Should Ann Boleyn Be Played By A Black Actress?

[Theblip]

https://www.thesun.co.uk/tv/13065809/channel-5-race-row-black-actress-play-anne-boleyn/ What’s your opinion?

[Mamyalynne]

I turned down the role in Klute Peter, remember?

[Peter Pedant]

I like - - - your mind! - - - Klute again
and Jesus your bank balance must have minded too!

[ynnafymmi]

@16.25.You never got back to me to tell me who Allan Ginsburg was,Peter.Ever find out?

[david small]

Let’s forget the skin colour and concentrate upon the acting skill of the performance.

[Old_Geezer]

As long as she was the best choice available and able to white up for the part, then fine. What are the odds ?

[webbo3]

dannyk13
\\As many white actors have played Othello no reason why a black actress shouldn't play Anne Boleyn.//

Othello was a character in a play and was POSSIBLY based on a real person whereas Anne Boleyn was defiantly a real person.

[andy-hughes]

webbo - // dannyk13
\\As many white actors have played Othello no reason why a black actress shouldn't play Anne Boleyn.//

Othello was a character in a play and was POSSIBLY based on a real person whereas Anne Boleyn was defiantly a real person. //

I'm not sure what the relevance of that observation is - Othello was a black man, real or not, he was a Moor, and the play revolves around the Elizabethan audiences' thoughts about Moors at the time, because Shakespeare's genius was to weave current political and social views into his plays.

Apart from that, this is theatre - people can do what they like with it - realism is not a re-requisite of art in any form.

[webbo3]

It is when you are playing a REAL historical person, you can't change history, lets change the colour of..
Barack Obama
Nelson Mandela
Idi Ami
muhammad ali

I bet they wouldn't dare.

[Old_Geezer]

Realism may or may not be a re-requisite, depending on what one is trying to achieve. An arty farty nonsense that only those who consider themselves artists/artistes approve of, or a genuine portrayal of a historic time. They are very different and need to be clear on the intent.

[iluvmargie]

Good point webbo.

[lankeela]

Does there come a point where the perceived political correctness takes over? I am thinking of all the programmes and adverts currently being shown where black people seem to outnumber white people - you watch the next set of adverts and see what I mean. I don't have a problem with black people or any other colour but it would appear that casting directors are sitting in their offices saying we must have a black family advertising oven chips/bum wipes/christmas pressies to keep up with the current requirement to be seen to be equal. The point being it isn't equal as in this country the number of white people outnumber black people.