Race row erupts over casting of Angelina Jolie as Cleopatra

dailymail.co.uk ^ | June 17, 2010 | Sophie Forbes

[Free ThinkerNY]

She hasn't even been officially confirmed as having the role, but Angelina Jolie is already receiving criticism over her possible portrayal of the legendary Queen of the Nile.

Jolie, who turned 35 last week, is caught up in a racially charged debate over whether the role should of been played by a black woman.

The Egyptian royal was most famously portrayed Elizabeth Taylor in 1963.

The new film's producer, Scott Rudin, previously told USA Today the role is being developed with Angelina in mind as she has 'the perfect look'.

But this statement has angered members of the African American community.

An Essence Magazine online story asks, 'Another White Actress to Play Cleopatra?'

'Honestly, I don't care how full Angelina Jolie's lips are, how many African children she adopts, or how bronzed her skin will become for the film, I firmly believe this role should have gone to a black woman.'

Jolie adopted her daughter Zahara,5, from Ethiopia and gave birth to Shiloh,3, in Namibia. She also has 3 other children with partner, Brad Pitt. Maddox, 8, Pax, 6, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 2.

'Were Vanessa Williams, Halle Berry and Thandie Newton unavailable for auditions that day?' the writer continued.

'Why does Hollywood think it’s even slightly plausible to cast white women in roles that would be more sensible to cast a black actress for? Especially when that role is an African queen.'

[Mike Darancette]

Jolie, who turned 35 last week, is caught up in a racially charged debate over whether the role should of been played by a black woman.

Cleopatra was of the Ptolemaic dynasty and mostly Greek.

[calex59]

Since when did Cleopatra become black? She was Egyptian, pure blood descended from a long line of Egyptian rulers. The left gets more bizarre by the day.

[calex59]

Correction to 122, She was Macedonian, I had forgotten that, but at any rate she sure as he** wasn’t black.

[Vendome]

play on words, nOOb.

[James C. Bennett]

It made no sense. Your attempt was a fail. Even the sarcasm was sorely lacking.

[I still care]

I saw a very interesting special where they think they found Cleopatra’s sister’s grave. They said she was not Greek. It was in a Pharos lighthouse styled grave I think in Ephesus, because they removed her to a place of safety.

However even there Cleopatra had her murdered. She intended to be the only survivor of her family, but we know how that turned out. She had both brothers and her sister killed.

If I find the name of the special I’ll post it here. I thought it quite good.

[I still care]

Found a story on it.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,509262,00.html

[Hetty_Fauxvert]

That’s a very interesting portrait. Shame the nose is broken off. Look at the eyes — they have great intensity.

[I still care]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAAtJzXvX1c

Here is the first part. I seem to not remember the strong accent of the narrator, but maybe I’m crazy.

Some people have some issues with the science, and dispute the ancestry of the sister. I guess there are arguments for both sides. I always heard a “long skull” was a typical royal egyptian trait.

[dangus]

“Though Cleopatra bore the ancient Egyptian title of pharaoh, the Ptolemaic dynasty was Hellenistic, having been founded 300 years before by Ptolemy I Soter, a Macedonian Greek general of Alexander the Great.”

[SWAMPSNIPER]

Let Michelle do it!

[The Cajun]

Let Michelle do it!

Man, you just gave me a mental image I don't want to deal with this late at night ;^)

[Jimmy Valentine]

Ptolomy I was a Macedonian and was half brother to Alexander the Great.He probably looked like your average Northern Greek of today.

The Ptolomaic line was also saguine and inbred.

Cleopatra definitely did not look like a nubian. In fact, one of the traditional enemies of Egypt as portrayed on their temples was Nubia.

[reaganrevolutionin2010]

I think they should cast Whoopi Goldberg

*ducking and running*

[PUGACHEV]

Except for a short year interregnum of Pharaohs from Nubia, the neither ancient Egyptians nor thier Pharaohs were black. For proof, look at some of the paintings found in King Tut's tomb. It was quite common for pharoahs to depict themselves as great conquerors of other tribes and nations, whether it was true or not. To establish the Pharaoh’s dominion over these other races, the artists were careful to depict ethnic traits in their renderings of the conquered people, even to the point of creating what today we would consider racial stereotypes. In King Tut's tomb are paintings of Tut with a rod in his hand and the warriors of many races tumbling before him, among them black warriors with curly hair and negroid features so exaggerated as to put a minstrel show to shame.

[kaylar]

As God is my witness, I read a book back in the 1990s which contained the following sentence (from memory):

"He (the writer Ralph Ellison) found himself taking greater pride in his heritage when he learned the ancient Egyptians were African American"

The book was written by a college professor and published by a university press (and edited by a moron) . I remember making a note of the publisher and the qualifications of the writer. Sadly, it was a library book and long out of my possession so I can't tell you the title or the author. I *think* the title was something like "The Empty Chair : Victorian and Early 20th Century Attitudes Towards the Aftermath of the Civil War" , but googling did not confirm this at all, and I may be misremembering two books read at the same time as one book.

[MozarkDawg]

HAY!! How did that white chick, Shelley Winters, get cast as “Mommy”?? ;)

[Mr. Blonde]

All things considered, I wouldn't mind seeing his suggestion, Jurnee Smollett on the big screen for two hours.

[Vendome]

Lighten up Francis and welcome to FR.

I can’t be the first person to point out you are a nOOb. It is just a friendly tease and part of the welcoming to FR.

Kinda like being the FNG.

Post on.

[MrEdd]

Power. Hence her suitors were ambitious men.