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Monday, June 21, 2010 | 2:39pm
SOUND OFF: Is Angelina Jolie Playing Cleopatra Really Such A Big Deal?
Let the Racial Determination Committee Convene
So the black blogosphere is officially ablaze over the announcement that film producer Scott Rudin has cast the very white, Angelina Jolie to play the lead in his new movie based on Stacy Schiff‘s book Cleopatra: A Life. Cleopatra was of course the glorified African Queen who is said to be the last pharaoh of Egypt. African Americans, perhaps even more than their African counterparts, have fought over the years to remind everyone that Cleopatra was indeed “African” and most likely “black” in appearance. While historians in recent years have contended that Cleopatra’s family were actually decedents of the Hellenic dynasty or Greek in origin, Black folks has long discounted such findings as based in racism and an attempt to deny them of their most celebrated African Queen.
With ancient Egypt so rich in culture, artifacts and architecture it has always been viewed as Africa’s historical crown jewel. Hollywood has often used the pyramids, sphinx and even Cleopatra as a backdrop for many of its films. However, more often then not the imagery is a few ‘shades lighter’ than it probably would have been back then. This has always irritated the black communities. This newest outrage mirrors that surrounding the selection of Liz Taylor to portray Cleopatra back in 1963.
The backlash didn’t slow Schiff from giving Jolie a ringing endorsement.
“I think [Jolie] would be perfect for it and I can see a possible Oscar in her future.”
The selection even seems to have gotten under the skin of Essence Magazine‘s Shirea Carroll who writes:
“Honestly, I don’t care how full Angelina Jolie’s lips are, how many African children she adopts, or how bronzed her skin will become for the film, I firmly believe this role should have gone to a black woman. Were Vanessa Williams, Halle Berry and Thandie Newton unavailable for auditions that day? Why does Hollywood think it’s even slightly plausible to cast white women in roles that would be more sensible to cast a black actress for? Especially when that role is an African queen.”
The examples of racial inaccuracy in film are many. White folks have played celebrated black people and black folks have played Indians. But does this practice necessarily represent a intentional attempt on the part of movie producers to discredit the acting abilities of black folks? Is Hollywood’s reluctance to cast black actors in these roles a referendum on their opinions on the acting abilities of minorities in regard to their white counterparts? If So, SOUND OFF: Is the lily white, Angelina Jolie’s casting in the “Cleopatra” remake such a big deal?
FILED IN Editorials, Movies, News
Hey, if John Wayne can play an Asian, anything is possible.
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This time, I’m going to go with SLIGHTLY RACIST. Not enough to march on Washington (or Hollywood), but enough to cop a bitch about.
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First, an explanation of why I say SLIGHTLY…
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The movie role of Cleopatra has traditionally been given as a prize to whoever was thought to be the most sultry woman of their generation. From Theda Bara in 1917 through the 1963 version with Liz Taylor, the role has always been more about celebrity hotness than it has historical accuracy. (Note: For the hottest Cleopatra in movies/TV, Leonor Varela gets my vote)
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That being said, this is 2010 and I don’t think it’s unreasonable to claim this as an always-black character. The real Cleopatra was almost certainly black, and you can’t tell me that you can’t find a decent black actress to play the part.
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Besides, from a film standpoint, (if we’re going to be accurate) Jolie is a horrible choice for the role. First, she’s too old, second, she’s too Xena for it. It would be as if she were trying to play Joan of Arc
I think that’s the key argument. She’s way too old to play Cleopatra. Cleo was like 22 years old when she ruled.
EPic fail for this one hollywood…one of my redbone sistas had to want this part… Halle mama where is you?
Hollywood missed the ball with this one. All they had to do is pull up all the Fat backs that HB has posted and choose one. It dont take a rocket scientist.
What Bria would have done just fine for you right?
Yes sir Juan. Bria would do just fine.
Well, Black people have swallowed another, much more important, white woman playing a Black woman for much longer and never really made any noise about it: Mary, the mother of Jesus. All the paintings you see are of a white Mary (and of course, a white Jesus)…and if Mary is white and Jesus is white (mom and son), then God must be….oh, hell, there I go again! but I digress, Mary was an Egyptian woman, so she MUST have been black…except, maybe not, because Cleopatra, the Queen herself, was white…hummmm!
Why you start this ish, Juan?
Just to frustrate you hahaha. Good debate though huh?
Nope, this one is too easy, you’re not gonna get me frustrated, lol…like Alex, a few comments down said, ‘Hollywood is not going to wake up one day and say “hmmm, we should be historically accurate”’ It’s their money and their movie, I won’t be watching it…Hey, didn’t that Jewish guy just play “The Prince of Persia”? To Persians (Iranians) that’s prolly like David Duke playing Malcolm X to Black people here…smh
Yeah Jake Gyllenhaal. He clearly doesn’t look Persian at all. I’m not sure he’s Jewish though.
No surprise there. I really could care less. The movie wouldn’t be getting my money either way.
I know I’m about to make a ridiculous comparison between a fictional and historical character, but WTFever I’m gonna do it. A movie is a movie though. Samuel Jackson just got finished playing “Nick Fury” in the Iron Man movies, the role of a WHITE secret agent. If you grew up on comics then you feel me. I know this has historical significance but from Sam’s account he inked a multi-million dollar deal. That’s big business. I said all that to say this, we as black people need to focus on the shit that will bring to the promised land that MLK talked about—MONEY! Who cares about who’s playing who, educate your children and stay on your J-O-B.
Good point. yeah the fictional comic bookie stuff….yeah might not strengthen the argument but I get your point lol.
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Hell didn’t Dennis Haysbert play the black President Palmer in 24 and Morgan Freeman a Black President in that horrible film “Deep Impact” long before Barack Obama even thought of running for office? I guess that’s historically inaccurate right?
Juan you forgot. Morgan Freeman played GOD my dude. GOD.
Yeah, but that is historically correct, lol.
I have no idea why people are upset about this, Yes it would of been nice to have a black actor to play that role, but did we forget that Hollywood is White!!!…
There is no incentive for them to cast a black woman as cleopatra, especially for a remake that originally starred a white woman.
I’m not at arms about it, and I think it’s ridicolous to be, Hollywood is not going to wake up one day and say “hmmm, we should be historically accurate”..
I think that you need to study the Egyptian Ptolmaic Period. If she was one of these rulers, she would have indeed been caucasian. I know you don’t want to hear that, but if we want to be accurate, then this needs further investigation on our part. There is ambiguity because there were more than one Cleopatra. Just look into it and see what you find.
My friend you are correct that there was many Cleopatras, but Cleopatra VII the last to rule Egypt, the one who was with Caesar, basically the one the movie will most likely portray was believed to be a colored woman, they referred to her as Negress back in those days… This does not 100% mean she was black, because they only know 25-45% of her heritage from her Parental grandmothers side. Nubians, Alexandrians, Egyptian, they are black people in todays time, right? I think she was black, thats why there was so much controversy when she went to Rome with Julius…This is my opinion from what i’ve read, because every piece of writing about her race is different, Cleopatra is one of those questions that will never have a definite answer…
Well at least you still have Othello. That can’t make him a white man, his being black is a major plot theme.
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props to bill shakespeare
LOL! that’s good! Hey, I played MacBeth in a high school play!
LMAO Malcolm. I don’t think everyone’s gonna get your humor lol. That’s classic. I think Hollywood has been trying.
Alexandrians may be a dark race, but the royal line were incestrous. They married their brothers and sisters, so it is highly unlikley that she was black (if this is the one we are talking about). She went with Caesar for political reasons. That may have caused the controversy in Rome.
I agree with auchamp22. We’re dealing with ancient lore at this point. Mythology. Of course neo-black folks want her to look black as a Djimon Hounsou and bitter white folks want to find some Greek blood but the truth is who knows.
Usually articles like these push me to the brink of anger, but no more. From the rudimentry beginnings of Disney to present day Hollywood not much has changed. Hollywood would rather be entertaining than be historically accurate.
Hollywood has already set the precedent with Liz Taylor playing Cleopatra, so to cast a black woman now would be moot, because her (black woman)beauty would have to surpass that of her white predecessor.
I’m starting to notice a trend in Hollywood, instead of hiring the visible minorities for roles that require it, they would rather cast racially ambiguous actors/actresess, for example, Rashida Jones (Quincy Jones daughter) from the office, what is she? Is she a white woman or a black woman? Vin Diesel, he was in “Saving Private Ryan”, “Fast and the Furious”, “Riddick”, has he ever played an outright black character. Now they have Jake Gyllenhall playing a Persian, someone from Iran, come on man!!!!
The only solution to this is to boycott Hollywood, watch independant film, foreign films, don’t let Hollywood spoon feed you what they want you to see.
Ok so what you’re saying is because a white actress played the part first, to cast a black actress in any subsquent remakes would be demeaning because she’d be inferior to the original? Interesting.
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Oh and there’s Vanessa Williams, Halle Berry and Thandie Newton if you were looking for a few other examples.
Eventually the whole world will be ambiguous.
I’m gonna try and keep it simple. I think Angelina is a great actress but to have her playing Cleopatra in 2010 is straight Bullshit!! Like other comments prior to this one, there is a slew of renowned black actresses that could’ve played this role both from Hollywood and Broadway! Theme song for today is “Burn Hollywood Burn” by P.E.
WOW! You just threw it back. I might have to dig that one up on iTunes and reminisce.
Jolie as Cleo? Meh…I guess Angela Basset can’t get every strong black woman role.
But to be serious about it, think about all of the movies which had white people in the role of blacks, asians, indians, etc. No surprise. Hollywood is the same as it has always been.
I’m not hurt at all. I’m going to see the movie because I think Jolie is a wack actress and like Rascal said to me in WVU “I like my white people white and my black people black. No need for the crossing”.
So let this Yacub grace the silverscreen with her African lips…it’s not like she has any other African features and we all know that Africa has always come first in numerous things…Kings and queens, surgery, science, sports, evolution, buildings, dominant genetics, Jesus…ohh the list goes on.
And here’s one to stick in the cap of the loser racists who casted this Yacub for an African role which Angela Basset would have dominated…YOUR CHRISTMAS SONGS WERE WRITTEN BY JEWS! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
*I mean I’m not going to see the movie
they cast her cause she is one of the few white actresses that can play a good bitch with a touch of sexy…and cleopatra portrays both of these. Also like many have already said she brings the money. Now, personally I feel like she can act BUT her range of acting ability stops at playing a sneaky hoe or a scandalous action star. Other than that yeah she’s wack as hell. I’m not going to go into this long drawn out thing about the race, cause the points have already been made; but I will say this…while there are many black actresses that we all feel would have put there all into this the ones that I have seen named are also too OLD to play this role. ESPECIALLY VANESSA WILLIAMS AND ANGELA BASSETT!! I do wanna say one more thing….THE DIRECTOR IS F*CKING CRAZY FOR THAT OSCAR LINE CASUSE MUCH LIKE MYSELF I’M SURE THAT EVEN HOLLYWOOD IS TIRED OF HER BONEY ASS PLAYING ANCIENT SLUTS WITH A BAD ACCENT…WHETHER THE ROLE IS OF ROYALTY OR NOT!!
First off I’d like to say the people that read this blog and comment religiously are very intelligent, Y’all are putting me on to stuff I had no Idea about, thank you. The bottom line is the bottom line. It’s not racial inaccuracy it’s historical inaccuracy, Hollywood’s never been concerned about being accurate but about what makes the most money. The truth is if they cast a black actress and shoot the movie historically accurate it would probably flop in the box office. Not saying that Hollywood isn’t racist but this decision is dollar and cents. That’s why Angelina Jolie will play Cleopatra, Jake Gylenhall will play Prince of Persia and Tom Cruise will be the Last Samurai.
Ptolemy was a powerful Roman and a friend of Julius Caesar. Long story short, Caesar gave Ptolemy the job of ruling Africa. So the Ptolemy family packed up and moved to Egypt. The Egyptians revered them as Gods and the Ptolemys took advantage of that and practically crowned themselves Pharaoh. To keep power in the family, they married each other. Cleopatra’s skin would genetically be olive at the darkest (from the sun). So Angelina would actually be a good choice for playing the role.
honestly there are white africans. but it doesnt necessarily need to be black. history books say she had an olive complexion which means bronze…
WOULD THE REAL CLEOPATRA PLEASE STAND UP…BLACK QUEENS WHERE YOU AT???
You can say that again REAL-TALK for white women has always look like cheap whores in Halloween customs when trying to portray Black Woman Queens…Stop the Madness Hollywood, stop using real stories to fulfill your sick & twisted fantasies, its really getting old!