CASTING NON-TRADITIONAL ROLES

Maya Clay, staff writer

Within the last decade, there has been an uprising of age-old books and stories told through a new lens, with People of Color at the forefront of these tales. From the stages of New York with the Hamilton production to the adaption of beloved series like Percy Jackson, the entertainment industry is steadily expanding the diversity we see in media. However, this revolution of casting people of color has led to varied opinions. Some call it an attempt for Hollywood to seem “woke” in this day and age of protest, while others feel as though they are finally getting their overdue time in the spotlight. The technique Hollywood has used for recent casting is considered “color-blind” casting. It is a process in which casting directors look beyond one’s physical appearance and scout purely on talent. We see it in the 1996 adaption of “Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella.” The film utilized Whoopie Goldberg, a black woman, and Victor Garbera, a white man, as the parents of an Asian prince charming. Color blind casting gives kids of color new role models and stories to tell that don’t center around their racial identity. The other side of this spectrum is “color-conscious” casting, utilizing people of color with an understanding of how it will affect the depiction of the character. Look at the Broadway musical Hamilton. Lin Manuel Miranda set out to only cast POC in the roles of historical white men to flip the narrative on its head. Color conscious casting, when done right, adds new depths to an established character. Leah Jeffries, a young back girl, is set to play Annabeth Chase in the upcoming Percy Jackson television series. The announcement left many fans in an uproar, claiming that Annabeth needed to be a blonde because her character faces prejudice of being the “dumb blonde” despite her overbearing intelligence. Blinded by their dedication to the books, fans couldn’t seem to understand the author’s, Rick Riordan, choice when he opened up about hand-selecting Leah Jeffries because she was simply the best pick for the role. Despite these outlooks, many people think this new wave has been for attention instead of progression - an excuse to stay relevant. Announcements of a woman of color playing the new James Bond and a black woman cast as Anne Boelyn in an upcoming biopic, are called into question. People begin to wonder: “Why cast POC just to retell the same story? Why not make a new character instead of giving them recycled roles? Why break tradition?” These critiques were meant to question the integrity of directors and the need for these different castings. This revolution of diversifying Hollywood has shown the good and ugly of the argument. It has, without question, opened doors for undermined actors to rise and receive admiration, but the question of whether it is for betterment and talent or simple firestarters is additionally left open. Many people will continue to see this as prosperous for the future, yet doubt will always trickle through.