CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER!
Jill Scott supports Zoe Saldana playing music legend Nina Simone as long as she gets a prosthetic nose... and darker make-up':
Having sustained an on-screen career alongside managing her album releases and touring, she certainly has the credentials to star as a singing legend in a movie herself.
So it’s no surprise Jill Scott feels qualified to comment on a controversial online debate which has seen a backlash against Zoe Saldana for her landing the part as Nina Simone in an upcoming film.
The 40-year-old singer/songwriter - who has also starred in television shows such as BBC’s The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency – believes that Saldana can portray the late artist as long as she gets some serious help in the image department.
She told black women’s web site Hello Beautiful: ‘Zoe is an incredible actress. I think that there should be some work done, like a prosthetic nose would be helpful and definitely some darker make-up.’
Despite her comments risking coming across offensive to those who may feel good acting skills are enough for the role, Scott claims that if the 34-year-old does take her advice, it would be a respectful move.
She reasoned: ‘If Forest Whitaker can become darker in The Last King Of Scotland then I believe Nina should be treated with that respect.’
Slender Zoe - whose late father was from the Dominican Republic while her mother hails from Puerto Rico – wouldn’t be the only star to appear with altered facial features for the part of a serious screen part.
Nicole Kidman donned a prosthetic nose for her role as Virginia Woolf in The Hours.
The synopsis of the motion picture so far only details that it is the story of the jazz musician and classical pianist, including her rise to fame and relationship with her manager Clifton Henderson.Scott likened the move to Forest Whitaker featuring in The Last King Of Scotland with a darker complexion
The civil rights activist certainly celebrated women of darker complexions with her track Images (Of a Wayward Soul), which includes the lyrics: ‘She does not know her beauty. She thinks her brown body has no glory.’
However, it is not clear whether her appearance will only be a recessive feature in film titled Nina or if it holds more prominence.
Jill added: ‘[Simone] was very adamant about her colour, about her nose, about her shape and herself. And there needs to be some homage paid to that.’
Nina’s daughter Simone Kelly has taken umbrage with the decision to cast Zoe, and took to her Facebook page to voice her concerns recently: ‘Appearance-wise this is not the best choice,’ she wrote.
Although Simone went on to say that she had no problem with the star’s acting ability, she admitted that she would like to see a darker-skinned actress such as Viola Davis or Kimberly Elise take the part and suggested that her mother would have wanted Whoopi Goldberg to play her.
Zoe, who is hot property in Hollywood at the moment, has seen her profile rise after starring in a string of blockbusters and dating the likes of Bradley Cooper.
No comments:
Post a Comment