Cleopatra: Gal Gadot's film announcement sparks 'whitewashing' accusations

[snoop1130]

Cleopatra: Gal Gadot's film announcement sparks 'whitewashing' accusations

 

Israeli actress Gal Gadot will play Cleopatra in a new film - but some critics have accused the casting as whitewashing

 

Gal Gadot's new film about ancient Egyptian ruler Cleopatra is already facing criticism before filming is even under way, with accusations of "whitewashing" the role.

 

The Israeli actress will star in the biopic, which will see her reunited with her Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins.

 

Gadot, who has been ranked as one of the world's highest-paid actresses, came up with the idea for the film, according to US entertainment site Deadline.

 

The announcement on Sunday sparked a debate on social media, with many users questioning why the Queen of the Nile role has not gone to an African or Arab actress. It is the latest example in a growing debate on whitewashing - when white actors portray non-white roles - on screen.

 

Full Story: https://news.sky.com/story/cleopatra-gal-gadots-film-announcement-sparks-whitewashing-accusations-12103778

[kotsak]

As a descendant of Ptolemy, she should be portrayed by a Greek actress.. 

[onebir]

I guess J Caesar & M Antony are being played by Romans?

[ChouDoufu]

imagine if they'd hired the White actors from hamilton!

 

oh, right............

[Orton Rd]

Not this nonsense again, the best Afro centrics can come up with is that her grandmother might have been Egyptian which is why she was the only reported Ptolemy ever to speak the language, as well as several others. It is also suggested she had a bit of Persian and Syrian in her, but lets leave those two blokes out of it. She was certainly NOT a black African, Cliff Richard was born in India, but he's not Indian! Afro centrics have so little to boast about they have to borrow other peoples history, google white inventors and see what I mean. There is no real evidence she was anything other than 100% Greek.

Edited October 14, 2020 by Orton Rd

[DrTuner]

Who cares, if the movie is good. Liked her in Wonder Woman.

Edited October 14, 2020 by DrTuner

[Orton Rd]

As long as there are some breast shots any colour will do ????

[impulse]

The announcement on Sunday sparked a debate on social media, with many users questioning why the Queen of the Nile role has not gone to an African or Arab actress.

 

Gadot .... came up with the idea for the film, according to US entertainment site Deadline.

 

Seems pretty reasonable she'd cast herself to play the role...

 

Edit:  Besides, if the objective is to actually make money, who could they cast that would be a bigger draw?  Especially if Orton Rd (and every other straight guy in the world) gets his wish...

 

Ohhh.  I think I may have just offended some other demographics.  Tough.

 

Edited October 14, 2020 by impulse

[otherstuff1957]

The historical records of who married whom during the Ptolemaic dynasty are rather confusing, as many of them had the same names.  However, the theory that she was 1/2 or 1/4 African doesn't have much historical proof to back it up.  She was probably of 100% Greek ancestry and Gal Gadot wouldn't particularly stand out on the streets of Athens as a foreigner.

 

There were African (Nubian) pharaohs, the 25th dynasty were clearly Black Africans, however, Cleopatra was not one of them.

Edited October 14, 2020 by otherstuff1957

[hotchilli]

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Cleopatra: Gal Gadot's film announcement sparks 'whitewashing' accusations

As the saying goes: "it's a MOVIE" !!!!!

[Baerboxer]

12 hours ago, otherstuff1957 said:

The historical records of who married whom during the Ptolemaic dynasty are rather confusing, as many of them had the same names.  However, the theory that she was 1/2 or 1/4 African doesn't have much historical proof to back it up.  She was probably of 100% Greek ancestry and Gal Gadot wouldn't particularly stand out on the streets of Athens as a foreigner.

 

There were African (Nubian) pharaohs, the 25th dynasty were clearly Black Africans, however, Cleopatra was not one of them.

 

The Ptolemaic dynasty, like many others, liked to keep marriages within the family. That makes it even more unlikely she was anything other than Greek/Macedonian in genes.

[tonray]

Hey...I don't care if they cast her to play MarK Antony...as long as she wears something skimpy

[Kerryd]

I've been to Egypt and I can guarantee you that they are not "black" and most of them would be quite upset at the idea of anyone else labelling them as "Africans", let alone as "blacks".
Gadot playing an Egyptian is no different than an Englishwoman playing a German or Swedish character. Egypt and Israel share a long history, going back thousands of years before Islam was invented. At one time, Egypt literally wiped out Israel (slaughtered all the men, boys and pregnant women), leaving only the women. You can bet a lot of them ended up with Egyptian men, or men from other "non-Israeli" tribes, otherwise there wouldn't be any Israelis in the world today.
(Historically, it marked the first time the word "Israel" appears in history. It was carved in a stele commemorating the conquests of an Egyptian Pharaoh that went on a bit of a rampage through what is now known as Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria and Iraq, collectively known as "The Levant". The reference to Israel reads (translated) "The seed of Israel is no more" - meaning all the men, boys and potential male children had been killed, effectively ending that tribe.) 

Sure there were "blacks" in Africa. Egyptian history, carved in stone, depicts Nubian slave markets dating back over 3,500 years ago. (OMG - Black Africans were selling other Black Africans in slave markets thousands of years before "white" people went to Africa or America was ever discovered ?)
 
 Ancient trade routes between the Persians, Arabs and Africans existed long before the conquests of Alexander. (How do you think he knew where to go ? He followed some of those ancient trade routes from Greece to Egypt and Persia all the way to India.)

While there were "black" Pharaohs for short periods in Egyptian history, the country has never been "black".

This same controversy came up a couple years ago when a bust of Nefertiti was restored at a museum and certain groups cried "whitewashing" because she wasn't shown as being "black", which they assumed she should have been because they think that everyone in Africa is "black".

Another comparison could be Sofia Boutella, who played the Mummy in that fiasco with Tom Cruise. She is Algerian and moved to France when she was 10. However, when she played the Mummy she was criticized for being "too white".
https://themaghrebtimes.com/04/16/algerian-actress-accused-of-looking-too-white-for-role-in-tom-cruise-mummy-movie/#:~:text=The new Tom Cruise-driven,actress who plays evil Ahmanet.&text=In reality%2C Sofia Boutella is,of the Egyptian goddess Ahmanet.

Funny how silent those same critics are when a "black" person is cast in a "white" role. 

[Jingthing]

She's a Mediterranean ethnic type. Close enough. Whether Jews are really "white" is a constant bone of contention especially those that clearly aren't such as Arabic ethnicity Jews and of course Ethiopian Jews. Even Italians have been historically classified as non-white during their immigration experiences. She is obviously more than qualified to play this role well.  This controversy is absurd.

Edited October 15, 2020 by Jingthing

[thaibeachlovers]

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The announcement on Sunday sparked a debate on social media, with many users questioning why the Queen of the Nile role has not gone to an African or Arab actress. It is the latest example in a growing debate on whitewashing - when white actors portray non-white roles - on screen.

Hypocrisy writ large.

Many movies now have black actors playing parts that would have been given to white actors if being historically correct.

Eg Mary Queen of Scots 2018, and The secret Garden 2020.

[Jingthing]

Non traditional casting is really a completely separate issue.

 

This isn't that.

 

Gadot has a look that is believable as the historic character. At least in the modern public mind.

 

Actors typically market themselves this way.

 

For example 

 

Can play age 15 to 35.

Can play Latino or Middle Eastern. 

 

etc.

 

Casting a Thai lady would be non traditional casting.

Edited October 15, 2020 by Jingthing

[Lokie]

Gal Gadot would be perfect for this part, as already said Cleopatra was desended from General Ptolemy (Ptolmey was a Greek Macadonian Royal line) so she is probably ethniclly closer to these roots then any African linage

 

Also she will look HOT as Cleaopatra, can't wait... Yes Please!