Anne Boleyn

Sorry, my emoji was in reaction to Chestnut's comment about my comment

FannyCornforth

theworriedwell Kingsley's father was of Indian descent

And Gandhi was Indian with 2 Indian parents. Not very historically accurate but he was perfect.

?

FannyCornforth

theworriedwell your posts are brilliant. Thank you

As an aside, I watched a bit of West Side Story a couple of days ago. The amount of greasy orange foundation that the blokes were wearing was quite alarming.

Glad you like them.

I loved West Side Story, it was probably the first grown up love story I watched. Totally ruined it when I found out about all the bad feeling on set, Rita Moreno about Natalie Wood, Natalie Wood not wanting Richard Beymer to be Tony as she wanted Robert Wagner to get the part and then ignoring Richard Beymer for the whole project. Having said that what acting, you'd never have guessed (well I wouldn't) that she was being horrible to him and he was hurt and upset.

FannyCornforth One minute you have a woman with dark skin playing a woman with pale skin; the next a yellow cartoon character playing a legendary war time leader. Where will it all end! Will someone pay some respect!
Agree absolutely! Respect should be shown to both white and black historical characters by portraying them accurately instead of changing their race or their sex.

theworriedwell Kingsley's father was of Indian descent

Chestnut

theworriedwell People want accuracy but the only accuracy that seems to count is colour. Why? When Ingrid Bergman played Gladys Aylward was the whole thing ruined because German Curt Jurgens played Captain Lin Nan and the Mandarin is played by British Robert Donat.
Colour is not the only accuracy that counts! Anne Boleyn should not be played by a short obese white woman of the wrong age with blonde curly hair. The whole package counts, not just colour. There have been many examples of bad casting in the past, and now we have this one, a completely different race!
In old movies white people have often played other races. Maybe that was wrong, but at least they tried to make them look authentic. Robert Donat was made up to look Chinese, so was Christopher Lee as Fu Manchu.
If you believe they were wrong to do that then why are you now saying this is right? It's a contradiction.

Did I say it was wrong? None of those actors spoiled anything for me, although unlike you I thought the attempts to be authentic was unnecessary and inappropriate. I think the one I loved most was Hugh Griffith as the Sheikh. I mean he was so good and so hilariously Welsh as an Arab sheikh, it was totally brilliant.

Omar Sharif could have played a Martian warlord let alone an Austrian prince and I'd have still paid good money to see him.

One I didn't add to my list was Ben Kingsley as Gandhi, would I have avoided that film because they didn't cast an Indian as Gandhi? Not at all, really good film.

Alegrias1

White man, blacked up, to show how the KKK dealt with people they thought had broken the rules.

Its from Birth of a Nation.

The fact that you think its irrelevant is quite telling.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Birth_of_a_Nation

You'll have to explain what that has to do with a discussion on casting for movies and TV productions. I find that a really vile thing to post in connection with this and you should be ashamed of yourself. You are so desperate to turn this into a racist issue, which it absolutely isn't.

And to quote from the Simpsons....

Will nobody think of the children!

Chestnut

If we are going to enter fantasyland then why not get Bart Simpson to play Churchill?

One thing leads to another...
One minute you have a woman with dark skin playing a woman with pale skin;
the next a yellow cartoon character playing a legendary war time leader.

Where will it all end!
Will someone pay some respect! ?

The church is going to have an enormous amount if work to do.

White man, blacked up, to show how the KKK dealt with people they thought had broken the rules.

Its from Birth of a Nation.

The fact that you think its irrelevant is quite telling.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Birth_of_a_Nation

Alegrias1

And you are squirming. And using ad absurdam arguments.

I'm not squirming at all. ?
I stand firmly by my belief that ALL historical characters should be portrayed as accurately as possible in their appearance, whether black or white.
Stop bringing in racism, it smacks of desperation.

Sorry as you said I meant.
Can you explain that seemingly totally irrelevant picture you've posted?

And you are squirming. And using ad absurdam arguments.

Alegrias1

The use of the word "apparently" says a lot, Chestnut.

Not racist at all, of course not.

What nonsense. It's all acting as Alegrias1 said. Are you going to accuse all actors who have ever worn make-up of racism? You must be getting desperate to prove your point.

The use of the word "apparently" says a lot, Chestnut.

Not racist at all, of course not.

trisher In Shakespeare's day men always played the women. Were his witches less witch-like because of that? Times change and art develops and grows.
A contradiction in this statement. I agree times change so why are you harping back to Shakespeare's day as an example of how it should be done?

Alegrias1

Fiona Shaw as Richard II.

He was a real man, she's a woman.

Honestly, its acting...

It was also acting in old movies when people of a different race were made up to appear like the person they were portraying. That included eye make up for Chinese roles (Christopher Lee) and skin darkening for various other roles. But doing that is now racist apparently. But as you say....... it's acting. As far as I know, facial make up has long been used in acting and it was never considered racist to try and portray someone of a different race.

Fiona Shaw as Richard II.

He was a real man, she's a woman.

Honestly, its acting...

If we are going to enter fantasyland then why not get Bart Simpson to play Churchill?

Why not? Chestnut It might be interesting in years to come to see a woman play Churchill, or Idris Elba. These are plays you know they are not re-enactments. or faithful representations. In Shakespeare's day men always played the women. Were his witches less witch-like because of that? Times change and art develops and grows.

Respect for what Chestnut?
Why do you think it disrespectful to have an actor in a role who looks differently to the real person?
I'm not arguing - it's a genuine question

Really? You're telling me to show some respect?

Okey dokey....

Alegrias1 It is not being discriminatory to try and portray a historical character as accurately as possible! Show some respect.