Does Hollywood have a representation problem when it comes to casting? We hit the streets of North London to find out what you think...
It seems that Hollywood is never far from controversy at the moment, and the latest focuses on casting of white cis actors in minority roles.
Scarlett Johansson and Jack Whitehall have both come under fire - Scarlett (who previously faced controversy for playing an Asian character in 2017's Ghost in the Shell) for agreeing to play a transgender man in Rub & Tug (a role she's now dropped out of), and Jack for accepting the role of Disney's first openly gay character in the upcoming live action film Jungle Cruise.
But although there's been outrage online, is this something movie goers are really concerned about? We headed to North London to see what you guys think…
(Left to right) Karim, Fine Art. Juliette, Textiles. Pierre, Fashion Studies. Alex, Womenswear.
Karim: “It’s the same kind of thing as when they choose white people to play ethnic roles. It’s been going on for many years and I feel like it needs to stop."
Juliette: "I would say casting a straight actor as a gay character is a line not to cross."
Pierre: “Genuine representation is so important in film, but you can’t expect anything from movie companies who just want to make money. To me, the Scarlett Johansson scandal is more shocking than the Jack Whitehall one, but I can understand why people are angry."
Alex: “Jack Whitehall has a big name and people like him, so if they had a fair casting process with other actors and he just turned out to be the best for the role, then I think it’s fine. I understand why people are upset, but I’m sure this has happened multiple times before."
Jasmine, Cultural and Creative Industries
“There absolutely needs to be more genuine representation. There are enough LGBTQ actors working in the industry to play these kinds of roles, you don’t need to hire straight people to play them."
Ava, Fine Art
“It sounds bad, but I’m not surprised. There should absolutely be more genuine LGBT representation in films. It’s all well and good a company claiming to be inclusive, but it needs to be put into practice.”
Kath, Humanities
“It’s a big deal for Disney to include an openly gay character in one of their films, but getting a straight actor to play them is a step backwards. What if you have a young member of the LGBTQ community watching the film and they’re aspiring to be an actor? They’ll think, 'well that’s how I identify and I’m not even able to get to that role.'"
Rosh, Jewellery design
“What if this was reversed and people said a gay actor can’t play a straight role? I feel like the right person should just play the role, regardless of what it is."
Liv, Architecture
“The fucked up thing is for so long all the gay actors had to play straight roles because it was an industry issue, they couldn’t express and represent who they were because the industry wouldn’t support that. Now that things are more inclusive we definitely need some genuine representation."