Why Is a White Actor Playing 'Prince of Persia' Title Role?

[Star Wolf]

Sometimes I can look at a movie and suspend belief. Other times I cannot. It depends on the tone set for the movie and the genre of course.

This is a movie where a man runs up the side of the castle, gets into a 10 minute chase at full speed, dodges arrows fired at point blank range, sword fights the entire Palace Guard and does not breathe heavy or break a sweat. All to get the MacGuffin from the gods.

I don't think we were meant to suspend our disbelief.

 

[Nerys Myk]

The drawback is that long-time fans don't get what they've known and loved, and I agree, but that doesn't make the whole thing bullshit.

Do they ever?

 

[Deckerd]

Then again, your looking at the guy who didn't like Braveheart because he thought Mel Gibson looked too clean and pretty while fighting in battle.

What about the entire nation who didn't like Braveheart because it was a shortarse Aussie/American completely rewriting the history of a nation and a national hero and casting himself as a 6+ foot man who could wield a 5 foot 6 inch, 6 lb claymore with one arm?

 

[exodus]

Because I can only think of two Brits playing American super heroes in the last few years,so "just about every" strikes me as inaccurate.

Ok, this list will include villains too, but here are all the ones I can think of...

Christian Bale - Batman/Bruce Wayne
Liam Neeson - Ra's al Ghul
Cillian Murphy - Scarecrow
Alfred Molina - Dr Octopus
Patrick Stewart - Professor Charles Xavier
Sir Ian McKellan - Magneto
Vinnie Jones - Juggernaut
Ioan Gruffudd - Reed Richards/Mr Fantastic
Ray Stevenson - The Punisher
Colin Farrell - Bullseye
Dominic Monaghan - Chris Bradley/Bolt

But the operative terms are "American Superhero" and "Brit actor" So the supervillians are out. Non American characters are out (Like Ras al Ghul and Magneto) As are Irish actors Cillian Murphy and Collin Farrell. So that leaves
Christian Bale - Batman/Bruce Wayne
Patrick Stewart - Professor Charles Xavier
Ioan Gruffudd - Reed Richards/Mr Fantastic

I've never even heard of Bolt (must be a C lister), but lets toss him in too.

Dominic Monaghan - Chris Bradley/Bolt

As opposed to:
Robert Downey jr Tony Stark/Iron Man
Don Cheedle- Jim Rhodes/War Machine
Brandon Routh-Clark Kent/Superman
James Marsdan-Scott Summers/Cyclops
Kelsey Grammar-Hank McCoy/The Beast
Halle Berry-Oro Munroe/Storm (I think she's half Amerian)
Ben Foster-Warren Worthington III/The Angel
Chris Evans-Johnny Storm/The Human Torch (and Steve Rogers/Captain America)
Jessica Alba-Sue Storm/Invisible Woman
Michael Chiklis-Ben Grimm/The Thing
Tobey Maguire-Peter Parker/Spider-Man
Ed Norton-Bruce Banner/The Hulk
Ben Affleck-Matt Murdock/Daredevil
Nic Cage-Johnny Blaze/Ghost Rider
Billy Crudup-Jon Osterman/Dr Manhattan
Jackie Earle Haley -Walter Kovacs /Rorschach
Patrick Wilson-Dan Dreiberg/Nite Owl
Jeffrey Dean Morgan-Edward Blake /The Comedian

And thats not counting NonBrits (like our Canadian cousins) playing American superheroes

Ray Stevenson still counts too.
So, the list is still more than just two British actors playing American superheros.

 

[IndyJones]

Apparently everyone is so outraged over Gyllenhaal's blinding whiteness that audiences are staying away from the movie in droves

I love that a movie that took the number one spot in 41 of its 47 markets, and which has already taken in more than 135 million dollars can be called an unqualified failure.

 

[I-Am-Zim]

I haven't seen it yet. But I'm looking forward to it. If it's as good as the previews make it out to be, it should be a pretty good movie. I just want to see it cuz it looks like a lot of fun.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Ray Stevenson still counts too.
So, the list is still more than just two British actors playing American superheros.

I have a hard time thinking of thr Punisher as a superhero. And yeah a few more than I recalled, but hardly a majority.

 

[Tulin]

Re: Why Is a White Actor Playing 'Prince of Persia' Title Role?

One could also ask: "Why is a black actor playing Nick Fury?"

Or: "Why did a black actor play James West?"

Etc. Etc. Yadda Yadda.

It just goes round and round.

My thoughts exactly.

It's all bullshit.

No it is not. I had no idea who either of these characters were and wouldn't have minded in the least their being played by white actors.

I don't mind them being played by black actors (well not too much) because it can be fun casting of some the countless predominantly white characters in art as not white.

The drawback is that long-time fans don't get what they've known and loved, and I agree, but that doesn't make the whole thing bullshit.

Actually, I was referring to the whole self-indulgent, wanky PC movement as "bullshit".

I LOATHE PCness and the way it stifles true communication for fear of one half brained, sheep-like, ignorant fuckwit screaming the clichéd and(in its own way)highly offensive(to me),

"YOU'RE RACIST!!!!!111"

That cry has become the modern day "She's a WITCH!!!!" for the twenty first century. Whether in politics, the media or in a private citizen's own personal life, you are INSTANTLY branded, deservedly or not with that disgusting label as soon as ANY idiot who lacks the brains and ability to argue with you properly decides to throw that sticking mud at you.

A good friend of mine who is DELIBERATELY and OBTUSELY against the whole PC thing once got into an argument with one of these sheeple and it went something like this(people who have bought into the whole PC thing or those with no sense of humour or irony had better turn away now),

My friend was trying to discuss this very matter with this moron, trying to make him see that simply pointing out ACTUAL DIFFERENCES in people is NOT the same as saying a person with light skin is better than a darker hued person. In the end he was SO frustrated he responded as below.

Ignorant Fuckwit: "YOU'RE RACIST!!!!!!1"

Paul: "I'm not racist, I just can't stand black people."


The fuckwit stood there, mouth open, all the PC circuits in his brain screaming disbelief and short circuiting at what he had heard, unable to grasp that my friend was just taking the piss, delivering some of the "WTF" attitude right back at him.

The upshot? Communication broke down because one side COULD NOT discuss differences without the mental flashing "red alert" that what he was hearing was "RACIST!!!!!!111"

The whole PC movement is DANGEROUS because it stifles speech and paints people in broad strokes, giving one side the ability to shut down a conversation with unfounded accusations.

 

[Dusty Ayres]

Re: Why Is a White Actor Playing 'Prince of Persia' Title Role?

One could also ask: "Why is a black actor playing Nick Fury?"

Or: "Why did a black actor play James West?"

Etc. Etc. Yadda Yadda.

It just goes round and round.

Next up is Will Smith as Al Mundy in a film version of It Takes A Thief, according to various sources.

 

[Forbin]

A black person as a thief?
THAT'S RACIST!!!

 

[exodus]

My thoughts exactly.

It's all bullshit.

No it is not. I had no idea who either of these characters were and wouldn't have minded in the least their being played by white actors.

I don't mind them being played by black actors (well not too much) because it can be fun casting of some the countless predominantly white characters in art as not white.

The drawback is that long-time fans don't get what they've known and loved, and I agree, but that doesn't make the whole thing bullshit.

Actually, I was referring to the whole self-indulgent, wanky PC movement as "bullshit".

I LOATHE PCness and the way it stifles true communication for fear of one half brained, sheep-like, ignorant fuckwit screaming the clichéd and(in its own way)highly offensive(to me),

"YOU'RE RACIST!!!!!111"

That cry has become the modern day "She's a WITCH!!!!" for the twenty first century. Whether in politics, the media or in a private citizen's own personal life, you are INSTANTLY branded, deservedly or not with that disgusting label as soon as ANY idiot who lacks the brains and ability to argue with you properly decides to throw that sticking mud at you.

A good friend of mine who is DELIBERATELY and OBTUSELY against the whole PC thing once got into an argument with one of these sheeple and it went something like this(people who have bought into the whole PC thing or those with no sense of humour or irony had better turn away now),

My friend was trying to discuss this very matter with this moron, trying to make him see that simply pointing out ACTUAL DIFFERENCES in people is NOT the same as saying a person with light skin is better than a darker hued person. In the end he was SO frustrated he responded as below.

Ignorant Fuckwit: "YOU'RE RACIST!!!!!!1"

Paul: "I'm not racist, I just can't stand black people."


The fuckwit stood there, mouth open, all the PC circuits in his brain screaming disbelief and short circuiting at what he had heard, unable to grasp that my friend was just taking the piss, delivering some of the "WTF" attitude right back at him.

The upshot? Communication broke down because one side COULD NOT discuss differences without the mental flashing "red alert" that what he was hearing was "RACIST!!!!!!111"

The whole PC movement is DANGEROUS because it stifles speech and paints people in broad strokes, giving one side the ability to shut down a conversation with unfounded accusations.

What you've discribed predates any PC movement by decades. What you've shown is too wrongs don't make a right and there was poor communication on both sides. Why would you & your friend as you describe as "obtusely" against PC expect someone that does believe in it to be anymore open-minded as well? People aren't going to listen to others that aren't going to listen to them in return. That's just common sense.

 

[Dusty Ayres]

A black person as a thief?
THAT'S RACIST!!!

The objection is more to casting a black person in a role played by a white than anything else, same as the objection mentioned as the topic of this post. Also, isn't Smith kind of old to be playing Al Mundy? Especially considering that Al was in jail for a while? As well, this concept's already been done as XXX and XXX: State Of The Union.

 

[Nerys Myk]

A black person as a thief?
THAT'S RACIST!!!

The objection is more to casting a black person in a role played by a white than anything else, same as the objection mentioned as the topic of this post. Also, isn't Smith kind of old to be playing Al Mundy? Especially considering that Al was in jail for a while? As well, this concept's already been done as XXX and XXX: State Of The Union.

I think its called humor. I was going to make the same joke.

Al Mundy is "gentleman thief" who escapades are capers than car chases and gun battles.

 

[Captaindemotion]

So when did "just about every" come to mean 100%?

Because I can only think of two Brits playing American super heroes in the last few years,so "just about every" strikes me as inaccurate.

Ok, this list will include villains too, but here are all the ones I can think of...

Christian Bale - Batman/Bruce Wayne
Liam Neeson - Ra's al Ghul
Cillian Murphy - Scarecrow
Alfred Molina - Dr Octopus
Patrick Stewart - Professor Charles Xavier
Sir Ian McKellan - Magneto
Vinnie Jones - Juggernaut
Ioan Gruffudd - Reed Richards/Mr Fantastic
Ray Stevenson - The Punisher
Colin Farrell - Bullseye
Dominic Monaghan - Chris Bradley/Bolt

Farrell, Murphy and Neeson are Irish. That's three you might want to strike off your list.

 

[Hermiod]

^Neeson's from Northern Ireland.

 

[Captaindemotion]

^ But from the Nationalist/ Catholic side of the community and my understanding is that he has an Irish passport.

 

[Hermiod]

^I don't know about his passport but yes, he is Catholic. At most he would hold dual nationality.

 

[Captaindemotion]

^Anyone from that background who would hold an Irish passport would generally not regard themselves as 'a Brit.'

He may indeed hold dual citizenship - he does tend to keep his personal life and views to himself. But it's wrong to say that 'at most' he would hold it. Under the Good Friday Agreement, citizens of NI can hold either a British or Irish passport or they can have both. He'd be a UK citizen at home but he'd not be compelled to hold a UK passport.

 

[scotpens]

It's a good thing all previous versions of The Thief Of Baghdad were made when they were; if it was made now, we'd be be hearing how racist most of the casting is (with the exception of Sabu in the 1940 version, Anna May Wong in the 1924 version, Rex Ingram in the 1940 version) and it would be condemned by everybody with a blog and a computer everywhere.

Sabu was a native of Southern India, playing a character from Mesopotamia or whatever that part of the world was called. (What exactly is the time period of The Thief of Baghdad anyway?) Rex Ingram was a black American actor, playing a genie from Arabian folklore. I suppose the arbiters of Political Correctness would demand that a real Arabian genie play the role.

As for the topic: Why Is a White Actor Playing 'Prince of Persia' Title Role? Because: A) Middle Eastern people ARE white, ethnographically speaking, and B) it's a movie based on a stupid video game, for God's sake.

 

[Dusty Ayres]

^ But from the Nationalist/ Catholic side of the community and my understanding is that he has an Irish passport.

He now has U.S. citizenship, BTW.