Why We Should Embrace Historical Drama Casting That Looks Like America (and the U.K.)
Images are political
--Actor David Oyelowo, Inspector Javert in Les Misérables
A trend that's on the rise on both sides of the Atlantic, color-blind casting opens opportunities for actors of color, and makes dramas accessible to new audiences who can recognize themselves in the faces of the actors. And while I acknowledge that a man of African descent would probably not be promoted to Javert’s rank so early in royalist nineteenth-century France, I can’t think of a better actor for the role. I love the freshness and new depth brought to traditionally “white” roles—do you remember Sophie Okonedo’s fierce Margaret in The Hollow Crown?
