Steve Granitz/WireImage.
“You can act being attracted to someone, but can’t act gay or straight. So this notion that only gay actors should play gay characters? That only a Cuban actor should play Desi?” Sorkin said. “Honestly, I think it’s the mother of all empty gestures and a bad idea.”
Specifically of his move on casting Bardem, Sorkin told the publication that he’s saddened at the the pushback he’s received. “It’s heartbreaking, and a little chilling to see members of the artistic community resegregating ourselves,” theSocial Networkscribe said.
Sorkin’s words were met with pushback on social media. “Aaron Sorkin doesn’t understand that it’s not about only gay actors playing gay characters or only Cubans playing Desi,” wrote editor and podcast host Lyra Hale. “It’s aboutunderrepresented communities having an opportunity to take a part in the stories being told with an authenticity others don’t understand. Simple.”
Representatives for Sorkin did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
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Meanwhile Bardem, 52,spoke about his casting last week, tellingThe Hollywood Reporter, “I’m an actor, and that’s what I do for a living: try to be people that I’m not.”
“Where is that conversation with English-speaking people doing things likeThe Last Duel, where they were supposed to be French people in the Middle Ages? That’s fine,” Bardem continued, “but me, with my Spanish accent, being Cuban? What I mean is, if we want to open the can of worms, let’s open it for everyone. … We should all start not allowing anybody to play Hamlet unless they were born in Denmark.”
According toTHR, Bardem emailed the publication a day after the interview to add more of the star’s thoughts on the matter, acknowledging, “I do recognize that there are many underrepresented voices and stories that need to be told, and we should collectively do better to provide access and opportunities for more American Latino stories and storytellers.”
Kidman and Bardem inBeing the Ricardos.Glen Wilson/ Amazon Content Services LLC
Sorkinalso spoke about his casting decisionswithTHRin aseparate interviewlast month.
“We made this movie during COVID, and so in Zooming with Nicole and Javier and everyone else, I’d make it very clear to them that I am not looking for a physical or vocal impersonation of these people,” he said. “Leading up to the first rehearsal, I’d write to them every day, ‘Just play the characters who are in the script.’ I know that Nicole was working on Lucy’s voice for a while, and I wanted to relieve her of that.”
“As far as audience anticipation, that’s something I’m just not worried about. I’m certain that when people see the movie, they’ll leave feeling that Nicole has made a very solid case for herself, but moreover, I’ve found that you can really leverage low expectations,” he added.
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Being the Ricardosis now playing in select theaters and streaming Dec. 21 on Amazon Prime Video.
source: people.com
