The greatest films to come out of Japan
Hollywood has come a long way, but it still has a long road ahead towards equality and inclusiveness. Casting choices are a particular sore spot, as white actors are cast as people of color, able-bodied actors are cast as disabled characters, and cisgender actors are cast in transgender roles—putting marginalized actors out of work. Even films aiming to show an underrepresented community stumble with issues like colorism—prejudice or discrimination against darker skin tones within the same racial group.
Despite the diverse casting of the Oscar-nominated crime musical 'Emilia Pérez,' French director Jacques Audiard came under fire for his failure to cast a native Spanish speaker from Mexico in a leading role. The film, which was also written by Audiard, is set in Mexico and tells the story of three Mexican women. The lead is played by Spanish actress Karla Sofía Gascón, who became embroiled in scandal following the movie's release when racist comments she made on social media resurfaced. The other leads are played by Selena Gomez, who has described herself as a third-generation American-Mexican, and Zoe Saldaña, another American actress whose parents are Dominican and Puerto Rican. Gomez had Spanish lessons to improve her language skills for the movie but was still heavily criticized by native speakers. What's more, Audiard chose to film 'Emilia Pérez' in France instead of Mexico, and was accused of mishandling sensitive topics like the devastating effects of the drug trade.
Another casting controversy arose when it was revealed that lead actress Karla Sofía Gascón's voice was enhanced using AI to widen her vocal range. Critics say that musical roles should not have been given to non-professional singers.
'Emilia Pérez' is just one of many movies that faced backlash for its casting. Click through to check out more of the most controversial movie castings in Hollywood's recent history.
Timothée Chalamet's casting as Willy Wonka in the 2023 film 'Wonka' delighted fans of the Roald Dahl classic. He plays a younger version of Wonka than we've seen in previous adaptations, and Chalamet undoubtedly has the talent and the unique look to pull off the quirky character. No issues there! However, it received some backlash from the dwarfism community. Actor Hugh Grant was transformed into an Oompa-Loompa for the film. "So, you're the funny little man who's been following me," Chalamet's Wonka says, looking at Grant who has the traditional orange skin and green hair. Grant has been shrunk down to 20 inches (50 centimeters) and his head is large in proportion to the rest of his body.
An actor with dwarfism named George Coppen spoke out against the casting choice in an interview with the BBC. "A lot of people, myself included, argue that dwarfs should be offered everyday roles in dramas and soaps, but we aren't getting offered those roles," he explained. It's clear that actors with dwarfism shouldn't be confined to playing mystical creatures like elves, ewoks, and Oompa-Loompas as they have been in the past, but better roles have yet to materialize. "One door is being closed but they have forgotten to open the next one," Coppen said. If actors with this condition aren't even being offered those few roles, will they lose their place in the film industry entirely?
British actor Eddie Redmayne starred as the transgender artist Lili Elbe in the 2015 film 'The Danish Girl.' Conversations around such casting choices have evolved in a major way since then, and Redmayne now says he regrets taking on the role. “No, I wouldn’t take it on now. I made that film with the best intentions, but I think it was a mistake,” he told The Times of London.
Lin-Manuel Miranda acknowledged that casting for his movie 'In The Heights,' set in the diverse neighborhood of Washington Heights, had fallen short. "I can hear the hurt and frustration over colorism, of feeling unseen in the feedback," Miranda wrote. "I hear that without sufficient dark-skinned Afro-Latino representation, the work feels extractive of the community we wanted so much to represent with pride and joy. In trying to paint a mosaic of this community, we fell short,” he continued, before apologizing, thanking people for their criticism, and promising to do better.
Singer Sia's directorial debut 'Music' came under fire as it cast a neurotypical actor, Maddie Ziegler (who previously appeared in Sia's music videos), as the lead role of Music, an autistic character. Autism advocacy groups, like the National Autism Association, called for industry members to boycott the awards shows that might honor Sia’s film, such as the Golden Globes and Oscars. The singer herself got into Twitter spats defending the film.
Kate Hudson plays Music's older sister and guardian, and following the backlash she spoke to Jimmy Kimmel and said she believes the conversation around representation in media is "important" and that she encourages it. She added, "For me, when I hear that there's anybody that feels left out I feel terrible."
Sia had also previously apologized for including a scene in which Music is physically restrained, a dangerous practice which many in the autism community have criticized. The 2021 film came into the spotlight again in 2023 when Sia shared the news that she has since been diagnosed with autism herself.
Halle Berry was hit with backlash after announcing that she was planning to play a transgender person in a new film. That alone was cause for concern, but Berry went on to explain, "[It's] a character where the woman is a trans character, so she's a woman that transitioned into a man." She continued to misgender the role by calling him a woman, and claimed the film was a "female story." Trans activists took to social media to explain why her statements were wrong, and Berry backed down from the role.
The actress was a perfect example of how to respond in a situation like this. She wrote on Instagram that, after some discussion, she decided to step down from the role. Berry apologized for her remarks, agreed that a trans person should have the role, and expressed gratitude for the guidance she'd received. She also vowed to be an ally and use her voice to promote better representation in Hollywood.
In 2018, the actress was heavily criticized for accepting to play the role of a transgender man in a film called 'Rub & Tug.' The actress heard people's qualms, however, and dropped out.
Unfortunately, it was not the first time that Johansson faced criticism for taking on a role. The year prior, she was accused of "whitewashing" for playing Motoko Kusanagi (Major), a character who's originally Asian in the Japanese manga series.
The actress was cast as Ray, a transgender teen transitioning from female to male, a decision that garnered some criticism.
Although it was praised at first for casting Native American actors, fans of 'The Twilight' saga were quick to point out how their characters were portrayed as violent savages (the wolf pack).
As pointed out by The Guardian, a lot of the film's criticism had to do with the mainly-white casting in a movie about jazz, which has deep roots in black history.
Depp was cast as a Native American and Comanche sidekick Tonto in the 2013 Disney adaptation.
Jeffrey Tambor's portrayal of transgender Maura Pfefferman has won him several awards, but even he recognized during an Emmy speech that "transgender talent" should be given a chance.
Mara was accused of "whitewashing" after being cast as Tiger Lily, a Native American warrior.
Theron won an Oscar for Best Actress for her portrayal of infamous serial killer Aileen Wuornos, who was a lesbian.
Swank won an Academy Award for her role as real-life transgender man Brandon Teena in the 1999 film. She was one of the first cisgender actors to portray the plight of a trans person.
Neeson plays Ra's al Ghul in the movie, but the character was originally of Arab descent in the comic books.
Hollywood's most controversial movie castings
'Emilia Pérez' came under fire for lack of Mexican representation
MOVIES Backlash
Hollywood has come a long way, but it still has a long road ahead towards equality and inclusiveness. Casting choices are a particular sore spot, as white actors are cast as people of color, able-bodied actors are cast as disabled characters, and cisgender actors are cast in transgender roles—putting marginalized actors out of work. Even films aiming to show an underrepresented community stumble with issues like colorism—prejudice or discrimination against darker skin tones within the same racial group.
Despite the diverse casting of the Oscar-nominated crime musical 'Emilia Pérez,' French director Jacques Audiard came under fire for his failure to cast a native Spanish speaker from Mexico in a leading role. The film, which was also written by Audiard, is set in Mexico and tells the story of three Mexican women. The lead is played by Spanish actress Karla Sofía Gascón, who became embroiled in scandal following the movie's release when racist comments she made on social media resurfaced. The other leads are played by Selena Gomez, who has described herself as a third-generation American-Mexican, and Zoe Saldaña, another American actress whose parents are Dominican and Puerto Rican. Gomez had Spanish lessons to improve her language skills for the movie but was still heavily criticized by native speakers. What's more, Audiard chose to film 'Emilia Pérez' in France instead of Mexico, and was accused of mishandling sensitive topics like the devastating effects of the drug trade.
Another casting controversy arose when it was revealed that lead actress Karla Sofía Gascón's voice was enhanced using AI to widen her vocal range. Critics say that musical roles should not have been given to non-professional singers.
'Emilia Pérez' is just one of many movies that faced backlash for its casting. Click through to check out more of the most controversial movie castings in Hollywood's recent history.