A guide to the casting controversies surrounding recent biopics in Hollywood.
by Ashley Canino
As singular cinematic experiences, biopics give us an inside glimpse into the lives of entertainers who inspire or intrigue us. They can also extend our connections to icons we have lost. For actresses tapped for leads in biopics, living up to their idols can be a daunting task; from the time casting announcements are made, stars’ abilities and appearances are in question. Here are three high-profile stories of women who were given big shoes to fill and, for various reasons, were not trusted to fill them. Follow the links for full articles on each, all written by female journalists.
Lindsay Lohan as Elizabeth Taylor
In the midst of public battles with addiction and the law, Lindsay Lohan was thought not to be reliable for work in feature films by the time she was cast as Elizabeth Taylor in Lifetime’s made-for-TV biopic, Liz & Dick (2012). Her subject had also suffered publicly with drug addiction, doing multiple stints in luxury rehab uk. But that similarity between Taylor and the fallen starlet did little to convince the public that the casting decision was for the best. In the end, ratings were low and reviews were negative for Liz & Dick, with Lohan baring the brunt of the criticism.
More from Huffington Post columnist Liz Smith: Lindsay’s Limp Liz & Dick: It Came. We Saw. It Did Not Conquer.
Zoe Saldana as Nina Simone
While the backlash against Lohan was over her stability and acting chops, Zoe Saldana has brewed a different sort of controversy over her slated appearance as Nina Simone in Nina (2014). Simone’s daughter, Simone Kelly, and outspoken fans are taking issue with Saldana’s appearance, claiming her skin is too light and her features are too delicate to portray the prolific songstress and civil rights activist. In the first photos from the set, Saldana can be seen wearing a curly wig, a nose prosthesis and skin darkening makeup. Some believe the casting flies in the face of the equal opportunities Simone fought for in her day, and that the use of prosthetic and makeup to make Saldana appear African-American resembles black-face.
More from NYTimes.com contributor Tanzina Vega: Stir Builds Over Actress to Portray Nina Simone
Zendaya Coleman as Aaliyah
17-year-old Disney star Zendaya Coleman also drew criticism for being too light-skinned to play late musician Aaliyah Haughton, who died in a plane crash in 2001. The younger singer and actress dropped out of the Lifetime film, Aaliyah: Princess of R&B (2014), citing poor production value and standards–not her detractors–as the cause of her departure.Coleman was replaced by Alexandra Shipp, another bi-racial star who is already responding via Twitter to anticipated critics.
More from NY Daily News reporter Chiderah Monde: Zendaya ‘no longer involved’ in Lifetime network’s Aaliyah biopic
Ashley Canino writes the Pop Rivets column for The Riveter. You can follow her @AshleyCanino.
