Why Is Angelina Jolie Playing Cleopatra?
One of my Twitter buddies Combat Jack (entertainment lawyer Reggie Osse) was recently getting heated over the announcement Angelina Jolie is set to play Egyptian pharaoh Cleopatra in an upcoming film (following in the footsteps of Elizabeth Taylor):
I joined the conversation, highlighting the fact this particular Queen of Egypt was actually not of African descent at all:
Earlier this month, producer Scott Rudin announced the film project, based on Stacy Schiff‘s book Cleopatra: A Life, was “being developed for and with Jolie.” Schiff immediately gave her approval, saying “I think [Jolie] would be perfect for it and I can see a possible Oscar in her future.”
But just as Elizabeth Taylor (Jolie’s predecessor in so many ways) came under fire for her portrayal of Cleopatra back in 1963, Jolie’s racial background is also being questioned. This isn’t the first time she’s taken on a racially controversial role, either; her performance as Afro-Chinese-Cuban-Dutch journalist Marianne Pearl in 2007′s A Mighty Heart was also debated.
Essence‘s Shirea Carroll writes the following:
“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. Were Vanessa Williams, Halle Berry and Thandie Newton unavailable for auditions that day? 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.”
There are countless examples of people of color not being played by actors who share the same ethnicity in Hollywood over the years, from Laurence Olivier as Othello in 1965 to Jake Gyllenhaal as this year’s Prince of Persia. But is the argument a solid one in this case, when historians have confirmed throughout the years Cleopatra’s family were a Hellenic dynasty, with Greek roots? Angelina’s heritage isn’t Greek either though—so where do we draw the line?
Main image: NY Daily News
This is gonna be one of those things that shows how much Black
people don’t read…
Thandie Newton, Vanessa Williams, and Halle Berry are all beautiful sisters and extremely talented actresses, but NONE of them are Greek. I can’t think of too many Greek actresses on the level of Angelina Jolie, so I can see why they’d choose her for the role. Personally, I’m not a fan of hers, but I know she commands an audience and most of her films do well.
But using this as an example of Hollywood “whiting out” roles is silly. Cleopatra was a more tan white, but white nonetheless.
@ MARLON
TO BE HONEST YOU ARE RIGHT CLEO WAS NO WHERE NEAR DARK CEPT FOR IF SHE TANNED IN THE EGYPTIAN SUN NOW IF THEY CAST HER AS NERFTITI YEA THATS A DIFFERENT STORY. I WAS SPECIALLY HEATED WHEN THEY HAD THAT WHITE WOMAN IN THE MUMMY RETURNS PLAY NERFTITI. BUT OTHER THAN THAT ITS PLENTY OF POWERFUL ANCIENT NUBIAN QUEENS THROUGHOUT HISTORY. WHY WOULD BLACK WOMEN WANT TO PROMOTE AND BE ASSOCIATED WITH A QUEEN WHO WAS IN ESSENCE GOT HER POPULARITY AND FAME BY WHORING AROUND CAUSE THATS ALL MOSTLY CLEOPATRA WAS KNOWN FOR WAS HER LOVE AFFAIRS. SO WHY WOULD BLACK WOMEN WANNA BE LINKED TO A POWER HUNGRY WHORE WHEN THEY CAN DO SO MUCH BETTER.
My issue with this article isn’t nessecarily the fact that Angelina Jolie was cast as Cleopatra, but why it took this long for the consumers of modern media to say anything. No offense, but with our few prominent filmmakers creating garbage like “Takers,” or yet another Tyler Perry play-movie, we won’t have a legitimate voice. We as African Americans have a rich, diverse history, but if we stay stuck in this habit of making films that appeal to spectacle rather than substance, then I’d be as bold as to say that’s as far as some modern filmmakers can think. Now, I know that Will Smith is going to be starring in a movie soon that is about an ancient Egyptian king whose name escapes me, but Tyler Perry and the like have the potential to craft films of the same historic calibre as Gladiator. They just don’t, so what does that say about our complaints?
Watch ‘Color of Egypt’ on YouTube and you will understand why hollow Hollywood constantly casts white women to play Black Cleopatra
Cleopatra was Greek even if Angelina Jolie wasn’t Greek she can pass as being Greek the green eyes, the white skin, and the dark hair are characteristics of a lot of Greeks
It’s all right.
Egyptians are not black, they’re middle eastern.An it is said that the ancient egyptians actually looked down of blacks.
Why is it that people from certain minority groups feel it is in there best interest to steal other peoples identities. I am Greek and we are dealing with the Macedonians and now this. African Americans have nothing to do with Greece or Egypt. They don’t come from there. They come from Liberia and the nations near them. Nubians and the people of Kush (Ethiopia) were black (negro), not Egyptians. Southern Egypt had nubian kings not northern Egypt. If Cleopatra had any kind of black ancestory she still would not look like Halle Berry who has nothing to do with Egyptian bloodlines. Find some other historical figures to call your own and leave ours alone.
ah you guys know that cleopatra was greek right, anyway i think Angelina is a great fit for the role. the women is hot, as was cleo.
—NOT the time for still more soft-porn YOU-genocide seeding
–esp. from RED China eugenics halocaust concealing/promoting
Hollywood…
I agree that she was Greek her mother and father were related so most likely not black..sorry but Cleo was really ugly inside and out (why she used so much make-up is probably why she appeared pale; Angie would have to use a prosthetic nose….Sigh, to I can see how this would make most angry–Angelina will do it anyway because she doesn’t care. I think maybe playing a murderer who tried to kill her sister (that’s all that historians have is Arsinoe who was said/proven to have been a true beauty, unlike her half sister Cleo)and did kill her brothers;was a whore albeit a smart one who used everyone that came in her path and destroyed her country. NO idea why Angie would pick this role… Elizabeth Taylor did it already so it should not even be in consideration. Then both will be incredibly historically inaccurate. Oh well it’s been done to death ….whatever I won’t watch it.
@ someinternetguy : NO, Cleopatra was known to be very unattractive. Maybe you’re confused with Nefertiti?