Posted on 10/12/2020 1:41:05 PM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege
Israel-born actress Gal Gadot announced Sunday that she would team up again with “Wonder Woman” director Patty Jenkins in a new film about the legendary Egyptian Queen Cleopatra. The film will be produced by Paramount and written by Laeta Kalogridis in a retelling of the epic tale made famous by Elizabeth Taylor in the 1963 classic. The announcement drew criticism, with some railing against the casting of an Israeli as the Queen of Egypt...
“Which Hollywood dumba** thought it would be a good idea to cast an Israeli actress as Cleopatra...instead of a stunning Arab actress like Nadine Njeim?” tweeted journalist Sameera Khan.
“How about they cast someone with North African blood! someone like Sofia Boutella! I’m so sick of casting white actors and Israelis as pharaohs and arab roles!...” wrote another Twitter user.
-However, many, including the screenplay author, were quick to point out that Cleopatra was neither Arab nor Black, but rather a Macedonian Greek.
“Incredibly excited to get the chance to tell the story of Cleopatra, my favorite Ptolemaic Pharoah and arguably the most famous Macedonian Greek woman in history,” tweeted Kalogridis.
(Cleopatra was the last Ptolemaic ruler of Egypt, descended from Ptolemy I Soter, a Macedonian Greek general and companion of Alexander the Great.)
Gadot did not react to the controversy, but later tweeted that the film would mark the first time Cleopatra’s story would be told through “women’s eyes, both behind and in front of the camera.”
Gadot’s Israeli heritage has caused her some problems in the Arab world before, with Lebanon banning “Wonder Woman” because she starred in it. Gadot, who like most young Israelis did military service, made headlines in 2014 with a Facebook post expressing solidarity with Israeli citizens under Hamas rocket fire...
(Excerpt) Read more at timesofisrael.com ...
Yeah that’s what they do. And the best can even feign an accent.
Some learn languages just to play a part.
or used to.
That’s when acting meant putting everything into a role.
And not worrying about PC nonsense.
It’s called “acting”...not “realing”
Central European, then. Not that it matters, just crossed my mind.
Can't. Look. Away.
What about Omar Sharif playing a Russian in Doctor Zhivago?
Laz would hit it.
Thanks CondoleezzaProtege. Naturally, the end result is that the critics outed themselves as racists and bigots.
There is tons of ignorance on the interwebs about this; and lots of people correcting it.
Susanna is also Jewish, that would REALLY get the liberals in a rage.
I never heard of Nadine Njeim, but I just used Google, and she’s beautiful. Not that it matters for the point.
Because Cleopatra was culturally Greek, she had the same adversity to makeup as the Romans. I meant to include the Romans in this cultural idea of beauty. Hence, the attraction to Roman general, Mark Antony may have been her natural beauty. I said that the Egyptians were not inclined to use makeup. However, that is not the case. They were heavy users of makeup, which Antony may have had no liking to. Perhaps Cleopatra may have lined her eyes with the Egyptian makeup, as depicted in the Egyptian Papyrus images. However, when she appeared to Antony, hidden in a clothing sack, I bet it was tutto naturale senza vestiti!
Indeed. And of course the Bangles did Walk Like an Egyptian.
Jean pool.... WHO IS WHO.
LOL
What a babe back in the day.
Cleopatra wasn’t an Arab. She was 100% European. Casting an Arab actress would be cultural appropriation.
(He said with a straight face suppressing a giggle).
I told my wife this, and that there’s a hue and cry about an Israeli playing an Egyptian. She said “Karma’s a bitch, ain’t it?”
(400 years in captivity....)
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