Whitewashing In Hollywood: Films That Cast Non-Blacks In Black Roles
- By
Iva Anthony
“Nina”
When Zoe Saldana was chosen to play legendary blues singer Nina Simone, a lot of people were outraged. Many felt Saldana, who was born to a Dominican father and Puerto Rican mother, looked nothing like Simone, known for her brown skin and wide nose. The “Columbiana” star wore makeup in the film to darken her skin and spoke about the controversy that started once she landed the role. “I’m human,” Saldana said. “I wish I was made of steel and so certain things wouldn’t affect me. So it did affect me but I couldn’t let that deter me from doing what I needed to do. Just like everybody else I feel very strongly about Nina Simone, and that [this] was a story that needed to be told.”
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