Message from fisakson

[Anonymous]

Clay wrote---- "Is it inappropriate for actors of other ethnicities portray Japanese? Should a Texan such as Renée Zellweger be permitted to play a Britan such as Bridget Jones? "

Does anyone remember the movie "Sixteen Candles"? Granted, it was not an award winning epic but in it, there was a Chinese character, "Long Duck Dong" (yeah, I know ;] ). This character was criticized because he was played by a Japanese actor, Gette Watanabe, and also in one scene he is wearing a Japanese robe/kimono?

Let's not also forget the famous "Breakfast at Tiffany's", a film that I adore, but cringe at every time I see Mickey Rooney's horrible imitation fo a Japanese.

There are no rules written about who can play who, yet we it seems now it is not appropriate for a Caucasian actor to play an Asian character, yet an Asian actor of one culture playing a character of another culture (like Memoirs of a Geisha), while uncomfortable for some, is not unacceptable to all.

Clay brings up a good point, can we really exclude all, some or any, of the actors for parts that are "cultural?"

[Edit by="fisakson on Jan 5, 10:00:06 AM"][/Edit]