Hollywood is once again rewriting History by casting a white woman is the role of Cleopatra.
Look no offense but Egypt is in Africa...North Africa but that still isn’t Europe and Cleopatra was not a European Queen who immigrated to North Africa.
Sheesh I thought that Elizabeth Taylor would have been the last, but apparently Angelina Jolie is set to play the Queen of the Nile.
Hey Angie’s a babe but I’m NOT the only person who’s noticed this attempt to “white wash” history once again.
Angelina Jolie draws criticism for being 'too white' to play Cleopatra in upcoming Scott Rudin film
Angelina Jolie is one of the most beautiful women in the world, but her "perfect" looks have some critics complaining she's all wrong for her latest role.
Earlier this month producer Scott Rudin got the Internet buzzing with his announcement that he was developing a Cleopatra biopic "for and with Jolie" based on Stacy Schiff's book "Cleopatra: A Life."
Schiff raved about the choice, telling USA Today, "Physically, she's the perfect look."
But some members of the African American community beg to differ -- they are outraged by the casting decision and say Jolie is "too white" to play the Egyptian Queen.
In fact the only person who has fit the role of Cleopatra in my opinion is Lenor Varela who played the Egyptian Queen in a 1998 television miniseries: Cleopatra
Lenor Varela
"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," Shirea Carroll wrote in an editorial for Essence.com.
"I firmly believe this role should have gone to a Black woman...What's next? A biopic on...
No No No..Not a Black woman but evidence obtained by studying the dimensions of Arsinöe’s skull shows she had some of the characteristics of white Europeans, ancient Egyptians and black Africans, indicating that Cleopatra was probably of mixed race. Mixed Race. Not Lily White and Not Black. Mixed Race kind of like me. Maybe I should play Cleo.
This isn't the first time Jolie has found herself at the center of a debate about race in Hollywood.
In 2007, in the Movie: A Mighty Heart Jolie sparked controversy when she wore tinted make-up to play the role of slain Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl's wife Marian, who is partly of African descent. Pearl herself took to the press to defend Jolie, telling Time Magazine, "It is not about the color of your skin. It is about who you are."
I saw that movie and Angelina’s skin hardly looked tinted, she looked like she always does. BTW I hadn’t notice that Marianne Pearl was mixed race either. But she is beautiful.
It Was A Good Movie People Watch it Now
While experts can't say with certainty what Cleopatra looked like, physically speaking, Jolie is probably not the most historically accurate choice. For starters, she's probably too tall, beautiful and skinny, according to what historians now know.
Lenor Varela was the most historically correct version of Cleopatra being petite with an olive complex.
Lenor Varela is Chilean.
"Sadly for those who seek the secret of her personal allure, the more we study Cleopatra's surviving images, the less certain we may be of her [allegedly gorgeous] looks,"
Susan Walker, a senior curator at the British Museum, told the British Sunday Times.
In fact, according to ABC News, Egyptologists insist that the legendary temptress, known for having used her beauty to seduce Roman Emperor Julius Caesar and general Mark Anthony, was actually "short, fat and plain." thank the goddess Varela wasn’t.
Despite the controversy, Jolie is still at least one fan's ideal choice to play the Queen.Michael Pietsch, publisher of Little, Brown (which will put out Schiff's book this November) told UsMagazine.com, "Angelina Jolie radiates grace and power, exactly the qualities of the most intriguing ruler who ever lived." Blah Blah Blah.
Here’s the thing: White women need to stop being glorified in film and black women need to accept that not every body identifies solely as black.