*Actress Gal Gadot (“Wonder Woman”) has responded to the fury over her casting as Cleopatra.
Gadot told the BBC that she doesn’t agree with the calls for an Arab or African woman playing the last queen of ancient Egypt.
“First of all if you want to be true to the facts then Cleopatra was Macedonian,” she said. “We were looking for a Macedonian actress that could fit Cleopatra. She wasn’t there, and I was very passionate about Cleopatra.”
Elizabeth Taylor famously played Cleopatra in director Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s 1963 film. Gadot said she will do her life justice in the upcoming drama from director Patty Jenkins for Paramount.
“I have friends from across the globe, whether they’re Muslims or Christian or Catholic or atheist or Buddhist, or Jewish of course…People are people, and with me I want to celebrate the legacy of Cleopatra and honor this amazing historic icon that I admire so much,” she said.
READ MORE: Outrage After ‘Very Bland Israeli’ Actress Gal Gadot Cast as Cleopatra
Want to know how I release my inner super hero?
Come #TakeABreak with me on @instagram https://t.co/herkrISybz— Gal Gadot (@GalGadot) December 21, 2020
“You know, anybody can make this movie and anybody can go ahead and do it,” she said. “I’m very passionate that I’m going to do my own too.”
Gadot previously announced the casting on Twitter, writing “As you might have heard I teamed up with @PattyJenks and @LKalogridis to bring the story of Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, to the big screen in a way she’s never been seen before. To tell her story for the first time through women’s eyes, both behind and in front of the camera.”
She added, “I love embarking on new journeys, I love the excitement of new projects, the thrill of bringing new stories to life. Cleopatra is a story I wanted to tell for a very long time.”
NYT bestselling author @Morgan Jerkins responded to the casting by noting, “I’m sure Gal Gadot is going to do a wonderful job as Cleopatra. However, for me personally, I would love a Cleopatra who’s darker than a brown paper bag, because that seems a bit more historically accurate.”
Journalist Sameera Khan wrote “thought it would be a good idea to cast an Israeli actress as Cleopatra (a very bland looking one) instead of a stunning Arab actress like Nadine Njeim? And shame on you, Gal Gadot. Your country steals Arab land & you’re stealing their movie roles… smh.”
“White libs flipped … out when white actors played MYTHICAL Egyptian gods in “Gods of Egypt,” but all is well when a WHITE Israeli actress of European descent is cast as Cleopatra,” Khan added.
Do you agree with the critics? Let us know in the comments.
We Publish News 24/7. Don’t Miss A Story. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now!
