I've been meaning to write about a particular trend that's emerged recently, related to the casting choices on various movies. Specifically, we've seen a big shift in the way that certain roles are being handled. Ed Skrein deciding to leave the role of Ben Daimio in the "Hellboy" reboot last August seemed to be a major turning point. The character is ethnically Japanese, but Skrein is Caucasian. After some outcry about the character being whitewashed, Skrein bowed out, specifically citing these concerns as the reason for his departure. The part was then quickly recast with Daniel Dae Kim, an Asian actor.
I found this very encouraging, as someone who's been rooting for more on-screen diversity for ages, but one incident doesn't really make a trend. Then came the news that Scarlett Johansson was starring in and producing "Rub and Tug," a biopic about a transgender man, Dante "Tex" Gill. The trans community made their displeasure known, and a little over a week later Johansson announced she was leaving the project due to the response. The film was cancelled shortly thereafter. Johansson was at the center of the whitewashing controversy about last year's "Ghost in the Shell," where she played the originally Japanese Major Kusanagi. I assume that she wanted to avoid a similar situation developing with "Rub and Tug."
So after years of escalating criticism, which has become more and more visible thanks to social media, I think we are in a moment where diverse casting is not only considered a positive, but a requirement. Suddenly it's become a priority to make sure that a Middle Eastern or handicapped or LGBT or other minority-specific role goes to an actor that is authentic to that experience. It used to be that you cast the biggest name that you could get, but now you run the risk of subjecting that name to merciless online scrutiny if that actor is deemed as unsuitable for a particular role. So no more trying to pass off Jake Gyllenhaal as Persian, or Johnny Depp as Native American. No more weak excuses about there not being suitable talent, especially as the actors themselves are now actively taking a stance against whitewashing practices.
It's a little breathtaking how quickly this has happened. Scarlett Johansson originally responded to the criticisms of her playing Gill by invoking other cisgendered actors who had played trans characters, including Jeffrey Tambor, Felicity Huffman, and Jared Leto - who won an Oscar for "Dallas Buyers Club" in 2014. That was before Laverne Cox on "Orange is the New Black," however. This was before "Tangerine" and "Pose" and "A Fantastic Woman." That was before it became abundantly clear that there were talented trans actors who could play those trans characters. Thanks in part to the content explosion happening with television and web series right now, suddenly the acting talent pool has massively diversified. Now there's no excuse not to cast a deaf actress in "A Quiet Place" or a Middle Eastern actor as Freddie Mercury in "Bohemian Rhapsody."
Still, I don't think that this recent push for authenticity is going to mean the end of problematic casting in the future. Creative and financial considerations will continue to affect casting choices, and the gains we've seen could easily disappear. Right now this is a trend, one that has the possibility of becoming something more permanent, but we're not there yet. Also, I feel that it's important to reiterate that given a level playing field, there's nothing inherently wrong with a cis actor playing a trans actor, or even an actor of one ethnicity playing another, when they're doing it respectfully. Back in the '80s, Caucasian actress Linda Hunt played an Asian male dwarf, and was brilliant. The problem is that the playing field isn't level right now, and onscreen representation continues to be something to strive for.
So for now, I'm going to keep cheering for each new bit of progress that I see being made. And for those who fret about Skrein or Johansson losing out on roles, remember that they have plenty of other opportunities - the "Black Widow" movie is finally moving forward, and Skrein has five film credits this year alone. On the other hand, there are only so many roles that Daniel Dae Kim or Laverne Cox are considered for, simply because they're not white hetero, cisgender actors. Until that changes, we gotta keep fighting the good fight.
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