Because of the huge problem in Hollywood’s past of putting white actors in black and yellow face to cast black and Asian characters, there’s a lot more sensitivity towards such matters in casting, especially when there are so few opportunities, relatively speaking, for minority actors to begin with, especially with the still current problem of “whitewashing” characters who were described as minorities in adaptations.
But I wonder sometimes how far that should go. For example, I’ve seen transgendered people argue against casting non-transgendered actors as transgendered characters, partly for the opportunity cost I mention above, and partly because they feel that it perpetuates the idea that real transgendered people are simply cis (yes, I’m using that term, it’s short and shut up) people playing dress-up.
Then there’s the issue of cross-casting Asian roles (Koreans playing Japanese characters, for example). There are many who think that’s offensive, playing into the “all Asians look alike” thing. But as much as I see the point, I do struggle with that. On one hand, how far do you go with exactly matching the character with an actor of their nationality? We rarely question such choices with Caucasian actors, for example. On the other hand, I have a sinking feeling that one reason it happens in the first place is laziness, so film and show runners can just dip into a small pool of experienced and somewhat well known Asian actors whenever they need it, and not bother to look any further.
No right answer. Whatever you do will offend someone, so…do the best you can and nuts to 'em all.
Yes, we should be as inclusive as possible, and open as many opportunities for as many actors as possible. This may lead to tokenism, but that isn’t wholly a bad thing. If a particular book had no female characters at all (The Hobbit comes to mind) then it isn’t really so great a sin to interpolate a female character to diversify the movie and allow employment to at least one actress.
A black James West, and a black Heimdall and a black Nick Fury are all a bit “wrong” in terms of absolute adherence to the original material…but a color bar that excludes black actors from leading roles is a damn sight worse.
As far as “trans” actors and roles, I can’t find myself believing it’s important either way. If the transgender actor can be convincing in the role, then that’s all that matters. A ciswoman can play a transwoman, just as a transwoman can play a ciswoman, and etc. In many cases, no one would even be able to tell. In fact, if you can tell, then they aren’t doing the job properly (or their surgeon hasn’t.)
(And if people believe there is a significant difference, then we have evolved to a state of four sexes, each one of which is distinct from all the others.)
If its a film about real life people then the first thing they need to look at is resemblance. There is enough overlap between European/Middle Eastern and S Asia phenotype for instance that one can play another (Omer Sharrif played quite few European in his time), and Alec Guiness played King Fasial quite well in Lawrence of Arabia.
Plus would it kill the makers to cast a ginger actor as Ramses II next time they make an Exodus story?
If its not based on real life, then while same ethnicity is not a must, you should at least try to get someone who can actually conceivably be from the region the character is from. In the otherwise excellent recent series, Indian Summer, the native characters are supposed to be Parsi and Pathan, but they look very very obviously Bengali or Tamil. That takes you out of the story.
MCU Nick Fury is based on Ultimate Universe Nick Fury, who is black. And based on Samuel L. Jackson. That’s right: Jackson is playing Fury is playing Jackson.
I don’t particularly like inserting diversity just because or to make a point, but remember it’s not (still speculative) a goal to make a black Bond - it’s to make it Idris Elba as Bond. As far as I’m concerned he can get whatever role he wants. Also remember that the internet flipped its collective shit over gasp! a blond Bond, and now everybody is fine with it.
Somebody is bound to be offended, but I must’ve missed the hue and cry over Jeffrey Tambor’s casting in Transparent, was there any? I don’t know of any transgender actors. Perhaps the closest true to life is Jaye Davidson in the Crying Game, but he only identifies as male (who is less masculine than expected).
Then there’s Ben Kingsley or Cliff Curtis, who get cast as many ethnicities.
I know…I know… But, doggone it, why didn’t they just name him “Joe Clark” or something, instead of appropriating a name already in use and already associated with a very iconic character?
(Yeah, sure… Coherent continuity in the Marvel Universe. I also want peace and joy for all the people of the world…and sapient pastel magic-using ponies too…)
To me it depends a lot on how relevant the ethnicity is to the character. Just like any other trait, really. One of the reasons I didn’t have much of a problem with Jackman playing Wolverine is that the “Wolvie is short” thing is more of a shtick than anything; it doesn’t influence his life except in being useful as a bad excuse for barfights. On the other hand, while intelectually I understand Denzel Washington as Don Pedro because the movie was cast along the lines of “my pals and I” and damnit, Denzel Washington, emotionally it will always look wrong. A short Barbie playing Honor Harrington would be more wrong to me than a tall, looks-like-she-can-kick-your-ass-without-lifting-her-foot woman who didn’t happen to be white.
What does being able to “pass” have to do with anything, especially if the character themselves are transgendered?
Some, IIRC, but mostly among transgendered folk, and thus mostly ignored.
The only network TV transgender actor I can think of is the one who plays Mrs. Hudson on Elementary, an example of a transgender actor playing a (implied) transgender role, albeit a minor recurring character. Overall, the most famous one right now is probably Laverne Cox of Orange is the New Black.
The Ultimate Marvel line takes place in an alternate universe, so why the hell not? Janet Van Dyne was, IIRC, half-Asian in that universe as well. Anyway, as I said, adaption writers/casters take minority characters and make them white all the time, so as long as that’s going on, I’m extremely sympathetic to the POV that what’s good for the goose is good for the gander.
I am an outlier in this in that I do not care if a current interpretation of a character matches previous interpretations, whether the previous interpretations were from other movies books comics or what. I want to see good actors perform well.
I also subscribe to the idea that all else being equal give the job to the candidate who isn’t a white man.
I think the liberties taken with casting in the new Fantastic Four movie are over the line. Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm are brilliantly flawed and nuanced characters, and the director has thrown a lot of what makes them recognizable out the window. In the comics, Reed avoids talking directly to Johnny and regards him as mentally challenged; I doubt that will be intact in the film, but it’s a crucial part of the team dynamic. If the film turns out to be brilliant, it will have been worth it, I guess, but right now that looks like a really big “if”. Fans who are invested in the characters appreciate having someone who physically resembles them cast in the role.
A better example would be Morgan Freeman as Judge Leonard White in Bonfire of the Vanities. So much of his character in the book was about a bigoted white judge coming around to a progressive position on a social issue, and the air was sucked out of it by casting a black man in the role.
I don’t mind creative casting as long as it’s not one-sided. Way too often, white people are used in roles where the character’s non-white identity is an integral part of the story. Like this movie. I’m fine with white folks blackfacing–if you will–as long as blacks, Hispanics, and Asians get the same chance when it comes to white roles. But they rarely do. Seems like only white people get to transcend race, and that’s not fair.
Not to nitpick (which is a lie because I am nitpicking), but a black Nick Fury is absolutely right, considering that the cinematic universe’s Nick Fury is actually Ultimate Nick Fury, who is not only black, but modeled after Sam Jackson (before the MCU was even begun)!
But not Wild Wild West, because (a) that movie was awful, and (b) Jim West as a black Secret Service agent in the 1800s was only one of the many reasons why.
It depends on the character. If you’re making a biopic about Martin Luther King, then absolutely the lead needs to be black. If you’re making Fantastic Four, then Sue and Johnny absolutely need to look like they’re siblings, but they could be both white or both black or both Asian or whatever and it still works. If you’re making Othello, then Othello needs to be a different race than everyone else in the show, but you can do it with a white Othello and a black Desdemona. If you’re making Marvel movies, then Nick Fury absolutely needs to be a badass, but if the badass you happen to have available is black, no problem. And all bets are off if the character is blue or green, like Zoe Saldana.
I honestly can’t tell whether you don’t know or are objecting to it, but the FF movie coming out this summer has a black Johnny Storm alongside white sister Sue.
I also agree with you one Wild Wild West, among others. There never should have been a character like Spearchucker Jones in MAS*H, for example. There just weren’t any black neurosurgeons in the Army in 1951. Period.
Yeah, that one bothers me, too. It very much feels like the studio said, “We need some black characters in here - but not too many black characters.” Or, worse, “Leave Sue white. We don’t want Reed kissing a black girl.”