Posted on 06/17/2010 8:16:48 PM PDT by 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.'
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Cleopatra wasn’t black. Time to end that stupid myth.
The Ptolemies were Greek, were they not?
On the other hand, she wasn’t pretty either. Let’s keep some myths.
The only black Cleopatra had the surname Jones. She was a hottie too.
Who cares what members of the African Community think?
Yes, they were not blacks. Past and current egyptians are were/are not black, either.
Time to get some proper history lessons to the blacks in our pwn country.
Sounds to me that they don’t want the movie to flop.
Perfectly reasonable.
Yup. Cleopatra was a Macedonian Greek.
Macedonian. But don’t confuse them with facts. It upsets their fake outrage.
Macedonian. Close enough.
Who’s slated for Marc A.?
Cleopatra was Greek, hammerhead.
Cleopatra was Greek: the Ptolomy dynasty was descended from one of Alexander the great’s generals.
Pure absolute racism. Her skin isnt the right color for the part. Outrageous.
Me for one, being one of them. In this case they are being silly ....really silly.. But to give a very broad-brush answer to your very broad-brush question - me!
She was Greek.
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