Was Margaret Queen Of England Black?

[webbo3]

imagine the uproar if Nelson Mandela or Martin Luther King were portrayed by a white actor.

https://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/667894/Sophie-Okonedo-Undercover-The-Hollow-Crown-Benedict-Cumberbatch-Dominic-Cooke




Dave.

[Mamyalynne]

There's no need for anyone to be shot down in flames - we all have our opinions.

On numerous occasions I have watched a film/play and thought 'x' would have been better in that role.

To me it's the portrayal of the part and the quality of the acting that matters.

[Togo]

//yes he blacked his face but what a star. A Jew too - does that count for anything.. //

Not with Sammy Davis Junior it doesn't. :))

[emmie]

Sammy Davis wasn't born a Jew, he converted, and of course he didn't need to black up,
you are on about one of the great entertainers of all time.
By the way Jolson did everything in his power, which was considerable, to forward black entertainers in show business at a time when it wasn't the done thing.

[mikey4444]

Well said Emmie, although I am unsure it will help to kill the essential racist nature of some of the post on here.

[emmie]

then i must be one, because sometimes i do find it jarring when i see a black actor, take on a much loved role, that you know from reading the book was not destined for a black person. I can't put that in any other way.

[Mamyalynne]

I sometimes wonder whether having partial sight is a blessing in some ways.

[Togo]

With you there Emmie..........The last king of Scotland was black though. :))

[douglas9401]

Takes me back to my days as a scout, all this knot tying.

[sp1814]

I saw this when it was aired twenty months ago.

Oscar-nominated Sophie Okonedo OBE was stunning in it. You know when someone is so mesmerising that they bring Shakespearean language to life, when they make it feel relevant...that's how I felt about her performance.

For those of us who don't sit around waiting to be offended by something (and we all know that's the world we live in today), someone's race is of little importance when consuming art.

I felt the same when I watched Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet (Claire Danes and Leonardo DiCaprio are less than Italian) and Gladiator (Roman gladiators unlike Russell Crowe were neither Australian nor fat).

I suppose there are those who focus more on the exterior, rather than the acting.

Must be tiring.

[ichkeria]

And Olivier was a great Othello.

[Peter Pedant]

mais oui but she wars Fransh
en zo she must spik wizz ze Fransh accent ?

i meant non - elle n'etait pas noire

thank god boys have stopped playing girls - or you would be screaming your tats off.

[Peter Pedant]

yeah foo ! I mean Julius Cheezer has to be played by a Roman - are there any left ?

and Cleopatra are we gonna say that she has to be from Egypt or are we gonna say " Carry on Cleo !" ?

[Peter Pedant]

I volunteered to play Portia once
1964 - form IVb
I wasnt picked ....
and the teacher said - boys dont play girls
which is a bit stunning when it comes to Shakespeare but as MamaL says - everyone is entitled to their opinion

I wont say I was scarred by this ( unless there is money involved )

[ludwig]

Diversity in the film and theatre industry is good. I'd personally like to see more vikings portrayed by chinese people.

[dannyk13]

Sammy Davis Jr once described himself as a black, ginger haired, one eyed Jew.

[emmie]

sammy davis was an exceptional artist, one that ranks alongside Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra, i don't what he called himself, but anyone that can sing and dance like that has my applause