Originally published March 2, 2015. Updated April 13, 2018.
Over the weekend, there was a speculative rumour (though no one is sure where it started) that Michelle Rodriguez (Fast and Furious) was the number one choice for Warner Bros. and DC to play Green Lantern. The high likelihood is that none of this is true, but TMZ did catch up with the actor to see what she made of the rumours.
Well, she was pretty blunt.
“That’s the dumbest thing I ever heard,” she said. “I think it’s so stupid because of this whole minorities in Hollywood thing. It’s so stupid. Stop stealing all the white people’s superheroes. Make up your own. What’s up with that?”
Clearly Rodriguez was saying this in a jokey fashion, and she is obviously isn’t aware that Jessica Cruz (the female Green Lantern / Power Ring she was rumoured to play) isn’t white herself. Regardless her comments sparked some outrage from Internet fans, especially those who feel that Hollywood does need more minority heroes on the big screen.
“I want to clarify about my comment yesterday,” the actor posted to her Facebook. “I stuck my foot in my mouth once again and I people should stop try stealing white people’s superheroes. And I guess it got taken out of context as a lot of people were offended or whatever. I have a tendency to speak without a filter, so sorry about that. What I meant to say was that at the end of the day there is a language in Hollywood, and that language is ‘successful franchise’. And I think there are many cultures in Hollywood that are not white that can come up with their own mythology. We all get it from the same reservoir of life, the same fountain of life – and it doesn’t matter what culture you come from. I’m just saying that rather than change a girl character into a male character or a white character into a black character or Latin character, I think people should stop being lazy. And I think people in Hollywood should make an effort and devote their own mythology.”
“And you know what? If being American is a mythology and who you are is embedded into what makes you or the archetype you’re trying to portray in a Hollywood feature or comic book, so be that,” she continues. But I’m just saying that the different cultures from around the world that are in Hollywood… Latin, black, Asian, so and so forth, are considered minorities because there aren’t any writers writing for them. They should focus on making that a serious priority. It’s not about taking Catwoman or Superman or Green Lantern or whoever they are and trying to make them fit to the cultural background you are. It should be more creative than that. And I think people need to stop being lazy. And that’s what I meant about my comment. And I’m taking this to heart – I’m considering this when I’m thinking of projects to write.”
What do you make of Michelle Rodriguez’s comments?
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL18yMRIfoszH_jfuJoo8HCG1-lGjvfH2F
