Thandie Newton was amazed when she learned Angelina Jolie is to play a black woman in her latest film. The actress couldn’t hide her surprise when she was shown a picture of Angelina as murdered journalist Daniel Pearl’s mixed-race wife in the new movie about his life and death.
Thandie said:
“God I’m shocked. She’s been blacked up to play a black women. I have to say it’s surprising, very surprising.” [SOURCE]
Although the Crash star did confess she was a little jealous that the role in A Mighty Heart hadn’t gone to her, she refused to criticise Angelina. Talking at the Screen Nation Awards on Tuesday night, she added:
“It’s an absolutely fantastic role, I would loved to have played it. But I’m not going to criticise or judge her until I’ve seen the film, that would be wrong of me.”
#172 Thanks so much for this. I cant believe some of the ignance floating around this blog!
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i guess if we went with your theory, we could logically say “what’s the problem, it’s just a bus ride, we can sit in the back; what’s the problem, it’s just a white-only water fountain, here’s one here that says for colors; what’s the problem it’s just an all white school; need i go on!
You’re obviously fuckin CLUELESS!!!!!Along with all the other clueless asses who can’t see the forest for the trees! There’s a much bigger picture in this, and if you don’t see it, can’t help you there! I can only encourage you to please, open your eyes and see the big picture! There’s such a thing called subtle racism, and while i don’t think that’s the purposeful intention here, this one move can snow ball into other things. You have to fight just as hard for the SEEMINGLY SMALL THINGS when they happen as you do for the OBVIOUS BIG THINGS. That’s what other races of people do, they see the big picture, and they don’t let you get away with shit! I can definitely understand that logic! Sadly so many of us are lost, just like monica’s song said “SO GONE!”
OOps I meant the part!
I’m not so neccessarily “offended” by a none-black woman playing the part of a black/mixed person. But I do feel that there are some many talented & racially mixed women actors to choose from it would’ve been an immpressive as well as unprecedented action on the film company’s part to make a concerted effort to cast the more accurate/authentic actor…
I have never heard of Thandie till now, the point of making a movie is two fold, if it this type of story it is to get the story out and inform the public. Number two is that they want to make money. Pitt bought the rights to this movie a while a go. Jolie is a strong actress with great draw. The talk about black face is just rediculous. It appears to me she had a fake tan sprayed on her. Hollywood celebs do this all the time. It is far from being in “blackface”. People please…….Thandie you cannot have it both ways you cant make the accusation and then turn around and say you are not passing judgement you will wait and see. You got the ball rolling hon, you brought this to a whole different level a low one. By the way I am a black woman and I dare anyone to doubt my pride in being black. I marched for civil rights and the whole nine yards. This horse is dead people get off of it. Not everything that is done is because of race. They chose the person Pearls family and Pitt wanted. Finshed.
I think this all is no big deal. It’s just a movie. A movie that most people will forget about. Why be surprised and outraged that a “so-called” white woman is chosen for a mixed-race role? This is the way Hollywood has always been and will always be until people of color start seriously getting involved. The problem is we keep waiting for white people to be nice and give us crumbs.
I think Angelina cast herself in this movie. You know she controls Brad. I just don’t think Brad Pitt’s smart enough to come up with a movie idea. I also think that if he were not getting some from Angelina, he would have never set foot in Africa.
As for the movie…bleh. It a movie about an idiot that got his head cut off. He should have stay his stupid butt home. What kind of fool goes loitering around in a war zone? Up to no good. Got in the way.
If he were Black or Latino, we wouldn’t have even heard about the incident. God takes care of fools and children. God said enough is enough and took this fool back home.
I just don’t think the whole thing is movie worthy.
I know it sounds cruel, and I apologize if it is, but hey, blame PMS. PMS causes unfiltered truthfulness in women; and some men.
Well to #177 clearly if you have to “research” it, it’s not an open problem to the public. Yes I’m sure that Native Americans have been upset by it, they probably get it the worst but my point is that it’s a double standard for us not to care when it happens to other people and all of sudden start to care when it pertains to black people. We are all “people”, and should call out when we see wrong no matter what the race. So I don’t see any justice by being upset over this when the majority of us feel contempt with watching Mexicans play Native Americans.
Thandie played a black woman in CRASH! Where do ya’l get this stuff, watch the damn movie….
Okay, what the hell? Thandie did NOT play a White woman in Crash, we’re you guys even paying attention when you watched the movie? Wow.
Reply to #158: Two wrongs dont make a right. I dont think its justifyable to bring up those “Well nobody says anything when…” analogies because you’re just avoiding the problem, not furthering the argument. (And big ups to #186′s last reply post). How many times have Native Americans been portrayed in cinema PERIOD? How many full blood Native Americans exist PERIOD? (Now take that amount, and tell me how many of them are actors and actresses? Now take that amount, and tell me which one of them are some what famous?) Think about those questions carefully. I mean, really…
I thought Thandi would have been great in that role. When I saw Angelina’s pic I thought she looked just like Thandie. Just goes to show you…..HOLLYWOOD STILL DOESN’T GET IT!
185 Labressa,
Just to start off Brad Pitt isn’t even close to being dumb. The man runs his own production company, just like Spike and has been raking in the cash with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Departed and Running with Scissors which is coming out in a couple weeks. Please Lord let me be so dumb so that I can be worth $100 million cash, not counting a production company, 3 mansions, umpteen cars, bikes and two planes.
Also, I just want to point out that so many of you keep bringing up Jennifer Aniston. She was NEVER going to play this role. She has said so herself in print interviews and Brad said it during a tv interview while he and Jen were still married. The tabloids made that story up to sell magazines. Don’t believe everything you read.
Finally, Mariane Pearl who wrote her own memoir and sold it to Brad, had final say on casting. These are the facts. She chose Angelina. Since its Mariane’s story then she can choose Kermit the Frog if she wants.
And I for one will see this movie because of the story. I would have paid to see the movie if Halle were cast, again for the story. Its about a wife’s search for her kidnapped husband. Their love story and ultimately his death and her survival.
I always thought Angelina was mixed anyways lol but I mean its called acting Im sure its a lot of lesbians who would prefer a lesbian to portray them in movies but sometimes there are straight ACTORS who portray them instead..It ACTING and plus she looks very cute
I love Thandie Newton. She’s one of my most favorite actresses.
This quote is probably not real. The magazine it’s quoted from is a British tabloid, so please take everything quoted with a grain of salt. Tabloids do nothing but distort news. Thandie Newton sounded very neutral in the comments anyway, but really, the quotes come from a tabloid and most celebrities don’t go to tabloids to talk about things. Tabloids make things up.
Marianne chose or agreed on Angelina so I’m over it.
Brad Pitt isn’t a dumb man. What makes a man smart these days if he’s dumb?
BLACKFACE 2006…and YOU SILLY NEGROES LOVE IT!
BLACK ACTRESSES ALREADY HAVE A SHORT SHELF-LIFE AND YOU NEGROES ARE APPLUADING THE INITIATION OF WHITE ACTRESSES TAKING ROLES FOR BLACK WOMEN. BLACK PEOPLE ARE….
P-A-T-H-E-T-I-C.
aw yaall just hatin on tandie cuz u jelus o her n get a life cuz angielina is nothing 2 the black community wak up n smell ur blackness my good god.
thandie is just jealous cuz of da fact dat this role didnt go out to her knowing dat she use to date brad pitt……but fuck angelina thandie is gorgeous to anyway…if she was da 1 wit brad pitt or was fucking him on da side dat role wud of been hers black or white………however angie needs to watch her back cuz thandies on da move
im sorry i take dat back……thandie looks way betta than angelina jolie……angelina is so last year n shes only hot cuz she stole americas hottest man from jennifer anniston but we all know da truth so dont talked about thandie like shes a b-lister celeb……cuz fact is shes hotter sorry angelina u cute too…n yes our gurl thandie cud of played dat role betta
Well, whether its politically correct I’m stepping outside the modern trend of racial bounds or the lack thereof and the “we are the world cultural” advancement” the house niggaz of this generation are proclaiming I’m going to say it anyway.
Its offensive that a role portraying a woman of mixed heritage did not go to a woman of mixed heritage, but rather a “foreign, european, whatever she is” female. The hispanic community gets up in arms when a puerto rican actress portrays a mexican pop artist (JLO as Selena) and its funny no one in their culture tells them their wrong for feeling that disparity or having issue with it. But then again, that’s what happens when you HAVE culture and cultural pride rather than trying downplay your blackness as is the trend for most of us today.
I’m especially concerned about this type of move and its pending ramifications in a day like today where the only images of women of color are booty shaking body parts with no character or humanity.
To the person who commented on Halle Berry playing a role as a white woman and then mentioned the role is one of a mixed woman, and that they should have picked a mixed woman, don’t know what Halle you’re referring to but Mrs. Berry IS mixed. Her MOTHER is a caucasian woman. Thus it fits that she would play a mulatto role. But in our efforts to be politically correct to the white masses we fail to research BEFORE we comment.
Back to my original rant. Black women are being faded completely out of hollywood presence and black women are the biggest supporters of this phenomenon. We just don’t care about anything. We criticize anybody with a different perception than the white majority status quo. Well I’ll take the criticism.
This not about Jolie being a better actress. This is about creating buzz built off the already sensitive subject of black women’s absence in hollywood. They don’t care if the buzz is positive or negative as long as it gets the movie’s name out and either incites or enrages.
We as black people are so content to shuck and jive and dance for massa as long as we are saying the right things, appearing NOT to be reverse racist by accepting every culture, every stereo type and every discrimination promoted against us today in the name of coming off as being open minded.
We’re no longer black, we’re everything but. Black men and media promote us in the most horrid and stereotypical lights and we just shrug shoulders and say so what because we don’t want to ruffle feathers or appear to be the angry, insecure stereotype. Some of us are totally disconnected from culture and our ties to black community. Most of this generation has bought the bull crap lie that there is no race…
Its unfortunate the no-race thing only works in one direction. If there were no race and it were about the better actresses Nia Long, Angela Basset, Alfre Woodard, and the plethora of other black female actresses would be cast in equal part. But ask them their experiences with hollywood and how a move like this affects their careers. I know, Nia was just in a movie. That’ll be the response. You’re right, she was. Playing the same stereotypical role sisters are ALWAYS given. Rolls of depth, that showcase a black woman’s humanity and character are far and few in between for sisters…
To all of you all hailing this move and shrugging it off as NO BIG DEAL, I hope none of you have aspirations to make it into hollywood because things like this ought to tell you there’s no longer a space for a black female presence in hollywood.
And the same sisters shrugging their shoulders or dogging this black female actress who simply “commented” on her shock ought to be the same ones who have nothing to say when more instances like the Imus incident and the worse racism that we’re going to face in days to come occur.
When the condition in Hollywood and the world abroad worsens, when our images are futher distorted, our reputations further diminished by these trends that we see no harm in now, when our aspirations further lower from loving being video extras and near hoes to actual hoes continues to grow…when the only room in hollywood and america for us to to portray or actually BE whores, sluts and doormats, don’t say a word or rally or complain. REMEMBER, you’re the politically correct one who didn’t see how little foxes like this destroyed the vine of our presence in hollywood or our reputations in society.!
@129…standing ovation and bravo…at least I’m not the only one whit this perspective. These are some shucking and jiving, butt kissing, “massa” loving, house nigga mentalities running rampant through our culture and this ignorant generation. We don’t see anything wrong with anything. Nothing has an affect, nothing has a political message. its all about pimps up and hoes down, being hoes, who can curse the loudest and be the most ignorant. Who can steal whose man. And we wonder why we’re viewed as the most despicable race on earth. We have no consciousness, no depth, we love ignorance and tap dancing for the white majority. Most of us are dying to be melded into the white majority. its okay for a white woman to teach her child to marry with his culture, but not okay for a black woman to do so because when we do we’re angry and not politically correct. its okay for white and hispanic women to replace our images in hollywood and a female actres of color who comments, simply comments on her shock is jealous, a hater, etc.
Black people are BEYOND pathetic. Oh wait, I forgot, there are no black people anymore…we’re black, white, asian, and whatever other culture we strive to be to disclaim our blackness…
I bet if Lauryn Hill came out and spoke against our self-hating demises all of a sudden we’d develop a conscience and decide, “hey, something is wrong with this”…but as long as educated, culturally conscious people pay attention to and speak on these trends we’ll be viewed as backwards, racist, and too sensitive…right? I guarantee there will be much said about me statements cause I’m not a shucking and jiving “black face” darkie, stepping in toe with the racist majorities discriminatory media moves.
This move and discrimination just like it is what’s racists, but I bet I won’t get many hallelujiahs on that!
http://brownsista.com/the...placement-of-black-women/
interesting article on this discussion…
Jewell, reading your comments I’m sadden. You keep stating its only a movie and that Angelina can bring in more money. Why can she bring in more money? Because she’s white, and if not white, white enough to make the white majority comfortable. Isn’t it funny that hollywood never stresses to place dark skinned black women in mainstream movies to make the black minority feel comfortable. The fact that you’re okay with hollywood basically saying “we’ll cast a white woman here because she’ll be more acceptable to the mainstream (i.e. white female) audience” is disturbing in itself.
people are here jumping on others for complaining about a white female taking another ethnic role where a woman of color would have benefited from the OPPORTUNITY. but no one is addressing the 800lb gorilla in the living room…the fact that a white woman in the role is a better business move because white america would not turn out to see a film casting a woman of color, as is, in a role where she was married to a jewish (percievably white) male. America isn’t comfortable, once again, with casting a woman of color in a human, heartfelt role…
the fact that you further assert the white majority’s view in stating if it were about rosa or harriet you could understand the uproar, that’s ridiculous. the only time we should be bothered is when we’re not cast for out traditional darkie, slave, civil rights roles? We shouldn’t be bothered that in today’s society we MUST be bombared with images of white and hispanic women in humanistic roles while reflections of ourselves as respectable characters are fading out…
Do you all not see the trend where black women are being replaced en mass in roles in hollywood? Yet and still we ought to ignore black women being further x’d out of media limelights.
Look at the 90s and the new millenium…
In the 90s roles, at least in black films, sitcoms, etc. were available to black women. Now, Eva Mendez and longoria and Angelina Jolie get to replace us in films, in movies, alongside black males. Shows from grey’s anatomy to house promote the stereotypical black man/ other female relationship. But you rarely see them cast a woman of color beside a white or non-black man. except in shows like girlfriends where its safe because only the black audience watches the show en mass. if it were prime time for white americans you wouldn’t see it cause white women and black males can’t stand to see us alongside white men and they’d turn the television off…
these are some of the biggest hypocrisies in this country and we, as black women are just comfortable with it. that’s disturbing!
P.S.: Thandie Newton used to mess with Brad Pitt in the early 90s. Maybe that has something to do with it.
And now that Taraji has played Brad Pitt’s momma what do you have to say about that?