Zoe Saldana, 42-year-old actress commonly known for her roles in Avatar and Guardians of the Galaxy broke down on an Instagram video while doing an interview with Steven Canals when the topic of Nina Simone arose.
In the original movie that was filmed in 2012 and released in 2016 Saldana who is of Puerto Rican, Dominican and Haitian descent, wore a full bodysuit, prosthetic nose, false teeth and darkened her skin to play Simone. This sparked a great deal of controversy with people accusing her of making a mockery of Nina and saying she was too light skinned for the role.
During the recent interview Saldana said: “I should have never played Nina. I should have done everything in my power with the leverage that I had 10 years ago – which was a different leverage but it was leverage nonetheless – I should have tried everything in my power to cast a black woman to play an exceptionally perfect black woman.” She added: “She deserved better, and I am so sorry.”
However, at the time, Saldana defended herself in the role of Simone telling Allure magazine: “There’s no one way to be black,” She said: “I’m black the way I know how to be. You have no idea who I am. I am black. I’m raising black men. Don’t you ever think you can look at me and address me with such disdain.”
On the release of the movie, Simone’s estate, refused to endorse the film and publicly condemned the casting, telling Saldana in a tweet: “take Nina’s name out of your mouth for the rest of your life.”
Hopefully people begin to understand this is painful. Gut-wrenching, heartbreaking, nauseating, soul-crushing. It shall pass, but for now…
— Nina Simone (@NinaSimoneMusic) March 3, 2016
To some Saldana’s apology had come a little too late:
zoe saldana is doing cartwheels around the word dark skinned women in her “apology” but had no problem plopping on a prosthetic nose and brown makeup girl go to hell
— (@slitmyclitt) August 4, 2020
Lots of light skinned people in my mentions telling me they forgive Zoe Saldana for smearing nutella on her face and a fake nose to appear as Nina Simone,,,,,, pic.twitter.com/N4QVmmflKl
— Fiona Applebum says block Shaun King! (@WrittenByHanna) August 4, 2020
That Zoe Saldana apology for wearing blackface/playing Nina Simone was a a text book white woman apology.
— am (@champagnamamii) August 4, 2020
Do you think that Saldana’s apology was valid?
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