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Already receiving backlash for being cast as Cleopatra

posted 4 years ago by [deleted]
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Gal Gadot Is Getting Backlash for Starring in New Historical Epic 'Cleopatra'

Reactions to the casting have ranged from positive to outright confusion on social media. While an Egyptian queen, scholars have often identified Cleopatra as someone of Greek ancestry with debates regarding some Persian and Syrian ancestry, too. Gadot is an Israeli actress, and some have raised questions regarding whether she is fit to play the role.

How about they cast someone with North African blood! someone like Sofia Boutella! I’m so sick of casting white actors and Israelis as pharaohs and arab roles! Gal Gadot shouldn’t be Cleopatra.

Link: https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2020/10/gal-gadot-patty-jenkins-cleopatra

[–] Rorikon (17855) 4 years ago

Typical woke-tards educated in the liberal racial sensitivity/ethnic studies/african studies courses and indoctrinated into thinking Egypt we wuz kangz black or that they built huge warring empires and are a proud race before the evil white man destroyed it all (lulz).

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8829671/Social-media-mocks-uneducated-outrage-Israeli-Gal-Gadot-cast-Cleopatra.html

Cleo was Greek/Persian. Perfect for Gadot if not closet to it since she resides in the Middle East area.

Update:
I checked out Sofia Boutella and didn't realize while I was searching for that The Mummy chick and didn't realize they were ONE AND THE SAME! I totally agree she'd be perfect for the role just due to the the skin tone alone and being 'arab' in nature.

Update 2:
Derp that was for the remake of The Mummy that bombed with Tom Cruise. Still she's a good look for the Cleopatra role but I dunno about her acting ability. I was referring to the older one with Patricia Velasquez.

https://mummy.fandom.com/wiki/Anck-Su-Namun

[–] NotoriousRio (12927) 4 years ago

I was going to post that exact link, you beat me to it!

I bet right now on Twitter there are plenty of tweets citing waycism because Beyonce didn’t get the role! 🙄

[–] kukuxu (5409) 4 years ago

A very good article about Cleopatra's ethnic background

https://blog.oup.com/2010/12/cleopatra-2/

To sum up: it is quite possible that Cleopatra was pure Macedonian Greek. But it is probable that she had some Egyptian blood, although the amount is uncertain. Certainly it was no more than half, and probably less. The best evidence is that she was three-quarters Macedonian Greek and one-quarter Egyptian. There is no room for anything else, certainly not for any black African blood.

Let's not forget that by Egyptian, it means Ancient Egyptian, which is different from the modern Egyptian's Arab ethnicity that eventually replaced them.

[–] Rorikon (17855) 4 years ago

Ancient Egypt was racially homogeneous; instead, skin color varied between the peoples of Lower Egypt, Upper Egypt, and Nubia, who in various eras rose to power in Ancient Egypt. Moreover, "Most scholars believe that Egyptians in antiquity looked pretty much as they look today, with a gradation of darker shades toward the Sudan.

[–] kukuxu (5409) 4 years ago

I don't know which are your sources, but they're bullshit. For God's sake, Ancient Egyptians and modern Egyptians are two different ethnic groups and races! That's like saying that Americans look pretty much as they were one thousand years ago.

[–] papamihel (1616) 4 years ago

There's not a lot of difference - just more flavors added to the same cocktail.
They can call themselves Arabs but that's just their culture. Genetically they are pretty much the same.

[–] papamihel (1616) 4 years ago

No Egyptian blood. Most Ptolemaic dynasty members married within the family. I believe the first one married a Greek and there was one marriage with a Seleucid girl.

[–] Towelie_Towel (1773) 4 years ago

Why would Sofia something get the role just because she is from a different place?

Why should Gal Gadot be blacklisted from playing a role just because she is Israeli?

Cleopatra was not black. She was most likely very white, Greek white. Maybe she was even "whiter" than Gal Gadot herself is.

It's called acting, if you want really genuine people, build a time machine and go get Cleopatra herself. Otherwise just leave people alone.

[–] beancrisp (1625) 4 years ago

FACT: She is only receiving backlash from people who are no capable of logical thinking. Prove me wrong.

[–] HarlemEagle42 (17735) 4 years ago

Gal Gadot is perfect casting. It's closer than Liz Taylor or hell, Leonor Valera who's Chilean but no one batted an eyelash when she played the part.

[–] bop101 (148) 4 years ago

Stacey Abrams would be the perfect choice for 'Cleopatra'. Twins I'd say!

[–] Crocodile (3127) 4 years ago

She is so sensual. She is perfect for the role. I really disagree with the criticism

[–] elcamino (15540) 4 years ago

Amy Schumer is still pudgy but has lost some weight though. How about cast her.