Thandie Newton surprised over Angelina Jolie’s casting

Angelina Jolie as Mariane Pearl Thandie Newton is surprised that Angelina Jolie was picked to play the wife of Daniel Pearl in new movie A Mighty Heart because Mariane Pear is mixed-race, of Afro-Cuban and Dutch descent.

Thandie told the Sun: “God, I’m shocked. She’s been blacked up to play a black women. I have to say it’s surprising, very surprising.”

She did admit though that she would have loved the part: “It’s an absolutely fantastic role, I would loved to have played it.”

“But I’m not going to criticise or judge her until I’ve seen the film, that would be wrong of me.”

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Jenny Linn October 12, 2006 17:47

Thandie Newton would have been perfect in the role, but they probably wanted a better known actress. It is insulting to think that just because Angelina has big lips that she should play someone with Black heritage.

a mixed race woman (proudly) October 12, 2006 18:47

As a bi-racial woman, I think it is very wrong, and if it’s not a story about race why make AJ face brown, why not just let her ACT with her regular white face.

I’m sure alot of you people that aren’t bother my this would get all bent out of shape if Samuel L. Jackson played John Kennedy Jr, or Thandie Newton
played Elizabeth Smart’s mother (the story isn’t about race, right?).

This happens often in Hollywood…

World Trade Centre (Oliver Stone), the heroes, two Marines, weren’t both white…one was a black man (Marine Sgt. Jason Thomas) who was cast and played by a WHITE actor.

“…”missing" Marine, the actor playing him is a white man. In real life, Sgt. Thomas is African-American. "

“Shamberg [the producer] said he apologized to Thomas for an inaccuracy in the film: Thomas is black, but the actor cast to portray him, William Mapother, is white. Filmmakers realized the mistake only after production had begun, Shamberg said.”

usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-08-15-sept11- hero_x.htm

Years ago Elizabeth Taylor played an Egyptian.

Shayalay October 12, 2006 20:35

Actually, Cleopatra was Greek even though she was queen of Egypt.

Trinity October 12, 2006 23:16

I believe if Marianne does not have a problem with it neither should anybody else. I’m just glad that the story is being brought to film.

I saw Thandie in Mission Impossible 2, I wasn’t too impressed.

Josie October 13, 2006 03:27

Halle Berry’s next movie role will center on the true story of Tierney Cahill, a white teacher from Reno, Nev. who accepted a challenge from her sixth grade class to run for Congress in 2000. David Carridine played a role of a Kung Fu master supposedly born in China. Come on people…. these are actors, they are given roles that they have to play. Anyway, Angelina would probably play a better Marianne Pearl that’s why Marianne personally was happy with the choice of actor.

che October 13, 2006 04:58

If you aren’t impressed by Thandie Newton in M:I 2 (why would you judge somebody by THAT of all films?) you should check out Beloved.

David Carridine was give a role that Bruce Lee helped to create, because execs thought the US wasn’t ready for an asian leading man.

There are a lot of different realities for black actresses than white actresses. It’s pretty difficult for black actresses to get high profile roles in Hollywood to begin with, without white people being cast in black roles. More than likely the producers of the film simply didn’t believe that any light-skinned actresses would be right for the part (they probably tried Halle, and gave up when she wasn’t available) — and by “right for the part” I mean of course “a big box office draw.” Let’s not kid ourselves, people.

lilly October 13, 2006 05:52

I Think it’s really wrong to see a white woman play the role of a black woman. I mean theres lot of black actresses who could have been chosen for the role. I also think Thandie Newton could have been perfect in the role.
just coz AJ is so popular doesnt mean she can play that role. OMG that is sooooo not fair! People duh cum’on!

sharon October 13, 2006 06:03

That is so true. Thandie Newton could have been the perfect actress in the role. Just because Angelina Jolie has big lips and is popular than any black actress in Hollywood, doesnt mean she could play that role. There are lot of actresses who could have been chosen.

Just call me "J" October 13, 2006 06:05

Dude!! Marianne is f***ing Cuban!! Where the hell are all of you people getting that she is a black woman from? She is of a “Hispanic and DUTCH” background!!! I’m african american and I’m not pitching a b**ch about it!! The role deserves to go to the BETTER actress!! I mean come on, actresses have to try out for roles just like anybody else. Come on, compare the resume’s… Halle Berry isn’t that great an actress for one. 2. Halle Berry PUBLICLY considered herself to be WHITE. I am so tired of my fellow african americans playing the goddamn race card. You just want something to b**ch and moan about. The role went to the BETTER actress. Relax!

Future October 13, 2006 15:16

1) I agree. I think that the role should go to the better actress.
2) We all know that she probably got the role, because Brad Pitt is the producer and his company bought the rights to the movie. Not that she is not a phenomenal actress, I’m just being realistic.
3) Thandie Newton probably would have been great at the role, but so would have many other actresses (black, white, and latina)
4) To “Just Call Me J”, Cuban is black. No matter how you slice it. Take it from a Half Cuban/ Black woman. We can all trace our roots back to Africa.
5) To Jenny Linn and Sharon, mentioning Jolie’s full lips and correlating that with being black, or portraying being black, shows some obvious prejudices and racism on both of your parts. There are plenty of people of color who have thinner lips, as well as many caucasian people who not only have fuller lips, but thick, frizzy, curly, wavy hair. Our features are not singular to our race.
6) And, Cleopatra was Macedonian which is not quite Greek…

FYI
6)

leva October 13, 2006 17:01

well said Future though I disagree with the fact that Angie is not a great actress. I do believe that she is one of the true actresses in Hollywood. Marianne Pearl was the first one to approve of Angie playing herself, I guess she knows that Angie will be great, and that she knows what she is talking about.
Fot those who seem to care so much about race and color, you need to leave such a remote mentality, things are changing, and you have to cope with it. Halle Berry will play a white woman, and Angie is playing a half-black thus half-white character, so what??? By the way have you all seen the real Marianne Pearl? Apart from having a curly hair, she is as white as any average white women, and Thandie Newton who seems to be so much surprised over all this stuff is for instance much more darker than her. Anyway, does it really matter???

Thom October 13, 2006 21:11

Just call me “J”, the thing is here, there were no tryouts for this part. It was automatically given to Jolie. No black or cuban woman was allowed to for this role.

There are plenty of women with color that could have done the job. They say it’s not about race, maybe it isn’t, but it sure is about profit.

I’m a white male, and I think it’s pretty bad choice to cast her in this role.

Oh and Future, you assuming that the other posters are racist for their comments, makes you just as much at fault.

Future October 15, 2006 22:40

I wasn’t saying that Angie is not good. Quite the contrary, I said Angelina was “phenomenal” to be exact. I absolutely love her. I just think that she may have gotten a little extra help in getting the role, since her boyfriend is the producer and owns the rights to the movie.

Future October 15, 2006 22:43

And, I never assumed anyone was a racist. Obviously, my post was not read in its entirety. I only said that those comments exhibit obvious prejudices or prejudice ideas on the respective poster’s behalf. That doesn’t make them racists; it simply means that they obviously believe there is merit in some of the most typical of stereotypes about people of color.

justtheacts October 16, 2006 01:34

I am a black woman that has the utmost respect for Angelia Jolie, and I agree with you. The race card is being played and in the most dispicable way. Marianne is Cuban and Dutch and regardless of the hue of individual Cubans, they do not say they are Black they say they are Cuban. This horse is dead. Regardless of how she got the role it is hers and she will do a good job at it. I am insulted by everyones blackface comments, it brings things down to gutter.

Raelene October 16, 2006 04:26

For all of you COMPLAINING and WHINING about this issue……GET THE HELL OVER IT!!!! Your either JEALOUS because YOU aint making the money AJ is, you have NO ACTING SKILLS WHATSOEVER and thats why your on here leaving comments. GET OVER IT, GEEEEEEEEEEEZ. It’s ALLLLLLLLL about ACTING and making a BLOCKBUSTER movie!!! Producers are damn sure gonna pick who THEY feel is gonna bring them in MORE MONEY, and……if YA’LL were movie producers with YOUR asses on the line, YOU WOULD PICK THE MORE WELL KNOWN PERSON thats always in the tabloids TOO! Leave AJ alone, shes doing sooooooooo much good and work and being mroe helpful with 3rd world countries and doing MUCH MORE than probably a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT of ya’ll! AND……………………..I BET YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ya’ll go see the freakin movie too, when it comes out. NOW AINT THAT SOMTHIN, you can talk trash about the casting, but you jsut CANNOT WAAAAAAAAAAAIT TO SEE IT. hahahahahahahaha

Ryan October 16, 2006 13:06

Raelene, I started to read your post, but couldn’t finish. I think you won the “most annoying post” award.

Please, pay attention to your english teacher.

Chicago Angel October 23, 2006 09:30

why are people calling this woman who is not american a black woman?

Future October 31, 2006 22:03

Since when do you have to be American to be considered Black?

Emma November 27, 2006 03:40

Future-Well said. I agree with all the points you made, although I do think Angelina Jolie’s full lips were a characteristic that eased the production company’s mind about her playing a woman of color. I do think they were planning to capitalize on that racial stereotype.

Chicago Angel-Maybe you need to pick up an encyclopedia. Most Black people in the world are not American. Ever heard of Africa? LOL. Sadly, you are not alone in your ignorance. You have plenty clueless counterparts outside the US who were actually shocked to see all those black faces on TV during Katrina.

Thom- I didn’t realize that they did not even bother to hold token auditions. That seals it even tighter.

Also, I have to extend my sympathy to the apologists who posted in support of this role. Especially the black woman who is “insulted” that someone described AJ’s blacking herself up with makeup, in order to look like a black woman, as black face. LOL.

Will November 29, 2006 22:00

Well, I really think of this as a non-issue really. I like Thandie and think she would have played the part well, however Mariane Pear was Bi-racial. As a Bi-racial man myself, I know that we all come in different shades and some are white as white and some very dark. Cameron Diaz is of Cuban descent and I bet a boatload of Cubans would be having a hayday over her playing a Cuban as well.. even though she is of Cuban bloodline. I do agree that if the story isn’t focused on Mariane Pear’s race then why paint Angelina up? That should be the real issue here. Is this movie about Mariane Pear’s life or is it, merely, focusing on her racial makeup. For those who don’t know, Angelina Jolie is biracial as well, having Iroquois blood ties.

Just call me "J" January 20, 2007 22:32

Look at it THIS way, guess who was ORIGINALLY signed up for the part LOOONG before Marianne Pearl started becoming a household name…. JENNIFER ANISTON! Oh yeah, you guys would have had a riot with THAT one! You can’t get ANY whiter than J.Aniston. Once again, I say the role went to the better actress. Angelina Jolie herself has Iroqouis blood in her, Aniston…zilch. When Angelina acts or takes a role, she FULLY immerses herself in the project. She doesn’t just stick to script which is what most of hollywood does. Marianne Pearl HERSELF said that she was delighted to have Angie play the part as she knows she will tell the important story. Everyone says that there are a lot of talented bi-racial actress’s out there but the only ones that seem to be mentioned are Halle Berry and Thandie Newton. If there are so many, start naming a few more and if you do guess what… fairly unknowns. Once again, I point to the resumes. Put Thandies and Halley’s next to Jolie’s and see what you find…

Amanda January 21, 2007 05:07

Exactly! Marianne Pearl is friends with Angelina & wanted her to play her in the Movie. Brad is the Producer so OF COURSE THAT WORKED IN HIS GIRLFRIEND’S FAVOR. Either way Angie is a strong talented Actress who can pull of the Trauma & heartache that Marianne had to endure! Sure I would have loved to see Thandie Newton in the role but hey the better Actress got the role. Brad is no fool. If he thought Angie couldn’t pull it off he wouldn’t have given it to her in the first place! He’s a superb actor himself! Remember people, when Nicole Kidman dropped out of starring in Mr & Mrs Smith – it was Brad who suggested Angie for the role of his “wife”. The rest is now a lovestory! Jolie Rocks, she combines beauty & talent WELL. I can’t wait to see A Mighty Heart. Hope it’s good.

archies January 21, 2007 12:33

well her boyfriend is the producer of the film. I don’t see anyting wrong with her in that role. If she can pull it off then great. If the film was about racism and she was being painted black to play the role then i think i would have a problem with it. I believe the film isn’t about that though. Thandie has a right to say what she thinks. I don’t think she’s said anything wrong. She isn’t saying jolie is a bad actress.

Angelina Jolie March 30, 2007 02:11

Angelina Jolie – Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are terrified for their son Pax Thein’s safety after learning of a $100 million plot to kidnap him. The Hollywood couple have reportedly tightened security after their bodyguards heard of a “credible and meticulously planned” bid to snatch their newly adopted three-year-old Vietnamese son. The Los Angeles-based gang members were allegedly planning to demand a staggering $100 million ransom. A source told Life and Style Weekly magazine: "They’re highly skilled operatives with little regard for human life. "Information came out that leaders of the gang ordered their Los Angeles members to devise a plan to kidnap Pax before demanding a ransom of $100 million for his safe return. “Brad and Angelina would have a number of days to hand over the money or risk the boy’s life.”

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AMHD August 07, 2007 15:40

As a woman with mixed-race children, I think you are getting way too bent out of shape. You should represent BOTH of your races, and it seems to me that you only care about your black heritage, which is the case a lot of times with people of bi-racial ethnicities. You claim that things are not about race, but that is all your comment was about…how the black person suffered due to the hands of the white person. I don’t think that they did not pick Angelina Jolie over Thandie Newton, because of a racial issue, I think they picked Angelina Jolie because she fit the part a little better. I hope you don’t teach your children the way you have been taught, because it is wrong. You should be eual and non-partial to BOTH sides of the equation, and not one-sided. I’ve seen girls do that a lot, represent solely their black roots because they thought it was “cooler” than being white. Don’t do that, its not fair to yourself or your other parent.

AMHD August 07, 2007 15:44

I totlally applaud you, “Just Call me J”! Good for you, girl!

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