Do you think an author has the right to say who is "too street" to play a character they created? The author of James Bond can't see Idris Elba in the role. He says he's "too street" (aka too black). . Many people are upset about that. At first I was too. Until I thought about some of my favorite movies and how I would feel if they re-cast some of the main characters with different people.
For instance, what if they re-cast my favorite movie The Color Purple? Could Taylor Swift play Sophia (Oprah Winfrey's role) in The Color Purple? Could Beyoncé play the role of Celie? Could Shemar Moore play the role of "Mister"? Probably not. Alice Walker created these characters to look and feel a certain way. So before we go attacking Anthony (the author) for rejecting our beloved Idris, remember this: as authors, it is not our job to be inclusive of everyone. Our characters can look and sound the way WE want to because WE write them. Just because the public thinks "It's time for a black James Bond 007", doesn't mean the creator of the character has to agree. It's HIS story! His characters. But I do think he should be HONEST and say "I don't want a black man playing Bond." Because Idris is capable of playing any role he is given. Maybe instead of being angry, we should work to create more positive characters that look like us! This way we won't need to beg for a "black" ANYTHING, because the role will already exist. |
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