Historical roles : most important factor?

[frankthedm]

Also over Antonio Banderas as Pancho Villa.

Any flack over Antoni playing Ahmad ibn Fadlan?

Ranger, Do you expect them to shoot in hawaii too?

To me, the complaints over Rock's bloodline sound almost as bad as Japan's ethnocentricity.

I personally question his acting skills, but given the track record of Hollywood, He's as close blood wise as big names go currently.

 

[Desdichado]

I'm just hoping they'll get the SFX right when he starts tossing the energy blasts around.

Hadouken!

Oh, wait... just because the Japanese actually make up an ethnic majority in Hawaii these days...

Or is that just an urban myth?

EDIT: Actually, I just tried to look it up, and although I don't have a definitive answer, it looks like it's certainly possible. "Asians" make up 58% of the population of Hawaii based on the latest census data, and from another source, I got that the Japanese make up almost half of the "Asian" demographic. So, it looks like the Japanese don't have an ethnic majority, although it's certainly plausible based on that data that they have an ethnic plurality at least. Intriguing...

 

[Elf Witch]

I am in the camp of who cares. I rather see a talented actor than a racially correct one. It is called acting after all.

This reminds me of the flax paramount got when they cast Robert Beltran as Chakotay in Voyager. A lot of people were steamed because they didn't cast a so called true native american in the role. Regardless of the fact that Beltran's hertiage is Mezoamerican.

Like I said the best actor should get the part.

 

[Rackhir]

Hadouken!

Oh, wait... just because the Japanese actually make up an ethnic majority in Hawaii these days...

Actually in Dragonball, Goku's big attack is the Kame-hame-ha wave. There was also a USN ballistic missile sub named Kamehameha as well. Which leads me to suspect that there were a few more motions than normal involved in firing the missiles on that sub...

http://www.kamfish.com/

 

[Huw]

Other ethnically dubious characters in films

1) Kevin Costner as Robin Hood
2) Sean Connery (Scottish) playing an Egyptian pretending to be Spanish, not to mention Christopher Lambert (French) playing a Scot pretending to be American
3) Mel Gibson playing William Wallace (a Norman) as if he were a Gael
4) The Rock ('cause we're talking about him) as the Scorpion King (okay, that's not really considered historical, but he's certainly neither Akkadian nor Egyptian)
5) Zhang Ziyi (again) as a Manchu in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

To tell the truth, I'm not bothered unless the film's bad as well, then it starts to grate.

 

[Aust Diamondew]

Talent > Appearance > Race > Star Power

 

[fett527]

I guess some of you guys didnt agree with Robin Williams playing Peter Pan? I mean the role is traditionally played by a woman, no?

Uhm..IIRC that was only in stage performances due to the physical needs for the character. As women were lighter it was easier to manipulate them in the harness needed for the illusion of flight and thus it was always portrayed by a woman. Best explanation I could find from Wikipedia:

Peter Pan has been adapted for stage and screen many times. Following the example of Barrie's original stage version, and for practical reasons (and perhaps tradition), Peter usually - but not always - has been played by an adult woman.

 

[Klaus]

I think 'phisique du role' is important. Back when Jose Carreras started his career, he was a rarity, a tenor that didn;t have a huge belly (a la Luciano Pavarotti).

Looking the part is more important than being of the correct nationality, though. Catherine Zeta Jones was great as the daughter of Mexican hero Zorro, even though she's not latina. She's a better casting than, say, putting a blonde Mexican actress there, 'cause in the 1800s there wasn't as much miscigenation.

And here's a nice casting for Jezter and the others up there:

Brazilian actor Rodrigo Santoro (Charlie's Angels: Full Throtle; Love Actually) will play Persian emperor Xerxes in the upcoming adaptation of Frank Miller's "300".

 

[Black Omega]

To me, the complaints over Rock's bloodline sound almost as bad as Japan's ethnocentricity.

Funnily enough, just following polls in places like Japan Today, the Japan haven't had a huge problem with Zhang Ziyi. It's the Chinese having a problem with a Chinese woman playing a Japanese geisha.

 

[Ranger REG]

Or how about Commodus being slain in the arena in Gladiator. Ugh.

It's as if the writers (and producers, directors, etc. who get caught up in all the changes) decide that history isn't interesting enough as it actually played out. I love historical fiction, but when it deviates into counterfactual history, unless you've made it plain that that's what I'm viewing, I feel cheated.

Meh. Only the historians and history buff felt cheated. AFAIK, I've not heard one complaint from the Romans.