Zoe Saldana stepped out to check out the magazines on the newsstands amidst growing controversy regarding her role as Nina Simone in an upcoming biopic of the singer’s life.
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After a photo of the Avatar actress leaked online of Zoe dressed as Nina Simone, wearing an afro wig, dark makeup and a fake nose – outrage quickly grew.
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A petition surfaced online asking the filmmakers to cast another actress as Nina Simone.
The Huffington Post reports:
Simone’s daughter, Simone Kelly, disagreed with Saldana’s casting during an interview with the New York Times. “My mother was raised at a time when she was told her nose was too wide, her skin was too dark. Appearance-wise this is not the best choice,” she said.
Professors, scholars and singers all spoke out about Saldana, who is Dominican and Puerto Rican, being cast for this role. In a post on her website, songstress India Arie wrote:
“YES they should have chosen someone who LOOKS like Nina Simone, ESPECIALLY since her RACE played such a PIVOTAL role in WHO, WHAT and WHY, she was. THAT ASIDE for a second, this just looks WEIRD, it looks like a person in Black(er) face with a fake nose … REALLY?!!!!”
Do you think it is more important to get the best actress for the job, or someone who looks the part?
