And none of that would be any better if Omar Metwally were playing Bassam Al-Fayeed. Tyrant is ultimately a bad show because its a bad show and not because they cast a white actor in the lead role and expect you to think thats OK on the basis of his superficial resemblance to Middle Easter and North African actors. Thats just why its problematic and why anybody telling you that it doesnt matter is incorrect. So what should the Tyrant have done? This is simple and its not the way TV is made, but so much the poorer. It starts with this: If you have a show with a Middle Eastern main character, its probably important to have a Middle Eastern actor in the lead role. Right? Right. And if you think its important to have a Middle Eastern actor in the lead role, cast a Middle Eastern actor in the lead role. If you cannot immediately find a Middle Eastern actor for the lead role...Try harder. If you still cannot find a Middle Eastern actor for the lead role, pause and reflect on the message youre sending both to Middle Eastern actors, but also to people of Middle Eastern descent and then try even harder. Maybe during that time, you can also make sure that your creator and your showrunners are on the same page and that the pilot youre ordering is related to the show it will become. And if you still cannot find a Middle Eastern actor for the lead of your show? Dont make the show because...Lets return to Point A: You once thought it was important to cast a Middle Eastern actor in the lead role and you were right.
Posted on: Wed, 25 Jun 2014 20:10:19 +0000
Trending Topics
© 2015