Zoe Saldana As Nina Simone

[javero]

Posted: 11/21/12 at 3:07pm

I refuse to allow friends of mine to draw me into this argument. Yeah, I had my misgiving about a blond Daniel Craig taking on the role of James Bond but that was nothing compared to the brouhaha in the black blogosphere over Zoe being cast in this unauthorized biopic.

This reminds of when a relatively unknown actress of Puertorican descent named Jennifer Lopez was cast in the Selena biopic to play the slain Tejana singer.

To me it was Jen's best performance on screen to date. I'm hopeful Zoe will knock it out of the park.

I also remember Lou Gossett Jr. portraying the late Egyptian leader Anwar Sadat.
Zoe will do fine as Nina Simone

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 11/21/12 at 4:42pm

The difference between Jennifer Lopez as Selena and Saldana as Nina Simone is that Jennifer Lopez was largely an unknown at the time she starred in SELENA. Saldana has been in enough films by now that people sort of know what to expect from her; of course she can defy all of our expectations, but there is nothing she has done that suggests to me she has the force and, quite simply, the talent to play someone like Nina Simone. She's a gorgeous girl but to me she's yet to prove she has any complexity whatsoever as an actress. I'd rather have seen Anika Noni Rose or Kerry Washington take a jab at it.
I will say though that just because Saldana is a Latina, it doesn't mean she's not a black woman. Thanks for the link, javero, I had no idea there was so much controversy about her casting. It's almost like people don't know that there are black people in other places that are not the United States or Africa, or that there is racism in other countries too. I find the whole argument about her race interesting in what it reveals about people's thoughts on race, but ultimately, somewhat ignorant. I once dated someone who told me that there couldn't be any racism in Venezuela (where I'm from) because we're all brown, this kind of reminds me of that ridiculous idea.

[Taryn]

Posted: 11/21/12 at 5:16pm

I think the issues and complaints people have had are legitimate. I love Saldana as an actress, but there is something that feels intensely Hollywood about taking an icon who was specifically known for her dark skin and wide nose and those particular parts of her appearance, for whom these parts of herself played a large issue in her life and subsequently in her music, and casting a much lighter-skinned actress with far more conventionally attractive features. Racism goes beyond just whether or not someone is black. There's a lot of subtleties in terms of shades, and darker skin being the subject of more prejudice, etc.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 11/21/12 at 5:23pm

Taryn, I completely agree with that point. It's much more of a nuanced criticism than I was making it out to be. When you darken someone's skin, the red flag should always go up.

[javero]

Posted: 11/21/12 at 6:12pm

Ray, I had no idea you were from Venezuela. My best friend is from Barquisimeto.

OK since it appears that you two have made very reasonable arguments against Zoe in that role, I gotta file a minority report, no pun intended. I've written elsewhere that it has been a struggle for Zoe to land really good parts arguably due to her being Afro-latina. Not every brown-skinned actor wants to appear in Tyler Perry's latest Madea foolishness but I digress.

Many younger viewers who are familiar with Zoe's work most likely have never heard of Nina Simone nor listened to her catalog. Let's face it; Nina was never the Gaga of her generation for sundry reasons and much time has passed since she last charted. And her singing voice was an acquired taste not easily accessible by Justin Bieber/Taylor Swift fan girls. Her expat status doesn't help where accessibility is concerned though I don't condemn her actions one bit.

I won't dispute the claim that there are other women in the business who have better acting chops than Zoe, some of whom actually bear a closer resemblance to N.S. But Zoe is right in the sweet spot in terms of age and name-recognition to get a project like this green lit.

It just strikes me as odd that any of us connected with theatre in any way could call for color-blind casting in any context and then raise red flags when an actor is cast in a part that requires him or her to be painted dark.

I distinctly remember former Kool And the Gang front man James "JT" Taylor playing the part of Cuban band member in 'Mambo Kings' with an awful Cuban accent. Come to think of it, Armand Assante who is of Italian-Irish heritage starred in it as a Cuban exile with an even worse Cuban accent. And don't get me started on Al Pacino in 'Scarface'.

Updated On: 11/21/12 at 06:12 PM

[winston89]

Posted: 11/21/12 at 6:32pm

javero,

I think that there is a difference in pretending someone is a different race as oppose to actually altering their skin to be that race for a role. For example, there was a small uproar over the German production of the play Clybourn Park. This was because the script called for one of the roles to be done by a black actress. However, the German theatre company cast a white woman and was going to have her do blackface until the playwright heard about it and pulled the plug. Apparently, that is something that is still common practice there.

It's one thing to suspend disbelief with regards to race. But, if there were a role that can just as easily be played by a white man just as well as a black man, wouldn't it be a little off putting to put a white man in black face?

[javero]

Posted: 11/21/12 at 8:10pm

Winston,

I get where you're coming from but still don't understand why many of my fellow AfAms act like our struggle is somehow a singularity. Heck, things now are practically a breeze compared to the situation as recent as 20 yrs ago.

I can guarantee you if a top Hollywood studio green lit a project to bring the life of the late great Celia Cruz to the screen even Nina Simone's daughter would be trying to nab the lead.

I'm just concerned that folks are trying to put Zoe in a even smaller box that would restrict her to only taking roles with last names of Sanchez.

No one has ever tried to shoe-horn Cameron Diaz into playing Maria Jose Sanchez de Los Bendicidos Angeles so why should non-Latina roles be off limits to Zoe or poor Christina Milian who can't buy a Latina role.

BTW what are your thoughts on Lauren Velez playing La Lupe on screen? The link points to her assessment of what it's like being a Latina actress in Hollywood.





Lauren Velez Talks About 'La Lupe

Updated On: 11/21/12 at 08:10 PM

[winston89]

Posted: 11/21/12 at 8:27pm

There's a big difference between naturally being able to pass as a different race and then altering how you look to pass as a different race. I am white and have noticeable Jewish features, I would work perfectly in a production of Fiddler, I could pass in a show that called for a white Christian guy, but It would be considered offensive if they cast me in a production of Porgy and Bess anytime soon.

And, Javero, Blacks are not alone in this issue. A semi recent and historical example has to do with the casting of Pryce in the Broadway production of Miss Saigon. Not only did he wear yellow face but he pulled his eyes back to give off more of that Asian look. Considering he was white and doing that he pissed off a lot of people. May I add, that they had every right to be angered.

[Plum]

Posted: 11/21/12 at 8:42pm

I won't dispute the claim that there are other women in the business who have better acting chops than Zoe, some of whom actually bear a closer resemblance to N.S. But Zoe is right in the sweet spot in terms of age and name-recognition to get a project like this green lit.

I think that argument mixes up cause and effect. It's not a coincidence that black women who look like Zaldana and Halle Berry are the ones getting the few roles that black women get, and that's exactly what Nina Simone always had to contend with. When you say, "Zaldana got cast because she's a star" it overlooks the system that filters people who look certain ways to be stars in the first place.

[BroomstickBoy]

Posted: 11/21/12 at 10:25pm

She's too pretty and too light-skinned.

Nina was neither of these things. Authenticity is clearly being overlooked in favor of EASY.

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 11/22/12 at 4:01am

I don't like it at all. I don't like that she is putting Nina on as a costume. There are other women with the look and the chops to play the role, but I guess they just need to wait for The Help 2 to get made.

[javero]

Posted: 11/22/12 at 9:20am

Could the movie benefit in any way from this free publicity?

[Taryn]

Posted: 11/22/12 at 9:49pm

It just strikes me as odd that any of us connected with theatre in any way could call for color-blind casting in any context and then raise red flags when an actor is cast in a part that requires him or her to be painted dark.

The answer to minority actors having limited roles is not to take roles from OTHER minority actors. That is not the problem in casting. The problem is defaulting most roles to white, which is a completely different issue than what's going on here.

The entire purpose of colorblind casting is to open the doors of the vast majority of roles that are race-neutral yet consistently cast with white actors, so that the community of talented, minority actors can have a shot at them. Its purpose is not to appropriate roles written as a specific minority. Whenever people make the inevitable colorblind casting argument of "why not a white Raisin in the Sun, then," it just shows a total ignorance of the actual point of colorblind casting.

My main point here is that colorblind casting doesn't apply here at all. Nina Simone is not a race-neutral role. She is a very race-specific role, and the fact that she was particularly dark-skinned and looked the way she did was incredibly important in the struggles of her life.

[canmark]

Posted: 11/23/12 at 8:10am

There are some photos of Zoe in costume as Nina Simone on this blog post:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/new-photos-of-zoe-saldana-in-full-nina-simone-regalia-surface-convinced

Many of the comments are quite negative. It seems Saldana is 'not black enough' for some people.

I remember when Mary J. Blige was attached to this project. I would have liked to have heard Mary sing those Nina Simone songs. Does anyone know if Zoe is doing her own singing, or will she be dubbed? Nina Simone had a very unique voice and singing style. I'm more concerned with her voice and her *presence.* That seems more important to me to a portrayal of La Simone than the exact color of her skin or her perceived beauty. She was striking and powerful. Let's hope the filmmakers (and Zoe Saldana) can capture some of that.

Nina Simone performs Mississippi Goddam: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkcuNX4vrS8

I Wish I Knew How It Feels To Be Free: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQp5_2hv8A0

And for a bit of Broadway... here she is performing Ain't Got Know/I Got Life from Hair: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUcXI2BIUOQ

Updated On: 11/23/12 at 08:10 AM

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 11/23/12 at 8:46am

There is major, major uproar in the African American community regarding Zoe Saldana's casting because she is Hispanic and looks nothing like Nina Simone, but in her defense she IS a woman of color.

This reminds me of reading about the uproar caused by Diana Ross being cast as Billie Holiday in LADY SINGS THE BLUES. Jazz aficionados and music lovers the world over were appalled that she was cast citing she didn't look anything like Billie and that she didn't sound anything like Billie. At least in that case they didn't resort to skin darkening and prosthetics and Miss Ross is most definitely African American.

I find the skin darkening and prosthetics disturbing but Nicole Kidman wore a prosthetic nose as well in THE HOURS.


Updated On: 11/23/12 at 08:46 AM

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 11/23/12 at 9:01am

Nina Simone's daughter, Simone posts her response to the whole project.
Simone on "Nina"

[Jungle Red]

Posted: 11/23/12 at 2:50pm

Why can't they do what SELENA did and have Zoe lip sync to Nina's original songs?

Its better than Zoe having to sing herself or have someone else do it.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 11/23/12 at 3:13pm

LA VIE EN ROSE also used lip-syncing and it worked wonders, Marion Cotillard did a genius job on it though...not sure I'd use the word "genius" to describe Saldana.
Javero, my dad is from Barquisimeto! I echo what other people said about the color-blind casting. In this case, a darker-skinned person was passed over because of Saldana's more seemingly palatable features. Again, if she was immensely talented I might not even have that much of a problem with it, but given there are much more talented actresses who have struggled in the business because not only are they of color, but they are dark skinned, it is sad that someone like Saldana would prevail.
I absolutely hate the make up job in those pictures.

[javero]

Posted: 11/23/12 at 6:03pm

"In this case, a darker-skinned person was passed over because of Saldana's more seemingly palatable features."

I believe that Zoe was tapped because she's got 'Avatar' on her resume and that she's part of the fastest growing demographic group in the nation. Perhaps, it will prove to be a misguided attempt at capturing a broader audience for what is basically an art house film. Zoe most likely saw it as Oscar bait before 'Star Trek into Darkness' hits screens.

All of the "approved actresses" have been silent on the topic. All the noise seems to have come from singers under contract who dabble in musical theatre and screen acting, along with their stans.

I agree though that the makeup in the pix was not da biznezz. I also find Zoe a bit too thin for the part but Daniel Craig has turned out to be one of the most interesting Bonds so anything is possible on celluloid or pixels.

Updated On: 11/23/12 at 06:03 PM

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 11/23/12 at 6:12pm

No one seems to be objecting Nicole Kidman as Grace Kelly and she's extremely miscast in that role.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 11/23/12 at 6:46pm

Nicole Kidman is playing Grace Kelly?

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 11/23/12 at 6:54pm

Yeah, although I don't know if there's truth in the rumors that she was tipped to play Nina too.
Here's some pictures of Nicole/Grace

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 11/23/12 at 6:57pm

They both white ladies.

[Jungle Red]

Posted: 11/23/12 at 7:13pm

How dare they not resurrect Grace Kelly so she can play herself?!

Personally, I think this whole argument is stupid. Don't watch the movie if you don't like it. Plain and simple.

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 11/23/12 at 7:53pm

But what if you want to watch a movie that you like?

Tough titty, I guess.