By: Amanda Anderson-Niles
Actress Zoe Saldana is clearly enjoying success in Hollywood as she keeps the roles coming in, but things haven’t been smooth sailing for the  Avatar star. When it was confirmed that she would be playing Nina Simone in an upcoming biopic, the news was met with lots of criticism. Simply put, there’s a whole group of people who don’t want her to play Nina Simone, and they are outraged she nabbed the role because she doesn’t have the physical traits of the legendary singer that played such a huge part of her life. Zoe feels the controversy is not quite fair, especially since she sees herself as a Latina and African-American woman. She even said in a recent interview that she took the role because she wanted to do it for her “brothers and sisters” and she wants people to at least give her a chance to prove herself on the big screen. Unfortunately for Zoe, a petition that popped up online proves some people just aren’t interested in giving her a chance.
Zoe covers the May issue of Latina Magazine and in the publication she talks about the backlash she received for the Nina Simone role. Despite all the skeptics, Zoe says she still has no regrets and she thinks people should see the film before they judge it. When asked if the criticism affected her, she says:
“Yes, of course. I’m not made of metal. Things will resonate in you and they will move you whether good or bad, but you can’t let that define who you are and you can’t let that dictate the path that you’re going to take in your life. The reality is that nobody knows the story as to why this collaboration came to be—nobody knows the full story—and at the end of the day all I’m going to say is that every person that is a part of this project came together for no other reason than the unconditional love for Nina Simone’s music, her persona, her life, what she did, what she left for us, what her music still continues to do not only to women, but to Americans, and African Americans, and also people of color, just everything. On all spectrums, Nina Simone’s story is worth telling and with the members that it came to be, like it’s just…you have to give it a chance…Watch it and then make up your mind. I’m happy that we all held together and we went for it. No regrets.”
Check out the cover below:
Zoe is cool but this is bigger than her. This is about the industry continuously white washing legendary black musicians through film. Nina was a chocolate woman. She had a wide nose and embraced her Afro-features. The role should have been given to an actress that looked like her. I wish she would stop acting like this is a personal attack on her.
Thank you!
They should have given the part to Viola Davis or the pretty woman who plays Michonne in The Walking Dead. They are stronger actors and have the features of Nina Simone.
She’s still on this? All you can do is work hard and prove your critics hard IF it’s important to you. No need to keep talking about it.
She’s still on it because people are still asking her about it. It’s an interview by a magazine….of course she is talking about it…FYI. Key words:”When Asked…”
Actually, celebs can request to not be asked about certain topics in interviews. That’s media 101, FYI.
This movie is going to be a hot mess. Zoe is a pretty woman but not that great of an actress.
She just needs to stop talking about it and let her acting in the film speak for itself.
It’s nothing personal. People just wanted Nina’s blackness not to go unnoticed in the film. Hollywood does that a lot in movies.
I think she’ll do a good job in the movie. She has a lot to prove, so I expect her to come hard.
I see both sides. I hope Zoe does an excellent job. I really do.
I think it is sad that the black community is kinda turning on her for taking this role. I agree with her….see the film first then you can say all you want about it. People act like a white women is playing a black woman.
This