August 21, 2004

Mis-Casting? It isn't unheard of for roles in movies to be miscast. Some would say it's merely a matter of opinion.

Some people are upset that Zhang Ziyi wil be portraying Sayuri in Memoirs of a Geisha. Does race play a part in character? Does having an actor of a race different than the role detract from the performance? Can good acting bridge that gap? Can you think of a particularly good/bad performance of someone portraying another race?

posted by lilnemo 20 years ago
  • Even Brando can be cringe-worthy.
  • Linda Hunt as Billy Kwan in The Year of Living Dangerously. Besides, she has a fabulous speaking voice.
  • I dunno. Maybe will have to wait to see what the Japanese think of her portrayal. While I've thought the book was pretty complex and that someone more familiar with the character of Japanese women of that day would make it more authentic, what do I know?
  • Some of the best live theatre I've ever seen was done with "color blind" casting. If the production's good, after five minutes, you totally forget about race.
  • A friend of mine drew my attention to this project a few days ago. I'll admit to thinking Will Ferrell is usually totally fucking hilarious. That said, he is probably going to (capital-F) Fatsuit the SHIT out of that role, and I don't see how it can't be a miserable disappointment. It's a goddamn shame; Confederacy could be made into an amazing film in the right hands. All this, of course, has little to do with the topic under discussion, but I'm a little soused and felt the need to go off about it. Gack. Sorry.
  • I think it's another case of Hollywood not expecting the American audience to know the difference (or care). "She's Asian enough, id'nt she?" And now that babywannasofa has depressed the fuck out of me with that IMDB link, it's drinkin' time. It's immaterial whether you think Will Ferrell is funny (I don't) - that's not a ha-ha funny type role. sigh.
  • I dunno how I feel about Zhang Ziyi playing a geisha, but Ken Watanabe is the shiznit. /2,000 Indians?!? How many men for Custer?
  • Early in my career, I was tragically miscast as a member of my family, and will never fully recover from the resulting critical backlash.
  • I spent twenty-plus years miscast as an Accountant, although I must admit I looked the part (you should see me in a green eye-shade!)
  • I'm with Dr. Zira on this one. I truly hope they can pull this off, the book was wonderful.
  • Zhang Ziyi, Gong Li and Michelle Yeoh in the same film? Be still my beating heart!
  • *thinks about beauty of Gong Li, passes out*