Can celebrities really manifest their dream roles through style choices?
As we grow to be a more understanding society, people have become more aware of the whitewashing that goes on in Hollywood. White actors are cast to play non-white characters, and cisgender actors often get to portray the few trans characters we see on our screens. This means many actors have taken roles from those whose voices have long been silenced. Then there are actors who've expressed regret for working with a certain director who has been accused of assault or misconduct.
Click through this gallery to see which roles led actors to make public apologies.
In 2018, Scarlett Johansson was cast to play a trans man in the movie 'Rub & Tug.' There was heavy criticism at the choice to cast a cisgender woman in a rare trans role. Initially, Johansson was flippant, pointing out other actors like Jared Leto and Felicity Huffman who had also played trans characters. But after further backlash, Johansson stepped down from the role. Several months later, she expressed remorse for mishandling the situation.
In 2010, Julianne Moore, who is straight, played a lesbian woman in the Oscar-nominated film 'The Kids Are All Right.' In an interview for Variety, she admitted that she wasn't sure if she would ever play a lesbian again. "We need to give real representation to people, but I'm grateful for all of the experiences that I've had as an actor because my job is to communicate a universality of experience to the world," she said.
The 2018 film 'Green Book' won Best Picture at the Oscars, and earned Mahershala Ali Best Supporting Actor. Despite its critical success, Ali later apologized to the family of Dr. Shirley, the real-life pianist he played in the movie. Shirley's family felt that the movie misrepresented his life and even created a white savior narrative between him and his driver, who in reality was simply his employee.
On top of gaining 30 lbs (13 kg) Sarah Paulson received backlash for wearing padding to play Linda Tripp, the real-life whistleblower in the Bill Clinton-Monica Lewinsky scandal, on 'Impeachment: American Crime Story.' In an interview to the Los Angeles Times, Paulson said, "The thing I think about the most is that I regret not thinking about it more fully," adding that she was in a privileged place to be able to think and reflect on the choices she made "having already gotten to do it, and having had an opportunity that someone else didn't have." She continued, "You can only learn what you learn when you learn it ... I wouldn't make the same choice going forward."
Hank Azaria was the voice of the Indian character Apu on 'The Simpsons' for over 20 years. Finally, in 2020 Azaria stepped down following the Black Lives Matter protests. In April 2021, Azaria offered a heartfelt apology to the entire Indian community for his contribution to structural racism in the US.
The Oscar-winner is another cisgender actress who caught fire when she announced she was considering a role as a trans man. Berry listened to the feedback and apologized, saying she understood that the trans community should have the opportunity to portray their own stories.
Before becoming one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, Paul Newman was just another working actor when he appeared in the Biblical epic 'The Silver Chalice' (1954). The movie was panned by critics for being boring, vulgar, and poorly made. Newman himself said it was the worst movie of the '50s, and he even paid US$1,200 for ad space in several popular newspapers where he printed an apology!
Anne Hathaway starred as the Grand High Witch in the 2020 remake of 'The Witches.' As in the original movie, the witch characters had three claw-like fingers to make them appear more sinister. Hathaway later apologized after realizing that people, especially children, with limb differences were offended.
Rooney Mara was cast in the 2015 remake of 'Peter Pan,' called 'Pan.' She played the role of Tiger Lily, a Native American character. The white actress apologized profusely for the insensitivity a year later.
The white actress Emma Stone played a character of Chinese and Hawaiian descent, in the 2015 film 'Aloha.' She apologized and said, "I've learned on a macro level about the insane history of whitewashing in Hollywood and how prevalent the problem truly is."
Jim Carrey took on the role of Captain Stars and Stripes in the 2013 movie 'Kick-A** 2.' However, a month after he completed filming, mass shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School shocked the nation. The event made the actor regret appearing in the film, which used violence for comedic effect. In a since-deleted tweet, Carrey apologized to his fellow cast and crew for not supporting the film. "In all good conscience, I cannot support that level of violence," he wrote.
In a 2020 interview, Gwyneth Paltrow revealed that her least favorite performance was in 2001's 'Shallow Hal' where she donned a fat suit. The movie has been accused of being incredibly fatphobic and offensive. Paltrow said that the movie was a "disaster."
The actor, who is white, played Dastan in 'Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time' in 2010. Many have questioned why the role didn't go to an actor of Iranian descent. In 2019, the actor said he "wasn't right" for the role.
Clooney starred in the 1997 movie 'Batman & Robin.' The movie was so bad, he was terrified he had brought an end to the epic franchise. Clooney has been apologizing for it for decades.
Alison Brie previously voiced the Vietnamese-American character Diane Nguyen in the Netflix animated series 'BoJack Horseman.' She wrote on Instagram that she regretted playing the character, as it was a missed opportunity for real representation of the Vietnamese community in the US.
Kristen Bell also used to voice a non-white character in an animated series. She played the biracial character Molly in 'Central Park.' Bell stepped down from the show and apologized for her lack of awareness.
Jenny Slate voiced the biracial character Missy in the animated series 'Big Mouth' for the first few seasons. She said she had justified it to herself because Missy's mother was white and Jewish like she was, but she had ignored that fact that Missy was also Black. She stepped down from the show in 2020.
Page worked with Allen on 'To Rome With Love' (2012). In a November 2017 Facebook post he called it "the biggest regret" of his career. "I am ashamed I did this," the actor wrote. "I had yet to find my voice and was not who I am now and felt pressured, because 'of course you have to say yes to this Woody Allen film.' Ultimately, however, it is my choice what films I decide to do, and I made the wrong choice. I made an awful mistake."
Saldaña, who is of Puerto Rican and Dominican origin, was cast to play the famous African-American singer Nina Simone in the biopic 'Nina' in 2016. She wore dark makeup and a prosthetic nose for the role. The actress later apologized, saying she should have done everything in her power to ensure that role went to another actress.
In 2015, Tim Roth played the ex-president of FIFA, Sepp Blatter, in the movie 'United Passions.' Shortly before the film's release, 14 FIFA officials were arrested on charges of corruption. Blatter had to step down after the scandal. In the movie, he's portrayed as a virtuous and ethical leader. Roth expressed serious regret for not questioning the intentions of the film.
In 2020, Jimmy Fallon apologized for impersonating Chris Rock while wearing blackface on Saturday Night Live in 2000. "There is no excuse for this. I am very sorry for making this unquestionably offensive decision and thank all of you for holding me accountable," he tweeted. The videos had resurfaced in 2019.
In 2020, old sketches of Jimmy Kimmel doing blackface in the '90s went viral. In a statement, he said, "There is nothing more important to me than your respect, and I apologize to those who were genuinely hurt or offended by the makeup I wore or the words I spoke."
The 'Barbie' (2023) director acted in Woody Allen's 2012 film 'To Rome With Love.' In 2018, she stated that she would not work with him again and deeply regretted contributing to another woman's pain.
Rebecca Hall first worked with Allen on 2008’s 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona,' and then again on his 2017 film 'Rainy Day In New York.' Once filming had ended, Hall said she was "profoundly sorry" and pledged to donate her salary from the movie to the Time's Up legal defense fund.
Chalamet, who also appears in 'A Rainy Day In New York', expressed his regret in an Instagram post. He also shared that he didn't "want to profit" from working with the controversial filmmaker, and that he would donate his salary from the film to three different non-profit organizations.
Multiple actors and actresses who previously worked with Woody Allen spoke out against him after allegations of assault surfaced. In 1992, his ex-partner Mia Farrow publicly accused him of misconduct with his adopted daughter, Dylan Farrow. She spoke out again in 2014 and 2017.
Mira Sorvino starred in Allen's 'Mighty Aphrodite' (1995), which earned her an Oscar and a Golden Globe. Her connection to both Farrow and the Me Too movement is personal. Ronan Farrow named her one of Harvey Weinstein's victims in his 2017 New Yorker article. Sorvino wrote an open letter in January 2018 to Dylan Farrow, in which she apologized and pledged never to work with Allen again.
In October 2017, the actor tweeted that he believed in Farrow's abuse allegations. "I need to get this off my chest," Newman wrote. "I worked on Woody Allen’s next movie. I believe he is guilty." He stated he was donating his salary from 'Rainy Day In New York' to RAINN, Abuse, and Incest National Network.
Sources: (Cosmopolitan) (BuzzFeed) (Best Life)
Actors who have publicly apologized for their roles
Many stars have felt regret looking back at their past choices
CELEBRITY Apologies
As we grow to be a more understanding society, people have become more aware of the whitewashing that goes on in Hollywood. White actors are cast to play non-white characters, and cisgender actors often get to portray the few trans characters we see on our screens. This means many actors have taken roles from those whose voices have long been silenced. Then there are actors who've expressed regret for working with a certain director who has been accused of assault or misconduct.
Click through this gallery to see which roles led actors to make public apologies.