Was Anne Boylen Black?

[webbo3]

Rewriting history for the sake of diversity, perhaps Davis Jason could play Nelson Mandela.

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-film-boleyn/black-actor-turner-smith-to-play-english-queen-anne-boleyn-in-new-drama-idUKKBN27F26W

https://www.thesun.co.uk/tv/13065809/channel-5-race-row-black-actress-play-anne-boleyn/

[Zacs-Master]

Well done for spelling her name correctly anyway, Andy.

[andy-hughes]

roy - // Theatres or local plays, ok...but not TV or films that are supposedly based on fact. //

Is your point that as long as black actors play white roles out of sight of mainstream audiences, then that's OK, but if they are going to appear on national TV, the have to restrict themselves purely to roles that match their skin colour?

If you have read the blurb, the play is exploring the psychological aspects of Anne's life, which has to be entirely a work of imagination, and it is being presented as such.

Psychology is the basis here, not historical accuracy - and on that basis, the colour of the actress should not be of concern.

[andy-hughes]

jourdain - // Most of us didn't used to worry about colour in the '60's, '70s' + '80s in my experience - looking back, it seems like a blessed age. //

Perhaps you grew up in a different England than I did - from my recollection, casual racism and discrimination was as normal as the sun rising!

[douglas9401]

Or

'You'll believe a man can fly'

[royfromaus]

andy-hughes
Is your point that as long as black actors play white roles out of sight of mainstream audiences, then that's OK, but if they are going to appear on national TV, the have to restrict themselves purely to roles that match their skin colour?
_______________________

No

[Mozz71]

There's a great movie called I'm Not There, featuring several different portrayals of Bob Dylan, the most notable one being played by Cate Blanchett.

Drama is open to interpretation. It's meant to be entertaining, not factually correct. I'm guessing no one here has seen Hamilton.

[Sunk]

Davis Jason?

Perhaps you should post when you are not impaired.

[Prudie]

If it's just a psychological drama why make it about Anne Boleyn at all? Apart from that there is enough horror in our daily lives without watching the perceived terror and anguish of some poor woman who knows she's going to get her head chopped off.

[andy-hughes]

Roy at 22.46, if that was not your view, why does your post say that it is - because it clearly does!

[royfromaus]

It may do in your head but it doesn't in mine.

[Mozz71]

//Perhaps you should post when you are not impaired.//

It's a typo Sunk, I'm sure even you make them occasionally. I'd focus on the BS they spelt correctly it I were you.

[Mozz71]

//If it's just a psychological drama why make it about Anne Boleyn at all? //

Because it's a psychological drama about the last few months of Anne Boleyn's life.

[Prudie]

But it has already been claimed on here that historical truth is irrelevant in this production so why pick a real person in the first place, it will all be conjecture anyway, depressing conjecture at that.

[emmie]

no she wasn't. and i find it disturbing that historical people portrayed in tv, film are seen as fair game for the idiots who cast them solely against their colour

[lankeela]

Provided she was not picked for the part because she is black rather than for her acting ability I can't see a problem. If it gets to the point where they are picking actors because they are black to ensure black actors are given equal opportunities to whites just to even up the numbers then that is a different matter.

[Mozz71]

//Provided she was not picked for the part because she is black rather than for her acting ability I can't see a problem.//

That's the real issue. Because she is black, a minority of people (or in the case of AB, a majority) will look at her skin colour and presume she is being cast because of that only. She could be the next Meryl Streep and a certain type of person won't look beyond her race.

[andy-hughes]

Roy at 23.05, it has nothing to do with what (you imagine) is in my head, it's entirely about what I can see on my screen.

[royfromaus]

So you know what I mean and I don't know what I mean...marvelous!

[Mozz71]

Here we go again....

[royfromaus]

Well he's giving it a go on two fronts

https://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/News/Question1726127-2.html

I'm off to bed though. Nighty night.