Javier Bardem Pushes Back On Being The Ricardos Casting Backlash

Javier Bardem Pushes Back On Being The Ricardos Casting Backlash

Javier Bardem is defending his casting in Aaron Sorkin’s Being the Ricardos, pushing back on criticism about his role as Cuban-American Desi Arnaz.

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Javier Bardem Pushes Back On Being The Ricardos Casting Backlash

Javier Bardem is defending his casting in Sorkin’s Being the Ricardos. Bardem stars alongside Nicole Kidman in the new film that follows Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, the famous couple who led sit-com I Love Lucy as Lucy and Ricky Ricardo. Portraying the other notable couple from the hit show, Fred and Ethel Mertz, is J.K Simmons as William Frawley and Nina Arianda as Vivian Vance. The cast is rounded out by Tony Hale playing head writer Jess Oppenheimer, and Alia Shawkat and Jake Lacey as writers Madelyn Pugh and Bob Carroll Jr.

At the helm of Being the Ricardos is award-winning screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, who not only wrote the screenplay but also directed the film. The biopic will follow the lives of Ball and Arnaz over one week as they work to put together an episode of I Love Lucy. Throughout that week, the film will explore the couple overcoming obstacles to their professional and personal lives, which often times are linked to one another. When Kidman and Bardem’s casting was first announced, however, the stars faced backlash over their Being The Ricardos roles. Many argued that Kidman simply didn’t resemble Ball enough, and doubted her ability to portray the icon’s comedy chops. Bardem also dealt with criticism over his casting as Arnaz, a Cuban American, despite being a Spanish actor.

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In an interview with THR, Bardem pushed back on the backlash of his casting as Arnez. The actor argued that he felt the scrutiny was somewhat unfair, saying it is typically lobbied against actors with “accents,” and those who don’t speak English as a first language. To support his argument, Bardem pointed out that English-speaking actors have often been able to escape this kind of criticism before, citing Ridley Scott’s recent The Last Duel, set in France, and Marlon Brando’s role in The Godfather. Bardem’s full quote can be read below:

“I’m an actor, and that’s what I do for a living: try to be people that I’m not … What do we do with Marlon Brando playing Vito Corleone? What do we do with Margaret Thatcher played by Meryl Streep? Daniel Day-Lewis playing Lincoln? Why does this conversation happen with people with accents? You have your accent. That’s where you belong. That’s tricky. Where is that conversation with English-speaking people doing things like The Last Duel, where they were supposed to be French people in the Middle Ages? That’s fine. But me, with my Spanish accent, being Cuban? What I mean is, if we want to open the can of worms, let’s open it for everyone. The role came to me, and one thing that I know for sure is that I’m going to give everything that I have.”

The 52- year-old actor followed up on his interview to further elaborate his thoughts on the issue, by clarifying he understands there is lack of representation in Hollywood and a need to do better. In an email to THR, he wrote, “I do recognize that there are many underrepresented voices and stories that need to be told, and we should collectively do better to provide access and opportunities for more American Latino stories and storytellers.” Ironically, Bardem wasn’t always committed to his role, and both he and Kidman (neither of who grew up in the US) tried to back out when they realized the magnitude of I Love Lucy’s popularity. However, their efforts were thwarted when producer Todd Black and director Sorkin intervened.

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While Hollywood has made strides in the past decade to feature more diverse stories, there is unmistakably a lot of work that still needs to be done. It’s valid for viewers to want true representation on their screens, and honest criticism can lead to more impactful change across the industry. Bardem is not wrong in his defence, and his comparison to Brando’s Vito Corleone is understandable. However, the concern is having that line of argument justify like-minded casting decisions for the future. This is most likely why Bardem followed up his earlier comment via email, because he values the need for underrepresented stories and voices. Many minority communities fight to be seen as more than a monolith, so it’s vital the storytelling matches that wish. Fans can catch the final product of Bardem’s Arnaz performance in Being the Ricardos in theaters now and on Amazon starting December 21.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/being-ricardos-movie-javier-bardem-casting-backlash-reaction/

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