Hollywood is known for its strong cinematic presence as well as the regular filming that takes place in its many studios. The term has gone on to represent all of popular American cinema, setting the standard for major blockbusters and hit TV series. In fact, Hollywood releases tons of films annually that have global reach. Considering the number of people that get to have a Hollywood experience by watching one of their films, every film released through the City of Angels has influence over its audience.
One topic that often gets overlooked by Hollywood and their execs is the that of whitewashing. Whitewashing in film and TV is historical, but as racial diversity gains traction with minority groups rightfully wanting accurate representation, it has seen a moderate decrease, with the use of black-face being obsolete. That being said, whitewashing in smaller forms still exists in Hollywood. Here are the worst whitewashing casting decisions in Hollywood history.
10Scarlett Johannson as Motoko Kusanagi — Ghost in the Shell
Fans everywhere were ecstatic to hear about the live-action remake of the classic anime filmGhost in the Shell. That being said, many fans were livid when they discovered that the majority of the main cast was played by white actors despite the film being set in Japan — most notably, Scarlett Johannson in the main role of a character who was Japanese in heritage. Many Japanese critics claimed that the casting choices were not done to make the story more universal, but considering the story is deeply entrenched in Japanese culture, casting was done purely to ensure the commercial success of the film.
9Emma Stone as Captain Allison Ng — Aloha
As a film set in Hawaii, it would only make sense that the majority of the cast is in fact Hawaiian as the island state has a 70% non-white population. However, creators ofAlohamade the decision tocast Emma Stoneand Bradley Cooper, two white actors as the main characters. Stone’s character was even originally described as being half-Chinese and half-native Hawaiian. Hollywood’s decision to cast a white actor in such an ethnically diverse role is questionable at best, not allowing the Pacific Islanders to represent themselves instead using popular white actors for commercial purposes. Caring more about profit than representation.
8Ben Affleck as Tony Mendez — Argo
Argotells the story of Tony Mendez, a CIA operative who works to rescue a group of kidnapped Americans from Iran. While itis an award-winning film and proved itself in some aspects, director Ben Affleck’s decision to star in the film as the Mexican Tony Mendez was a poor decision. Why was this necessary? Perhaps it was Affleck’s need to prove himself a worthy actor, but he should have made his point in a different role where he did not pretend to be something he’s not.
7Mickey Rooney as Mr.Yunioshi — Breakfast At Tiffany’s
Going down in history as one of the most racist portrayals of yellow-face in history isBreakfast at Tiffany’s. Mickey Rooney played the role of Holly Golightly’s upstairs neighbor, a portrayal that would absolutely not fly today. Not only was a white man portraying a Japanese photographer, but his portrayal is extremely offensive as Rooney dons fake teeth and thick glasses, passing himself off as a stereotypical Japanese man with a terribly offensive accent to boot. This whole decision isa dark markon cinematic history that often gets overlooked, especially considering the phenomenal reviews of the film itself.
6Tilda Swinton as The Ancient One — Doctor Strange
Doctor Strangeis truly a one-of-a-kind addition to the MCU with a truly unique premise. That being said, execs at Marvel took a risk and cast Tilda Swinton in the role of The Ancient One. The issue with this is that the Ancient One is meant to be of Asian descent as the mystical guide originates from the Himalayas. Swinton knew this going into the role and still decided to take it on. This is yet another example of Hollywood caring more about monetary gain than proper representation.
5Christian Bale as Moses — Exodus: Gods and Kings
Set in Ancient Egypt,Exodus: Gods and Kingsis a biblical epic that should have featured Egyptian actors, but instead it cast Christian Bale and Joel Egerton as Moses and Ramses, respectively. Director Ridley Scott attempted to justify his decision by saying if he had racially accurate characters, then the film would not have been financed. While this argument may make sense to Scott, this did nothing to appease audiences as money should not be the sole reason to avoid proper casting altogether.
4Gerard Butler as Set — Gods of Egypt
Even worse thanExodus, box-office bombGods of Egyptfell victim to the same amount of whitewashing, with the entire main cast being portrayed by white actors — like Gerard Butler who portrays Egyptian God Set. People were offended by the all-white depiction of Egyptian gods. Director Alex Proyas' response to the criticism of casting choices made the situation even worse as he minimized concerns about casting, referring to critics as “idiots” (viaIndieWire).
3Matt Damon as William Garin — The Great Wall
Before the film was even released,The Great Wallwas met with a great deal of criticism over the casting. Matt Damon leads the cast despite the fact that the film was set in Ancient China. While director Zhang Yimou has stated that Damon’s character was never intended to be Chinese, it still doesn’t make tons of sense as to why a white man would lead the way in a film revolving around the Great Wall of China. This box-office bomb has flown under the radar, but Damon did not necessarily belong in the story as it gives off ‘white savior’ vibes.
2Alec Guiness as Prince Feisal — Lawrence of Arabia
Alec Guiness, known for his portrayal as Obi-Wan Kenobi inStar Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, has a long filmography before this iconic performance. In the long-windedLawrence of Arabia, Guiness was cast in the role of an Arabian Prince. This brown-face may have been passable at the time of the film’s release. However, this should never have been okay in Hollywood as the casting of white actors in the role of racialized characters is just inaccurate and wrong.
1Laurence Olivier as Othello — Othello
While Laurence Olivier is one of the best actors on-screen and on the stage, the choice to cast him as Othello inOthellowas a massive mistake. While black-face was employed decades ago, albeit wrongfully, the choice to cast a white actor in the iconic role of a Black man was just wrong. While Olivier was not the first white actor to play Othello on stage, performing this same act on-screen was cringe-worth and is impossible to watch in earnest without believing it’s some kind of joke.
