MovieChat Forums > Isis (1975) Discussion > A word on the race debate in the casting...

A word on the race debate in the casting of Isis

posted 18 years ago by dreamweaveruk
22 replies | jump to latest

There seems to be a bit of friction regarding whether or not the part of Isis should be played by a black woman. Im really not bothered if the part is played by anyone who is black, white, brown or whatever. Who cares? But if we are going by the tv series, Andrea Thomas (who i guess looked like a pretty tanned white woman) inherited the powers of Isis after finding the jewelry. It is Andrea's body that carries out these heroic deeds. Not Isis's. So regardless if the actual real Isis was black or not, it REALLY doesnt matter who plays the part. As long as it goes to a good actress who cares? On a personal note though, if they wanted to cast someone who looks like the original actress, Catherine Zeta-Jones would be perfect. She looks so much like her.

[–] ajohnson4 18 years ago

deanweaveruk......right on!!!!!!!!

[–] Blueghost 18 years ago

Well, technically speaking Egyptians for the most part were comparatively light skinned with the rest of Africa's population. I would prefer an ethnically exact actress, meaning an actress who was;

A) Egyptian
B) a capable actor
C) Spoke English
D) Was a looker :-)

Satisfy that criteria, and you've got your "Isis".

Odds are some schmuck marketer will want to cast Angelina Joline in the roll, then sync up some teen-chick soundtrack to the thing with a whole lot of martial arts, pyrotechnics and CGI.

Ah well.

[–] niani6 18 years ago

"Well, technically speaking Egyptians for the most part were comparatively light skinned with the rest of Africa's population."

What in the world does this mean? Is the rest of Africa one color??

Perfection: http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y69/Cherrie712/kearse.jpg

[–] Blueghost 18 years ago

Nothing of the kind. Just look at the demographic data and you'll find your answer.

[–] niani6 18 years ago

Looking at demographic data WILL NOT account for the gradations in skin tone of indigenous africans on the african continent. There are light skinned africans in the southern tip of the continent that ARE NOT mixed.

Some info for you:

1: Hum Biol. 2000 Oct;72(5):773-80. Related Articles, Links

Human skin color diversity is highest in sub-Saharan African populations.

Relethford JH.

Department of Anthropology, State University of New York College at Oneonta, 13820, USA.

Previous studies of genetic and craniometric traits have found higher levels of within-population diversity in sub-Saharan Africa compared to other geographic regions. This study examines regional differences in within-population diversity of human skin color. Published data on skin reflectance were collected for 98 male samples from eight geographic regions: sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa, Europe, West Asia, Southwest Asia, South Asia, Australasia, and the New World. Regional differences in local within-population diversity were examined using two measures of variability: the sample variance and the sample coefficient of variation. For both measures, the average level of within-population diversity is higher in sub-Saharan Africa than in other geographic regions. This difference persists even after adjusting for a correlation between within-population diversity and distance from the equator. Though affected by natural selection, skin color variation shows the same pattern of higher African diversity as found with other traits.

PMID: 11126724 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11126724&dopt=Abstract

in other words indigenous africans produce a higher rate than all other peoples of showing variation in skin color. Thus, lightskin IS NOT a foreign manifestation for indigenous africans.

Perfection: http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y69/Cherrie712/kearse.jpg

[–] falloutboy73 18 years ago

Uh niani6, you spent way too much time on that.

[–] meddle712002 18 years ago

Man this debate is ridiculous. Black or white? C'mon people. The original character was a WHITE school teacher who inherits the powers of Isis via a necklace! She doesn't Become her!It was bad enough that Cat Woman was black (ok there was Eartha but she was a hottie I'll admit) and not of white Russian descent like the original character now we just gotta have a black actress for ISIS? Sorry that's not how I remember her and I will REFUSE to view the big budget Hollywood rich with PC content prduction if that one is made. I want my Andrea Thomas to remain white and a school teacher,like the Filmation folks envisioned her. If the Mind numbingly icky PC version is made I hope it falls flat on it's face because I'm sick of all this a s s kissing P.C. B.S. The black folks can get their own superheroes they can be creative enough hey, Meteor Man comes to mind, and I don't see any white filmakers clamoring to make a white Blade! Leave the Superheroes with their character's origins intact as the creators envisioned them. Next will see a Cleopatra Jones remake debate along the same lines. Yeesh. How anally PC can ya get?

[–] rino7789 18 years ago

People can get extremely PC in America. But you are right, this debate is stupid.

[–] 23skidoo-4 17 years ago

I'm looking forward to Cleopatra Jones being remade with a White or Chinese actress ... or Black Lightning being made starring some guy from Sweden. But I guess we aren't allowed to have it both ways, are we.

[–] meddle712002 17 years ago

Whatever floats yer boat.

[–] meddle712002 17 years ago

One can still dream.

[–] Blueghost 16 years ago

You totally missed the point of my post. We're talking casting and marketing, not anthropology.

[–] Blueghost 14 years ago

Oh give me a break, you know exactly what I'm talking about. She wasn't a dark skinned mid-continent African. Get over it.

[–] bigtomnva 17 years ago

I totally agree that it doesn't matter what the race is of the actress that plays the part, since it is a teacher who finds the amulet and gains Isis' powers. Even if Egyptians are classified as black, does that mean their gods' complexions were the same as theirs? It is like arguing what nationality God is.

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Synergi 17 years ago

I think its important for the kids that will be watching it. Just as I grew up watching the original series, I was shocked some 20 years later to learn Egyptians were in fact not white. So I think for that reason at least, its worth casting correctly and not giving false impressions.

[–] ghost_hat 16 years ago

Saying that "casting correctly" requires an african actress is a misnomer.
As some folks pointed out, Isis is whoever wears the amulet, not the
original Egyptian in the flesh. So any race or appearance would be correct,
as long as they had the amulet. Technically speaking, Isis was the Greek
term for the godess in question, her actual original Egyptian name usually
being Aset or Eset. Her presentations in artwork was often lighter or
golden skinned. She usually appears with a throne or lunar circle with
horns on her head, very unlike the character in the show.
Eventually she was even given the head of a cow. What does this
all mean? The character in the show is really just a character,
far removed from the godess Isis or the original bearer of the necklace,
"HatShepSut". It may be noted that Hatshepsut was supposed to be the
daughter of a Pharoah, and depending on the timeline their bloodline
may well have been Macedonian.

What I think would be an interesting twist is if a man somehow got control of
the amulet. Would he turn into a woman?
Would it work at all?

[–] mejsmith 11 years ago

Egyptians are technically not black. Most North Africans have more in common with other Mediterranean peoples than blacks.

[–] filmbuff1974 15 years ago

There seems to be a bit of friction regarding whether or not the part of Isis should be played by a black woman. I'm really not bothered if the part is played by anyone who is black, white, brown or whatever. Who cares? But if we are going by the TV series, Andrea Thomas (who i guess looked like a pretty tanned white woman) inherited the powers of Isis after finding the jewelry. It is Andrea's body that carries out these heroic deeds. Not Isis's. So regardless if the actual real Isis was black or not, it REALLY doesn't matter who plays the part. As long as it goes to a good actress who cares? On a personal note though, if they wanted to cast someone who looks like the original actress, Catherine Zeta-Jones would be perfect. She looks so much like her. --dreamweaveruk

Good point. Perhaps both camps can be satisfied by having Andrea Thomas played by a white woman and then when she transforms, have the part of Isis played by a woman of color.

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[–] ames0826 14 years ago

Well, there's a young actress named Christel Khalil who currently works on The Young and the Restless. She's lovely, talented, and seems to represent every ethnic group on the planet.

[–] filmbuff1974 14 years ago

by - ames0826 on Tue Sep 14 2010 14:39:04
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, there's a young actress named Christel Khalil who currently works on The Young and the Restless. She's lovely, talented, and seems to represent every ethnic group on the planet.

Sounds good. I've noticed that some of the more recent documentaries on ancient Egypt have filmed dramatic recreations using actors/actresses who fit the description you have used to describe Christel Khalil. Perhaps a needed first step before the real life archaeologists come clean about disguising the true look of the ancient Egyptian peoples.

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[–] bossat2822 10 years ago

I know this is old. But Joanna Cameron was 24 when Isis came out. CZJ was 38 when this thread was started......now 45