Anne Boleyn as a black woman

[Frustratedbeyondbelief]

Am anyone explain why ? I know this question raises the issue of race which is highly controversial. It is not meant to be goady.. just perplexed by what they are trying to achieve. To me like playing GHandi and Martin Luther King as while men..

For context I hope my non racial credentials as a mother of mixed race children assist in not seeing this as an 'anti black' thread ... I genuinely would like to be educated as to why this is thought to be a 'good thing' when simply factually incorrect . ? Her home at Hever is less than a mile away, I have never had any idea she was black or mixed race. Just seems a bit 'trendy' ...

Catherine of Aragon has largely been portrayed as dark and modern Spanish looking, even though she had the royal English Rose complexion.
That's what happens when you portray a character a certain way- there's a lot of power in screen portrayals. Enough miscasting of Anne and the same thing would happen.

Anne's 'beautiful' portrait. The best contemporary portrait of Anne was actually from her coronation coins, partly down to the fact that Henry had her pictures destroyed.
But you can see the resemblance to Elizabeth 1st.

I saw this on Twitter a few weeks ago: Henry's wives, if they'd never met Henry.

(no doubt this will upset some of the sticklers too )

I imagine Anne of Cleeves looked like that after her divorce settlement titles and castles.

[quote Faithless12]@TheWeeDonkeyIsMySpiritAnimal
www.vox.com/2020/7/22/21326824/white-voice-actors-black-characters-cartoons-whitewashing

and

blurredbylines.com/blog/whitewashing-movies-hollywood-2000s/[/quote]
I'm confused as to why you've tagged me for that.

I'm sure Anne of Cleves thanked her lucky stars many many times that Henry didn't fancy her.

They all look alike except the one in the lower-middle, but only slightly.

@SunnydaleClassProtector99

I imagine Anne of Cleeves looked like that after her divorce settlement titles and castles.

Yeah, Anne of Cleeves got a pretty good deal. A generous financial settlement, a castle, a full staff, regular invitiations to court where she was considered the highest ranking lady in the land after the king's (current) wife and daughters. She's the only one of Henry's wives who had something of a happy ending.

@Faithless12 the cartoon character actors acted exactly as I said upthread. Both Jenny Slate and the guy from The Simpson's gave themselves a public flogging and prostrated themselves at the feet of the woke on Twitter. I'm not sure that makes the point you think it does.

But there are probably loads of other aspects of the production which are not realistic

It's called suspension of disbelief

@osbertthesyrianhamster
Indeed, but she did not have her head stricken off by sword.
Although her slow demise in the countryside was another thing entirely.

www.hrp.org.uk/hampton-court-palace/history-and-stories/anne-of-cleves/#gs.1afkcz
Anne of Cleeves supposed ugliness is likely a myth too.

@ElspethFlashman

Because it broadens the role to more candidates?

Means that POC can see themselves on telly in an iconic role?

Same complaints with Bridgerton, and you forgot it in about 5 mins. And the actors they chose were superb in embodying their roles. But somewhere at home there was a wee little girl who saw someone who looked like them as a princess on the TV.

I don't think it matters with fictional characters but with actual historical characters, who we know what they looked like, its just daft. Ultimately though, who cares.

At Christmas a couple years ago they remade scrouge with a mixed race woman playing Bob Crachit's wife. I didn't see the need for that, the traditional story is an all white cast set in traditional Victorian England. I'm not racist, I have very dearly loved mixed race nephews and a black brother in law. I just can't see why things like this need to be changed to please the Pc brigade. As pp's have said, if famous black figures were portrayed by white people there would be uproar.

They also had a muppet playing Bob Cratchit's wife in another adaptation. With a story like A Christmas Carol, that has been remade umpteen times, that's what happens. It's okay to change things up.

Miss Piggy no less.

It's called colour blind casting. It's becoming more common now because in a multicultural world it doesn't make sense to never show people that live in Western societies in historical shows. It also severely limits POC actors which isn't fair. Why should brilliant actresses only ever play modern people or slaves or Africans?

Accurate? No. Inclusive? Yes.

Once you realise it's colour blond and choose to just enjoy it you quickly forget about the historical inaccuracy. Look at Bridgerton, Hamilton etc. All do the same thing and all successful.

@Fruityfriday

If a white man was cast to play Muhammad Ali there would be uproar

Yes because white people have many varied parts to lay in Western culture already and because you can't punch down only up.

Also everyone knows AB was white, she's been played by white women a million times. Does it really matter if for once someone not white gets to play someone who some historical sources evidence she may have been mulatto/mixed?

I realise that last post made no sense, I mean that she's popularly known to be white but there is inconsistently about this and there is some small evidence she may have been light skinned mixed.

@CorianderBee

Also everyone knows AB was white, she's been played by white women a million times. Does it really matter if for once someone not white gets to play someone who some historical sources evidence she may have been mulatto/mixed?

Which 'historical sources' suggest this? I've read quite widely on the period and have never heard this.

Pc gone bonkers

It's called colour blind casting. It's becoming more common now because in a multicultural world it doesn't make sense to never show people that live in Western societies in historical shows. It also severely limits POC actors which isn't fair. Why should brilliant actresses only ever play modern people or slaves or Africans?

No actor, no matter how 'brilliant' (and I'm not sure Jodie Turner Smith is all that 'brilliant') is owed any roles at all. The vast majority of actors, whatever their skin colour, are mostly unemployed and have to take on other jobs in order to pay the bills. A role in a TV drama like this would probably have hundreds of actresses auditioning, but only one can get the role. Many 'brilliant' actresses would consider themselves lucky to get a bit part on a minor TV show, because supply of actors vastly outstrips demand.

And I've asked this before, but what is so 'inclusive' about casting a well-known, established black actress like Turner Smith rather than an unknown white actress from a council estate? I guess it's the usual pandering to the American obsession with race above all else.

I'm not bothered by this in the least. However, Jesus Christ the Arab man being depicted as milk bottle white in Christian iconography....WTF?

There are not many roles for older women, but I guess that doesn't matter?