The firestorm of criticism surrounding Zoe Saldana’s selection to portray artist and activist Nina Simone is not letting up anytime soon, especially with these new photos that depict Saldana as the iconic performer.
Saldana’s transformation includes a prosthetic nose, false teeth and a deep shade of makeup that appears to be uneven. Critics charge that the director of the film has selected the wrong actress and the drastic makeover won’t make the situation right. Supporters remind critics that acting involves immersing oneself into different characters, and that includes a physical transformation as well.
Here are other actresses who’ve had to make physical changes for roles.
Angelina Jolie
Angelina’s natural ample lips and dark hair evidently has gained her entrance into the minority actors’ pool, as she portrayed Cleopatra and Marianne Pearl, the biracial widow of Daniel Pearl, a journalist beheaded by a terrorist group.
Amandla Stenberg
Rue was not identified as a African American in the book, and she was not supposed to be portrayed by a black actress in the film, The Hunger Games, and some die-hard fans were hopping mad. Remember these throwback tweets?
