In lieu of the release of the trailer for the Nina Simone biopic staring Zoe Saldana in blackface, I have decided to compile a list of actors, actresses, and comedians of the past and present who have decided that appearing on screen in blackface would not actually be offensive. Even though Zoe Saldana identifies as a black woman, she is still a perpetrator of wearing black face as Nina Simone. Instead of casting directors hiring somebody who actually resembles Nina Simone like Viola Davis, they are so desperate to give the role to a lighter skinned woman with Eurocentric features that they paint Saldana brown, put a kinky curly wig on her, and make her wear a prosthetic nose. Yes, all of this tedious work instead of hiring another actress. The casting of Zoe Saldana goes against everything Nina Simone fought for as an activist while living on this Earth. Nina Simone being a dark-skinned black woman with kinky hair was a huge part of her identity and art. Just listen to this song. Casting Zoe Saldana to play Nina Simone instead of a dark-skinned actress with similar facial features to Nina Simone is a slap in the face to Ms. Simone's legacy and message. This is not the first time that blackface has been used in media and it will not be the last.
1. Robert Downey, Jr.
Robert Downey, Jr. plays an Australian actor named Kirk Lazarus in the American comedy, "Tropic Thunder" (2008). His character, Kirk, then takes on a role as an African American sergeant in a war movie shot in Vietnam. The joke is that Lazarus has actually gone under surgery in order to pull off his black character. Yeah, I'm not laughing either.
2. Judy Garland
In "Everybody Sing" (1938), Judy Garland's character attempts to join a music troupe by auditioning in blackface. Here's a cringeworthy video.
3. Elizabeth Taylor
In "Cleopatra" (1963), Elizabeth Taylor plays the title character. Taylor didn't wear the black face paint, but certainly does consent to whitewash a part of history. Cleopatra was Egypt's last independent pharaoh and scientists have evidence that Cleopatra has African roots despite it being believed previously that she is of Macedonian descent. This means that Cleopatra was not a white lady with a braided wig on. Bummer, right?
4. Sarah Silverman
Sarah Silverman tried to open up a dialogue on what it means to be black in America on an episode of her television series, The Sarah Silverman Program (2007). She has since came out and stated that she actually regrets wearing blackface in this episode entitled, "Face Wars". Why she ever thought that this was okay is really beyond me.
5. Jimmy Fallon
In a sketch from Saturday Night Live in 2000, Jimmy Fallon impersonates Chris Rock. Chris Rock is African American while Fallon is not of any African descent. The impersonation would have been even funnier if Fallon decided to skip on the blackface.
6. Jimmy Kimmel
On an episode of The Man Show (2000), Kimmel impersonated NBA player Karl Malone as he spoke on various topics like being president and being a man. Again jokes are necessary, but blackface is not.
7. Laurence Oliver
Oliver plays Othello in the film adaptation of Shakespeare's play, Othello, in 1965. Othello is described in the play as a Moor, meaning that Othello was meant to have a dark complexion. Oliver is a British actor without any Arab or African roots. All of this extra money wasted on paint when a black actor could have simply been hired.
8. Shirley Temple
Temple plays Virgie in "The Littlest Rebel" (1935). This film is centered around the South during the Civil War, so of course, there are plenty of racist undertones placed in the storyline. I really thought that Shirley Temple was just a cute little girl who made her way into the hearts of millions of Americans by singing about animal crackers in her soup. Funny how the use of blackface is overlooked in all of the box set commercials.
9. Angelina Jolie
In "A Mighty Heart" (2007), Jolie plays real life journalist Mariane Pearl. Pearl was born in France, but is of Afro-Cuban descent. She has a dark complexion and naturally curly hair which Jolie does not have. Also, Jolie does not have any African roots. I really thought that Jolie would know better, but I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up.
10. Fred Armisen
Saturday Night Live makes another appearance on this list. Comedian Fred Armisen impersonates President Barack Obama in numerous sketches from 2008 to 2012. President Obama is interracial, yet identifies as Black/African American. Fred Armisen is not of African descent and had to darken his skin slightly for the sketches. A person can be funny while impersonating a black person without using blackface.
As seen with these pictures, blackface is not a recent trend or a simple footnote on a page of America's ugly past that is meant to be overlooked. Instead of painting on a blackface, or a darker one in Saldana's case, just hire one.
