Source: photo: screencap
Over the years Zoe Saldana has taken some unprovoked missteps in her career including making some suspect statements regarding race and even defending Donald Trump, but it all seemed to begin crashing down for the Dominican actress when she took on the role of Nina Simone in 2016’s biopic, Nina.
The backlash was immediate and unforgiving and though she tried to defend her decision to take a role that should’ve gone to a Black woman, that too fell flat on it’s face. Now four years later the La Colombiana actress regrets not only taking on the role, but also not doing enough to ensure it went to the right actress.
During an IG Live interview with Pose co-creator and executive producer Steven Canals, the two were speaking about how far Afro-Latinos have come in the entertainment industry before touching on the subject of Nina, and it was there that Saldana tearfully expressed regret about taking on that gig.
“I should have never played Nina,” Saldana finally admitted. “I should have done everything in my power with the leverage that I had ten 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.”
Yeah, that was basically what many people felt should’ve happened. Still the family of Nina Simone did campaign for Zoe Saldana to take on the role so we can’t be too hard on Saldana for making the decision. Once you get a family’s blessing to do something you might feel a ways if you turn them down. But ultimately the woman commonly known as “Gamora” continued to tearfully apologize saying, “She deserved better. With that said I’m sorry. I’m so sorry because I love her music” and actually hopes that “somebody else steps up” and tells the story of Nina Simone in the righteous way.
For everyone sake we hope someone else does.
Check out the interview below and let us know your thoughts on Zoe Saldana’s apology.
Zoe Saldana Apologizes For Taking On The Role of Nina Simone was originally published on hiphopwired.com
