Many celebrities have already spoken out on the #OscarsSoWhite controversy.
And even though Rooney Mara has “a lot to say” about the lack of minority representation in Hollywood, she doesn’t want her opinions to be reduced “to a sound bite.”
In an interview with The Telegraph, the Carol actress opened up about her own experience with whitewashing — this time, a bit more candidly than she has in the past!
Related: Rooney Shares Her Surprising Experiences With Gender Pay Gap!
The 30-year-old understands why she got heat after being cast as Tiger Lily in 2015’s Pan, a role that was originally Native American in JM Barrie‘s 1911 novel.
She admitted:
“There were two different periods; right after I was initially cast, and the reaction to that, and then the reaction again when the film came out. I really hate, hate, hate that I am on that side of the whitewashing conversation. I really do. I don’t ever want to be on that side of it again. I can understand why people were upset and frustrated.”
Warner Bros. defended the casting by claiming it was creating a “multi-racial/international” world for the adaptation. But the fact that Mara was starring alongside the equally white Hugh Jackman and Garrett Hedlund didn’t sit well with many people!
Photo: Rooney Gets Geometric In Givenchy At The BAFTA Awards
The actress acknowledged the backlash of the film, admitting it was the epitome of Hollywood whitewashing, adding:
“Do I think all of the four main people in the film should have been white with blonde hair and blue eyes? No. I think there should have been some diversity somewhere.”
While it’s obvious that the people making those decisions are executives and not actors, Mara thinks that pulling quotes from actors about the matter isn’t the best way to open up a dialogue about the issue.
She continued:
“I feel like that is what is happening. It is being turned into pull quotes and headlines, and that isn’t opening up a conversation so much as pointing fingers at people and taking their awards out of context. I don’t want to step into the conversation in that way.”
Wow, what an insightful and thought out response!
It sounds like this actress definitely won’t be on the wrong side of the conversation anymore!
[Image via WENN.]
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