Why Is a White Actor Playing 'Prince of Persia' Title Role?

[Dusty Ayres]

Here we go again:

This weekend sees the release of the movie Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Mike Newell's adaptation of the 2003 video game of the same name. Jake Gyllenhaal will star as Prince Dastan, a casting choice that has upset some people: Gyllenhaal is white, while some feel the role calls for an actor of Middle Eastern descent. Gyllenhaal's casting, as well as that of white actress Gemma Arterton as the princess Tamina, have raised questions about how much racial authenticity we should expect from our movies.

Why Is a White Actor Playing 'Prince of Persia' Title Role?

Here's the trailer, in case anybody wants to see the movie:

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8EA7EbFX4k&feature=player_embedded[/yt]

 

[Hermiod]

Beats me. At least when 24 casts a load of Mexicans as Arabs they have vaguely similar skin tones which is more than I can say for this movie.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Why is an American actor playing a Persian speaking with a British accent?

Why is anyone bothering to see a craptastic movie based on a silly video game?

I've seen plenty of ethnic Iranians in real life and on TV. They are often just as white as anyone, so Gyllenhaal's skin color is less ridiculous than his accent and the content of the movie.

 

[Hermiod]

^Because video games are a bigger industry than movies these days and Hollywood wants to catch up?

 

[John Picard]

Here we go again:

This weekend sees the release of the movie Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Mike Newell's adaptation of the 2003 video game of the same name. Jake Gyllenhaal will star as Prince Dastan, a casting choice that has upset some people: Gyllenhaal is white, while some feel the role calls for an actor of Middle Eastern descent. Gyllenhaal's casting, as well as that of white actress Gemma Arterton as the princess Tamina, have raised questions about how much racial authenticity we should expect from our movies.

Why Is a White Actor Playing 'Prince of Persia' Title Role?

Here's the trailer, in case anybody wants to see the movie:

You're seriously asking that? Hollywood is rife with examples of white people playing roles of other races.

John Wayne played Genghis Kahn fer cryin' out loud!

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Because Hollywood wants to capitalize on the brand name of video games, that's why. I know the answer, I'm just bitching about the awfulness of it all.

So let's play a game: who should play Prince Dastan? How about Keanu Reeves, who is half (or thereabouts) Asian? Ooooh I got it: Jason Momoa!!!

 

[Level 2 Diagnostic]

Name an Iranian actor with the same name recognition as Jake Gyllenhall. Hell, just name an Iranian actor, I bet most people here can't.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Easy: Shoreh Agdalooshoo. Okay, wrong gender, and I'm sure I mangled her name, but she's an Iranian actor and pretty much everybody knows her.

I got another nominee for Dashan: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Hey, what's Vin Diesel doing nowadays?

Or, forget the muscles and envision the character more as an underdog and cast that guy who plays Lester on Chuck. (He's actually way too dark to play an Iranian, but the audience will not be bothered by that any more than they'd be bothered by Gyllenhaal).

 

[Hermiod]

At least The Rock isn't white.

 

[Mal]

Why is an American actor playing a Persian speaking with a British accent?

Why did a British actor play a Frenchman, vis., Picard?

That said, I think Alexander Siddig would make a great Prince!

 

[thumbtack]

Have there been any successful "based on the video game" movies? I'm drawing a blank.

 

[John Picard]

Name an Iranian actor with the same name recognition as Jake Gyllenhall. Hell, just name an Iranian actor, I bet most people here can't.

Why should an actor have name recognition? Star Wars: A New Hope was a box office smash with an unknown actor named Mark Hamil playing the lead.

 

[Level 2 Diagnostic]

Why should an actor have name recognition? Star Wars: A New Hope was a box office smash with an unknown actor named Mark Hamil playing the lead.

The fact that you had to think back over 30 years to come up with a hit movie without a recognizable lead says a lot.

You could have at least said Avatar, but even in that case, the movie's director was a household name.

 

[The Laughing Vulcan]

Omid Djallili...

What! Too fat?

 

[Dusty Ayres]

Have there been any successful "based on the video game" movies? I'm drawing a blank.

Does anybody give a shit about the success rate? Why not try and just watch the fracking movie? Look how many flops have been based on novels and plays-did producers and companies stop adapting from those mediums? It just might be a success this time, you never know.

Or, forget the muscles and envision the character more as an underdog and cast that guy who plays Lester on Chuck. (He's actually way too dark to play an Iranian, but the audience will not be bothered by that any more than they'd be bothered by Gyllenhaal).

The prince of the title isn't an underdog, but the hero, and has to look heroic-that's why. Pretty obvious answer.

It's a good thing all previous versions of The Thief Of Baghdad were made when they were; if it was made now, we'd be be hearing how racist most of the casting is (with the exception of Sabu in the 1940 version, Anna May Wong in the 1924 version, Rex Ingram in the 1940 version) and it would be condemned by everybody with a blog and a computer everywhere.

Incidentally, I'd love to see a premake of Prince Of Persia...

 

[Nerys Myk]

Aren't Persians in the "white" catagory? Or does that depend on who's making the list?

 

[John Picard]

Why should an actor have name recognition? Star Wars: A New Hope was a box office smash with an unknown actor named Mark Hamil playing the lead.

The fact that you had to think back over 30 years to come up with a hit movie without a recognizable lead says a lot.

You could have at least said Avatar, but even in that case, the movie's director was a household name.

What does it say. I drew the first example that came to mind. If you want to get technical, how about The Blair Witch Project? No name leads and the movie raked in a shit ton of money. There are many more out there just like that, so don't tell me that the only way to pack people into theaters is with a BIG NAME LEAD

 

[Deckerd]

Omid Djalili would make a fabulous Prince of Persia.

 

[Hermiod]

The closest Star Trek had to an established name was Eric Bana and that made a hefty profit despite having the Star Trek name attached to it.

I don't recall Cloverfield exactly tanking at the box office with its cast of nobodies either.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Does anybody give a shit about the success rate?

The people who make the movies very much give a shit. Since that is what determines what movies actually do get made, we may as well acknowledge that.

Iranians are white or at most lightish brown, so we should really look for actors in that color range. How about Freddy Rodriguez. He has a nice ass-kicking attitude. Or Milo Ventimiglia. He has a big cult following now, and acting talent is hardly a requirement for a role like that.

Omid Djalili would make a fabulous Prince of Persia.

I had to look that guy up! Dastan should be a charismatic and reasonably decent looking young guy, not some old guy who looks like Telly Savalas!

And as for the big movies with no name actors, I have one word for ya: Twilight!