Upocoming Tv

[davebro]

Will you find a black Anne Boleyn believable?

[burlyshirley]

As usual, douglas is spot on with his wit lol.

Personally, I find it totally unbelievable !

[dannyk13]

On the other hand, I have yet to see Othello, who was a Moor, played by other than a white man, in particular Laurence Olivier.

[AuntPollyGrey]

Laurence Olivier blacked up for his role in Othello -that is just as uncacceptable as a black woman playing Anne Boleyn!

[AuntPollyGrey]

pressed send too soon....and....Black English actor Wil Johnson, known for his roles in Waking the Dead and Emmerdale, played Othello on stage in 2004. Since the 1960s it has become commonplace to cast a black actor in the character of Othello.

[Mozz71]

As I said previously, this show is not under any pretence of being historically accurate. It's a thriller (apparently) based around fictitious representations of historical characters. It is a story, not real life.

It seems outrage is the default setting for some people on this site.

[ToraToraTora]

APG: "Laurence Olivier blacked up for his role in Othello -that is just as uncacceptable as a black woman playing Anne Boleyn!" - so is the actress going to "white up"?

[Mozz71]

Strangely I agree with Tora. It would only be as unacceptable as blacking up for Othello (although I appreciate that was a general rule for many years in the past) if the actress playing Boleyn changed her skin colour for the part.

[davebro]

I don't see why - actors play different parts, they dress up accordingly & if the part calls for a person of a certain colour surely making up to that colour is appropriate.

CF Daniel Day-Lewis in my left foot - should that part only have been played by a disabled person?

[AuntPollyGrey]

Mozz.....Who exactly is 'outraged? People have opinions, get over it.

If someone made a 'thriller' involving Rosa Parks but decided, for the purpose of the storyline, she need not be Black, but would be played by a 6ft Norwegian supermodel....think there might be a few cmments from the BLM lot!

[AuntPollyGrey]

// CF Daniel Day-Lewis in my left foot - should that part only have been played by a disabled person?//

Yes -Why not? Plenty of disabled actors about.

[eve1974]

No - it’s ridiculous. If any acting role is to be based on historical fact the casting should try to portray the look as realistically as possible.

After all a very skinny man wldnt have been cast to play Henry viii in his corpulent years wld he? (Or if he was there’d be plenty padding suits provided by the wardrobe dept

[eve1974]

APG yes your example of a Norwegian looking person playing Rosa parks is a good one

[eve1974]

If the actress playing Anne Boleyn wld be suitably made up via make up dept to look like Anne Boleyn then thats ok ...but not if she was left with her own skin colour

[douglas9401]

What about a black Norwegian actor then no need to be fjord of criticism.

[davebro]

//Yes -Why not? Plenty of disabled actors about.//

Because the craft of acting is *pretending* to be someone other than yourself & convincing an audience of that. If parts have to be played by actors who, as far as possible, mirror the role it removes part of the craft.

[ToraToraTora]

APG: "If someone made a 'thriller' involving Rosa Parks but decided, for the purpose of the storyline, she need not be Black, but would be played by a 6ft Norwegian supermodel..." - I'd watch it!

[Mozz71]

The Rosa Parks example is a poor one, as you're talking about a person whose skin colour was pivotal in who she was and what she did. That's the difference, most black people of historical significance are so because of something connected to their race. If it was an historical figure who just happened to be of a different race, in a similar style programme to this, I'd personally have no problem. I'm sure others would, just as there are some with a problem about this casting.

[ToraToraTora]

fair enough mozz but what about artistic licence? Don't take my 6ft Norwegian supermodel away!

[davebro]

//Don't take my 6ft Norwegian supermodel away!//

He probably wouldn't audition for it anyway.