Why is it that we do not see a diversity in the casting of movies?
Growing up, I rarely saw any person on-screen that represented my ethnicity and when there was an Asian actor/actress, more than likely stereotypes would be included in the film. My question is why is Hollywood still white-washed even after society has changed over the past few decades. #in #casting #diversity
3 answers
Shannon’s Answer
One reason Hollywood has been slow to change is that the industry can be very risk-averse. Movies cost a lot of money to make, so studios may choose actors, stories, and casting decisions that they believe are the “safe” option. Historically, that has often meant choosing white actors or familiar storylines, even when audiences are open to seeing more diverse casts and more original stories.
Another reason is that casting is not only about the actors we see on screen. A lot of power sits behind the scenes with writers, directors, producers, casting directors, executives, and the people funding the projects. If those decision-making spaces are not diverse, then the stories being told and the actors being chosen may also be limited. This is why representation behind the camera is just as important as representation in front of the camera.
There is also the issue of “default” casting. For a long time, Hollywood treated white characters as the default unless a role was specifically written for another race or ethnicity. That means many roles that could have gone to actors of any background were still often cast with white actors. And when Asian actors were included, they were sometimes placed into narrow roles, such as the sidekick, the foreigner, the martial artist, the “smart” character, or another stereotype instead of being shown as full, complex people.
I think real diversity means more than just including one Asian character or one person of color in a movie. It means showing people from different backgrounds in all kinds of roles: main characters, romantic leads, heroes, funny characters, professionals, villains, ordinary people, and complicated characters with full stories. So overall, I would say Hollywood has improved, but it still has a long way to go. True progress will require more diverse casting, but also more diverse writers, directors, producers, and executives who can help decide which stories get told in the first place.
Nicole’s Answer
Very little of Hollywood deals with the ART of film-making. It's about what sells . . . Not a great answer, but . . . that may all change soon with the rise of the film industry in China.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/adamfaze/2016/04/17/china-refueling-film-industry/5249eb9e38ae
There's also an episode from 60 Minutes recently dedicated to China and Hollywood
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/60-minutes-china-film-industry-booming-2/
Wael’s Answer
You are right about your comment about diversity in Hollywood. It has been the issue for years, but it is getting better. For example, in the last couple of years we have seen more oscar awards going to black artists. Having said that, Black Americans make 13% of the US population and Asian Americans make 6%.