He says they're all basically fighting the same battle so why hate against and discourage another actor from trying to work and eat.
Idris Elba Check And Correct Samuel L Jackson On Foreign Black Actors Taking American Roles....
- Thread starter Simply_Black
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I remember when all this went down.
It came back up recently when Judas came out.
Happy that has been resolved so long ago.
It came back up recently when Judas came out.
Happy that has been resolved so long ago.
The larger question that needs to be asked is why are so many black british actors coming to America to play "black american roles"? Why aren't they being cast for roles using their natural accent?
The issue is these roles are limited and not creative. It's either dope boy, hoodlum, stereotypical gay man, slaves, or hoe/prostitute.
There are so many more identities to see on the big screen that just won't get the necessary funding in Hollyweird.
You notice Arnold Schwarzenegger never had to change his accent. Dude still making movies with that thick Austrian accent playing American roles.
The issue is these roles are limited and not creative. It's either dope boy, hoodlum, stereotypical gay man, slaves, or hoe/prostitute.
There are so many more identities to see on the big screen that just won't get the necessary funding in Hollyweird.
You notice Arnold Schwarzenegger never had to change his accent. Dude still making movies with that thick Austrian accent playing American roles.
The first aim of any lesser known actor is getting a role regardless of whatever it then hopefully work into getting serious prominent roles....
... let's not pretend that decent roles are instantly made for black actors. The reality for a black actor is first getting to get into the business, proving yourself to get the exposure to gain better parts.....
... if the needed roles aren't instantly there then foreign and also local black actors have no other choice but to work within the system to gain employment... that's the harsh reality of the business.
I understand both sides...
Are American black actors regularly hired to play British roles in English productions ?
I do know they hire black Americans to play Africans in roles..
And from Idris point he is right. The issue is that only a limited number of black actors get jobs at the same time...
Both men and women its only a couple at a time
Are American black actors regularly hired to play British roles in English productions ?
I do know they hire black Americans to play Africans in roles..
And from Idris point he is right. The issue is that only a limited number of black actors get jobs at the same time...
Both men and women its only a couple at a time
This. Niggas was quiet when Denzel was playing Steve Biko or when Will Smith was playing Dr. Omalu. That's just off the top of my head
The problem is that casting people in America ignore all the blacks in the USA and go halfway across the world looking for black actors.
They flew over to Britain and begged that dude to be in Star Wars.
I’m like as many Star Wars fanatics in the U.S. they could’ve have thousands of dudes lined us to audition for that shit
They flew over to Britain and begged that dude to be in Star Wars.
I’m like as many Star Wars fanatics in the U.S. they could’ve have thousands of dudes lined us to audition for that shit
But it was all gravey when they flew in JHud to play Winnie Mandela with that bullshit attempt at a South African accent. Yall should keep the same energy.
Residents of countries do criticize when those not from their country are picked for roles.
Mandela and Winnie are special and specific, but still.
Mandela the movie: Idris Elba gives short shrift to South African actors
Show caption
British-born star picked to play Nelson Mandela in biopic after casting agent says local actors lack stature for role
David Smith in Johannesburg
Morgan Freeman, Danny Glover, David Harewood, Dennis Haysbert, Terrence Howard, Clarke Peters, Sidney Poitier and now Idris Elba: all are actors who have been cast as Nelson Mandela – yet none is South African.
This is already a sore point for local performers, and now salt has been rubbed in the wound. Why do they never get the chance to play their national hero? Because they are too short, according to the country's top casting agent.
Mandela, a towering figure in every sense, is 6ft 4ins (1.93 metres) tall: actors in South Africajust don't measure up, says Moonyeenn Lee, who picked British-born Elba – star of The Wire and Luther – for a planned film adaptation of Mandela's autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom.
"I was free to cast a South African, and I auditioned some extraordinary local actors," Lee told the Sunday newspaper City Press. "But the main problem is the height. Mandela is a particularly tall man. On average, South African actors are not 1.9 metres."
The country also lacked experienced actors, as a consequence of apartheid, Lee added. "The younger actors have had a chance to go and study and learn and work with internationals. The older actors, growing up during apartheid, had to deal with the cultural boycott, [with] very few roles on television and almost none in film. There simply aren't enough actors to choose from."
Her explanations have gone down badly with the body representing actors, the Creative Workers Union of South Africa. Its president, Mabutho "Kid" Sithole, told the City Press: "We are not impressed. So, no one is tall enough: there's always some reason to avoid using South African actors, and having other people tell our stories. They use these stars for commercial reasons and the problem is, South African business is not funding our own films.
"Meanwhile, South African actors are good enough for the other roles. We see this happen over and over. Tomorrow there will be a film about Walter Sisulu, and then what? No one is short enough?
"You tell me now: how will this actor pronounce Qunu, where Mandela was born, or Rolihlahla, his real name?"
Lee rejected the union's criticism. "They must look at the height," she told the Guardian. "It's always been a problem."
Sello Maake Ka-Ncube, a South African actor who won a regional theatre award for his portrayal of Mandela in the drama Rivonia Trial – and is 1.8m tall – said: "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I don't think we are too short for anything. But I respect the director's vision."
The film of Long Walk to Freedom has been in the pipeline for years and Elba's casting is yet to be confirmed by its producers. Lee said almost all the other roles, including Mandela aged seven and 16, would be played by South African actors.
A separate film project, Winnie, provoked controversy by casting Hollywood starsTerrence Howard and Jennifer Hudson as Nelson and Winnie Mandela. The casting of Morgan Freeman in Invictus was also criticised.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/mar/19/mandela-idris-elba-south-africa
Mandela and Winnie are special and specific, but still.
Mandela the movie: Idris Elba gives short shrift to South African actors
Show caption
British-born star picked to play Nelson Mandela in biopic after casting agent says local actors lack stature for role
David Smith in Johannesburg
Morgan Freeman, Danny Glover, David Harewood, Dennis Haysbert, Terrence Howard, Clarke Peters, Sidney Poitier and now Idris Elba: all are actors who have been cast as Nelson Mandela – yet none is South African.
This is already a sore point for local performers, and now salt has been rubbed in the wound. Why do they never get the chance to play their national hero? Because they are too short, according to the country's top casting agent.
Mandela, a towering figure in every sense, is 6ft 4ins (1.93 metres) tall: actors in South Africajust don't measure up, says Moonyeenn Lee, who picked British-born Elba – star of The Wire and Luther – for a planned film adaptation of Mandela's autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom.
"I was free to cast a South African, and I auditioned some extraordinary local actors," Lee told the Sunday newspaper City Press. "But the main problem is the height. Mandela is a particularly tall man. On average, South African actors are not 1.9 metres."
The country also lacked experienced actors, as a consequence of apartheid, Lee added. "The younger actors have had a chance to go and study and learn and work with internationals. The older actors, growing up during apartheid, had to deal with the cultural boycott, [with] very few roles on television and almost none in film. There simply aren't enough actors to choose from."
Her explanations have gone down badly with the body representing actors, the Creative Workers Union of South Africa. Its president, Mabutho "Kid" Sithole, told the City Press: "We are not impressed. So, no one is tall enough: there's always some reason to avoid using South African actors, and having other people tell our stories. They use these stars for commercial reasons and the problem is, South African business is not funding our own films.
"Meanwhile, South African actors are good enough for the other roles. We see this happen over and over. Tomorrow there will be a film about Walter Sisulu, and then what? No one is short enough?
"You tell me now: how will this actor pronounce Qunu, where Mandela was born, or Rolihlahla, his real name?"
Lee rejected the union's criticism. "They must look at the height," she told the Guardian. "It's always been a problem."
Sello Maake Ka-Ncube, a South African actor who won a regional theatre award for his portrayal of Mandela in the drama Rivonia Trial – and is 1.8m tall – said: "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I don't think we are too short for anything. But I respect the director's vision."
The film of Long Walk to Freedom has been in the pipeline for years and Elba's casting is yet to be confirmed by its producers. Lee said almost all the other roles, including Mandela aged seven and 16, would be played by South African actors.
A separate film project, Winnie, provoked controversy by casting Hollywood starsTerrence Howard and Jennifer Hudson as Nelson and Winnie Mandela. The casting of Morgan Freeman in Invictus was also criticised.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/mar/19/mandela-idris-elba-south-africa
You guys are missing the point that these are all American Productions. This is hear in the sand bullshit that ignores the point being made.
You sound almost as silly as the Brit and Spic on American airwaves talking down on and discounting Samuel Jackson's issue.
Exactly. It's the one sided nature of the gripe that makes it asinine. South Africans didn't complain when Thuso Mbedu won a staring role as a runaway slave in The Underground Railroad either.
I like Elba but come on now there's a reason why this is happening and it's sickening cause their getting roles that they shouldn't get,Snowfall,BMF,The wire has two,Aretha tv series which was trash like the movie and many of the other roles.Just skipping over the struggling black actor who is American,comes from the culture to hire some person a cross the pound who is practicing his skills everyday by talking,walking and acting like their black.
Fair is fair but this new wave of shit isn't that and Sam needs not to be in every movie either,let some younger black actor play that role,please and thank you....
Fair is fair but this new wave of shit isn't that and Sam needs not to be in every movie either,let some younger black actor play that role,please and thank you....
That's not completely true.
When Schwarzenegger got his first starring role they changed his name to Arnold Strong and had another actor dub all his lines.
Also, Arnold Schwarzenegger didn't go to hollywood. Hollywood came to him. By the time they did he was a successful professional athlete with a multi-million dollar bodybuilding business. That gave him the freedom to turn down any role that didn't respect his ethnicity. Most struggling actors don't have that choice.
This is a BS excuse. You're gonna not choose a South African to play Mandela because he's too short, but Terrence Howard's lightskin ass can play him? Get the entire fuck outta here with that bullshit!
EDIT: And Howard sucked in the role!
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But that’s one movie we talking about every movie just about. It used to be rappers and singers, but people complained because they can’t act. So they did a work around and started begging British actors to come over here.
It’s like the NFL they tell dudes to be coordinators then they start hiring position coaches and special teams coaches and college coaches and stuff like that
What exactly is 'acting like you're black?
I agree with Samuel 1000%
That’s just that crabs in a barrel syndrome. Chadwick Bozeman accent in Black Panther was terrible but I don’t know anyone else who could have played that role the way he did. All over sudden everyone is a casting director. It’s just like back in the day when everyone was mad when rappers were getting acting jobs.
The only Jamaicans in cool runnings were in the background
To keep it real British actors accept less pay. NO ONE WILL EVER ADMIT THIS
From what I heard, black British actors have more stage opportunities and thus more opportunities over the UK. However, there are more movie opportunities here in America. But, black British actors have opportunities to hone their craft on stage overseas
In America, there aren't as many opportunities for plays and Broadway and Off-Broadway Productions. Again that's from what I heard someone say before
In America, there aren't as many opportunities for plays and Broadway and Off-Broadway Productions. Again that's from what I heard someone say before
And add in that Steven Seagal movie too.
Director: Action!
Every actor that charges Seagal with a punch or weapon: BLOODCLOT!!!
ppl focus on the wrong thing
There arent enough good roles for black actors (American or British). You got too many talented actors fighting for a handful of roles and British actors often get the benefit of the doubt cause they are considered 'classically' trained or generally held in higher regard.
Heard an interview with the talented black actor Andre Holland awhile back on the subject. He is a classically trained actor who received a Masters of Fine Arts from NYU but for most of his early career was only offered generic black thug/drug addict
There arent enough good roles for black actors (American or British). You got too many talented actors fighting for a handful of roles and British actors often get the benefit of the doubt cause they are considered 'classically' trained or generally held in higher regard.
Heard an interview with the talented black actor Andre Holland awhile back on the subject. He is a classically trained actor who received a Masters of Fine Arts from NYU but for most of his early career was only offered generic black thug/drug addict
The fact that Tom cruise plays any kind of leading action role proves this is utter bullshit, They make tom cruise look like he's 6 foot. Hell they made Gary oldman a fucking midget in a movie. This excuse is offensive as fuck and just a flat out lie.
Shit, my fault. I got Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth mixed up. Hemsworth is the Australian actor who played Thor. I thought he played Captain American.