Interesting perspective and I do see your point. I think people who have two parents of different ethnic backgrounds can play Black characters if one of their parents is Black.
What I would add is that if the character is described as being brown or darker skinned, then an actor of that complexion is a better fit for the role.
The fact is, because of miscegenation Black folks in all the different countries have European ancestry. There can be a role where a character is a very light-skinned Black person with two light Black parents, and a multi ethnic actor fits the role perfectly. Should they not get that role because they may have one Black parent and one of a different ethnicity?
Casting is very nuanced and I agree, there are perfectly talented darker skinned actors who deserve more roles, but a talented person is a talented person.
I also want to ask, what do you think about Black actors who are playing in white roles? Such as Audra McDonald in Gypsy, and all the other brilliant actors who are cast in roles written for white actors. That’s a win to me.
Hey Tara! Thanks for weighing in! I feel you on the obvious blending of racial ancestry in most African Americans (and many of our TransAtlantic Enslavement Trade-created cousins) and my point it not to nit-pick. HOWEVER, at least when the stories are in a Black and / or Mixed-Black U.S. context, I strongly prefer the most accurate casting possible. And I am VERY MUCH AGAINST casting Mixed actors in Black roles, as defined in the post. Simply because that is a form of racist erasure that has historically been very popular and feeds the very real frustrations and resentments among audience members as we consume content that either pretends to be "color-blind" within a Black context, or blatantly promotes colorism and Black erasure. And we know it's as common and popular as ever. To your point about light-skinned Black folks who aren't directly Mixed-race, then I also want those actors to play those roles. There are plenty--we all know several of folks in that group. As for "colorblind casting," that doesn't fall into my area of concern, as that is a totally different dynamic. In my experience, sometimes it works dramatically, sometimes it doesn't. But I haven't seen the erasure dynamic at play in those cases because it's clearly an artistic choice (often risky) playing with the ideas of what might be considered common racial norms and assumptions. In those "colorblind casting" situations, what matters to me is whether the core story, language, and other aspects work with the "switcheroo," or how they might adapt to embrace the cultural differences. Thanks again for your support and sharing your views--appreciate you!
I’m of 2 minds about this. I want to say flat out, NO! However I have friends and family members who have 2 unambiguously Black parents who look mixed race. Our genes can combine and the recessive DNA can pop out at any moment. My own child is lighter skinned than both me and her father — both of us are Black. When it comes to casting characters like Shuri or the character in Blood and Bone, I think the exact phenotype (dark skinned) should be cast.
Judging by the current mindset, who knows. Let’s see, what is the Hollywood stance on cinema?
1) Cast No-talent actors for the part.
2) Hire No-talent writers for the plot
3) Ensure that the script includes gay parts. Child prodigies who can do anything. Females protagonists who can beat the hell out of any man, no matter his size or their number.
4) Somehow turn a 40 minute plot line into a 2-1/2 to 3 hour run-time.
5) Use as much CGI as possible to cover for a questionable story arc.
Very well done. Thank you for articulating your perspective. This is a subject that is highly charged and highly nuanced. There’s no one right steadfast answer.
I love this! As always, your perspective is very thought-provoking and got me started thinking about one of my favorite books, Heidi, an orphan who is being raised by her aunt. When Heidi's aunt can't care for her anymore, she takes Heidi to live with her paternal grandfather (The Alm-Uncle) when she is five. In the book, Heidi was clearly described as having short black curly hair and her skin becomes very brown, at least in the summer, and I wanted to look just like her. But when I saw the movie, she is portrayed with long blond braids, so it was confusing to me then. As an adult, I see it as reducing Johanna Spyri's beloved character to a mere interpretation; afterall, she gave Heidi a specific description for a reason. I couldn't remember the introductory details about her parentage, though, so I looked up a few things.The Alm-Uncle brought his son, Tobias, to the Swiss Alps after living in Naples during wartime. Tobias' mother was a mystery, only spoken of in rumors & whispers. I always thought Tobias was a German name, but it is not; its origins are Greek/Hebrew. I've read that the language of Naples is quite a blend of many languages in the Mediterranean region. I know I've digressed quite a bit, and my comment might seem off-topic, but the point is that Hollywood misrepresented Heidi to suit their own interests and turned her into someone she wasn't.
Really fascinating post!! Thank you for this insightful discussion!
You're very welcome, Judith--thank YOU for reading and weighing in!
Interesting perspective and I do see your point. I think people who have two parents of different ethnic backgrounds can play Black characters if one of their parents is Black.
What I would add is that if the character is described as being brown or darker skinned, then an actor of that complexion is a better fit for the role.
The fact is, because of miscegenation Black folks in all the different countries have European ancestry. There can be a role where a character is a very light-skinned Black person with two light Black parents, and a multi ethnic actor fits the role perfectly. Should they not get that role because they may have one Black parent and one of a different ethnicity?
Casting is very nuanced and I agree, there are perfectly talented darker skinned actors who deserve more roles, but a talented person is a talented person.
I also want to ask, what do you think about Black actors who are playing in white roles? Such as Audra McDonald in Gypsy, and all the other brilliant actors who are cast in roles written for white actors. That’s a win to me.
Hey Tara! Thanks for weighing in! I feel you on the obvious blending of racial ancestry in most African Americans (and many of our TransAtlantic Enslavement Trade-created cousins) and my point it not to nit-pick. HOWEVER, at least when the stories are in a Black and / or Mixed-Black U.S. context, I strongly prefer the most accurate casting possible. And I am VERY MUCH AGAINST casting Mixed actors in Black roles, as defined in the post. Simply because that is a form of racist erasure that has historically been very popular and feeds the very real frustrations and resentments among audience members as we consume content that either pretends to be "color-blind" within a Black context, or blatantly promotes colorism and Black erasure. And we know it's as common and popular as ever. To your point about light-skinned Black folks who aren't directly Mixed-race, then I also want those actors to play those roles. There are plenty--we all know several of folks in that group. As for "colorblind casting," that doesn't fall into my area of concern, as that is a totally different dynamic. In my experience, sometimes it works dramatically, sometimes it doesn't. But I haven't seen the erasure dynamic at play in those cases because it's clearly an artistic choice (often risky) playing with the ideas of what might be considered common racial norms and assumptions. In those "colorblind casting" situations, what matters to me is whether the core story, language, and other aspects work with the "switcheroo," or how they might adapt to embrace the cultural differences. Thanks again for your support and sharing your views--appreciate you!
I’m of 2 minds about this. I want to say flat out, NO! However I have friends and family members who have 2 unambiguously Black parents who look mixed race. Our genes can combine and the recessive DNA can pop out at any moment. My own child is lighter skinned than both me and her father — both of us are Black. When it comes to casting characters like Shuri or the character in Blood and Bone, I think the exact phenotype (dark skinned) should be cast.
Judging by the current mindset, who knows. Let’s see, what is the Hollywood stance on cinema?
1) Cast No-talent actors for the part.
2) Hire No-talent writers for the plot
3) Ensure that the script includes gay parts. Child prodigies who can do anything. Females protagonists who can beat the hell out of any man, no matter his size or their number.
4) Somehow turn a 40 minute plot line into a 2-1/2 to 3 hour run-time.
5) Use as much CGI as possible to cover for a questionable story arc.
Regardless, that is a good question.
Very well done. Thank you for articulating your perspective. This is a subject that is highly charged and highly nuanced. There’s no one right steadfast answer.
I love this! As always, your perspective is very thought-provoking and got me started thinking about one of my favorite books, Heidi, an orphan who is being raised by her aunt. When Heidi's aunt can't care for her anymore, she takes Heidi to live with her paternal grandfather (The Alm-Uncle) when she is five. In the book, Heidi was clearly described as having short black curly hair and her skin becomes very brown, at least in the summer, and I wanted to look just like her. But when I saw the movie, she is portrayed with long blond braids, so it was confusing to me then. As an adult, I see it as reducing Johanna Spyri's beloved character to a mere interpretation; afterall, she gave Heidi a specific description for a reason. I couldn't remember the introductory details about her parentage, though, so I looked up a few things.The Alm-Uncle brought his son, Tobias, to the Swiss Alps after living in Naples during wartime. Tobias' mother was a mystery, only spoken of in rumors & whispers. I always thought Tobias was a German name, but it is not; its origins are Greek/Hebrew. I've read that the language of Naples is quite a blend of many languages in the Mediterranean region. I know I've digressed quite a bit, and my comment might seem off-topic, but the point is that Hollywood misrepresented Heidi to suit their own interests and turned her into someone she wasn't.