vfGh 0bWw9MXxubT1vbg\_\_;fc=1;ft=40;fm=1) has a terrorist/rapist as the title character! Here’s a different way of looking at the issue, though – how many movies are there with _good_ albino characters? I can only think of **Powder**. However, that’s unlikely to be an inspiring film for people with albinism since the young hero (who also suffers from alopecia) is mocked, tormented, and treated like a freak by other teenagers. He also dies at the end. > [@](#): > > - > > And out of all the genetic conditions that are out there, why is albinism so often used as a characteristic of evil characters? \*Probably because it’s so visually obvious, and film is a visual medium. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-albinos-in-films-possible-spoilers/286287/20 "2005-01-23T23:00:46Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Does Draco Malfoy count? I dunno. I never really thought of the Malfoy’s as being Albino, but instead thought it was a reference to “The Arian Master Race.” Since they are elitests and all. Of course, I am hardly an expert on HP. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-albinos-in-films-possible-spoilers/286287.md?page=2)