CASTING, COLOUR BLIND
The late Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson once called colour-blind casting an “aberrant idea” and a “tool of cultural imperialists who view American culture, rooted in the icons of European culture, as beyond reproach in its perfection.” Wilson, who was biracial, was talking about recasting shows to feature a single ethnicity, such as an all-black Death of a Salesman. But colour-blind casting can also be the most inclusive kind, where characters are created and assigned without thought to ethnicity. Here are a few current, groundbreaking roles.
Mehcad Brooks in Supergirl
Jimmy Olsen is a freckled, bow-tied redhead and budding photojournalist who likes to say stuff like, “Gosh, Superman, that’s great!” But in CBS’s new Supergirl, Jimmy Olsen is black. He’s played by former fashion model Brooks, and he has more confidence and grace than Jimmy ever did. He’s also Supergirl’s love interest.
Eartha Kitt in Batman
Musician and actress Kitt took over for Julie Newmar as Catwoman on the Batman series in 1967. This was a huge moment in the 1960s, when there were few roles for black women. Purring, campy and sublimely over the top, Kitt defined the role.
Lucy Liu in Elementary
Sherlock Holmes’ sidekick, Dr. Watson, is a mild-mannered middle-aged white man who blends in with the wallpaper. In CBS’s Elementary, Liu is Dr. Joan Watson, a former surgeon who ends up having to babysit the former drug addict Sherlock Holmes.
Priyanka Chopra in Quantico
Former Miss World Chopra plays a talented FBI trainee in Quantico, one of the season’s biggest hits. In an earlier era, the choice for such an action role wouldn’t normally include South Asian Bollywood actors. The 33-year-old Indian celebrity has gone from obscurity in North America to being nominated for a People’s Choice Award for Favourite Actress in a New TV Series.
Dennis Haysbert in 24
Haysbert played the first U.S. black president in 2001 on the show, eight years before Barack Obama became Commander in Chief. Haysbert is credited with softening public opinion and changing societal attitudes of what a president should look like beyond the usual Harrison Ford-type suspects.