Historical roles : most important factor?

[Dark Jezter]

Speak to me brother!

If it invoved the heroic kickn of buttocks, John Wayne was qualified to play the roll.

Amen to that!

To this date, there still has not been an actor who has been able to top John Wayne in the tough guy hero department. He was more than just an actor: he was a cinematic icon.

 

[Eosin the Red]

Amen to that!

To this date, there still has not been an actor who has been able to top John Wayne in the tough guy hero department. He was more than just an actor: he was a cinematic icon.

For those of us who are old enough, I think he goes even beyond icon. I still evaluate things on "The Duke Scale" it is my instant yardstick for behaving as a man should behave. Strange that the fictional charcters played by JW would be so central to what I believe about manhood.

 

[Rackhir]

Not just any viking film, either. The Norseman starred Lee Majors. And is one of the worst movies I've seen.

It's particularly infamous for the scene where the guy on the mast yells out "Land Ho!" sticking out his arm that clearly has a wrist watch on it.

 

[Dark Jezter]

For those of us who are old enough, I think he goes even beyond icon. I still evaluate things on "The Duke Scale" it is my instant yardstick for behaving as a man should behave. Strange that the fictional charcters played by JW would be so central to what I believe about manhood.

You might be on to something there. Back when I was about 13 years old and beginning my rebellious phase, I started talking about getting my left ear pierced. My dad chuckled and responded with "Do you think John Wayne would ever wear an ear ring?"

Needless to say, I never pierced my ear. I never even really considered it after hearing that statement.

 

[Klaus]

Y'know, I've never actually seen a John Wayne movie.

Or a James Dean movie, either.

 

[Ranger REG]

Speak to me brother!

If it invoved the heroic kickn of buttocks, John Wayne was qualified to play the roll.

With all due respect ... pilgrim ... it would be a far stretch of imagination to cast the Duke as Shaka Zulu, much less King Kamehameha.

*blows raspberry*

 

[Tonguez]

Anyone remember Kevin Costners movie Rapanui - starring Jason Scott Lee as a 'easter islander'.
If Chinese-Hawaiian Jason can play that, then yeah the Rock can play Kamehameha.

I think it would be cooler to have a Hawaiian actor in the role (with the Rock as supporting actor - perhaps Kalaniopuu (Kamehameha's uncle) or even his grandfather Alapai) while we're at it we could get Keanu reeves involved too

I just think its cool that a whole lot of Maori actors are gonna get more work - Cliff Curtis and Temuera Morrison (aka Jango Fett) and Larence Makoare (aka Lurtz) for a start

isn't Tia Carere Hawaiian too
wow and so is Kelly Hu - apparently she attended the Kamehameha schools

 

[Ranger REG]

isn't Tia Carere Hawaiian too

Part Hawaiian, part Filipino (Mabuhay!), and part German.

Let's face it, Hapa Haole mix is better than pure Haole breed, bar none.

Dunno about Keanu. Don't think he has Hawaiian blood in him nor care about Hawaiian culture and history. I think his mother named him because it sounds good. Then again, I may be wrong.

Dean Cain? Been estranged from his father who is part Hawaiian.

 

[LightPhoenix]

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

Or is that just an urban myth?

Yes and no.

According to 2004 census data, people identifying as White were 24.3%, whereas Asian was 41.6% and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander was 9.4%. So in that case, yes, Asian does indeed make up an ethnic majority.

However, I couldn't find a reliable breakdown of Asian ethnicity aside from the Wikipedia entry on Hawaii. The overall numbers there do match, so the breakdown might be okay. On that page, Japanese is 16.7% and Filipino 14.1%. I'd consider them fairly different ethnicities, so in this case, no, White is the ethnic majority.

 

[johnsemlak]

Hollywood has a particulary atrocious record of using anything but a Russian to play Russian roles (Arnold Swartzenegger and Dolph Lungren being two famous examples). From a mainstream point of view, I think this is generally only a big deal to nationality in question (Arnie may be passable as a Russian in the US--or maybe the audience just doesn't care--but is completely unbelieveable to Russians).

Some roles that seem to be miscast ethnically have been handled very well. Ben Kingsley as Ghandi for example.