There has been a trend in American films as long as their existence: white actors playing character roles that were not originally white. From it being a cruel “joke” (minstrel shows) in the early 19th century to white actors portraying Native Americans and Asian characters in dramatic makeup, there has been a constant flow of straight up whitewashing.
Now, it may be “understandable” that in the 1920’s and 50’s America’s ideal reality didn't include any other race but a white one. Yet we find ourselves in 2016 on the way to experience another film where race is blatantly ignored. Yes, I'm talking about Scarlett Johansson's role in Ghost in the Shell (2017). Widely recognized and truly beloved, Scarlett Jo’s talent is one any director would employ for the guarantee of a great performance. So can we blame Rupert Sanders for wanting the best?
Yes. Yes, we can.
Mr. Sanders cast Johansson in a role that is very specifically, a Japanese cyborg policewoman by the name of Motoko Kusanagi. There is no argument here that can support this fallacious choice. To add salt to the wound that is this insulting cast option, the next top-billed actor, Michael Pritt, plays Hideo Kuze...even though Michael Pritt is a white Englishman. Yikes.
A small portion of the anime community has risen up in defense of the film, saying that in Japanese manga, especially in Ghost in the Shell, characters often have “white” features. I'm guessing they mean the blonde hair and lack of slanted eyes that is stereotypical in some Japanese manga. Fine. So they appear white in the cartoon. That does not disprove the fact that these are Japanese characters with Japanese names, and should be played by Japanese actors. And it's just a slap in the face that Johansson and Pritt get cast as main characters, while the other supporting roles have managed to be filled by Asian actors/actresses. But like, no one knows them, right? So, of course, they can’t be top-billed.
When there is a mindset that white actors have the more recognizable and revenue-boosting names, we continue to strip other POC actors of the opportunity to become known. It's not just Scarlett in Ghost in the Shell. It's Johnny Depp as Tonto in The Lone Ranger, Christian Bale as Moses in Exodus, Jake Gyllenhaal as The Prince of Persia. Not to mention the entire main casts of The Last Airbender and Gods of Egypt.
And what a laughable notion that to this day, even non-fictional characters are played by white actors when the real life people were people of color. (21, The Social Network, Argo, Drive)
Truth be told, once the movies come out everyone goes and they enjoy the films. It's not that the actors that a being cast are bad actors. Directors wouldn't be so forward in their turning a blind eye to accuracy if the actors were bad. The problem is, by only ever casting white actors in lead roles that could (and should) be played by a POC the industry is saying that 1) the POC actors don't deserve top-billed simply because they are not white 2) the POC that is being portrayed doesn't deserve the respect of being accurately depicted and 3) they don't want to pay a POC who they feel no one knows. Because of course, people only know who white actors are.
Correction on that.
White people only know who white actors are. And as a result, film directors - whether they be white or a POC themselves - cast their films with an overwhelming majority of white actors.
The solution to this issue isn't as clear-cut as one would imagine. The goal of most producers and directors is to make enough money in the box-office to cover the cost of production, actors, and crew. It comes to millions, and for some reason there is an assumption that POC will not cover that cost. It will take a mindset shift in more directors, and the voice of the masses, to rise up and say how wrong it is that opportunity is being held from certain people. And then maybe, just maybe, we can move into talk about stereotyping (typecasting) in movies.
Baby steps first.
