Zoe Saldana Says She ‘Should Have Never’ Played Nina Simone In Biopic
#ZoeSaldana says she regrets playing Nina Simone in a biopic that involved darkening her skin and wearing prosthetics https://t.co/BfaXX0BpQY
- ET Canada (@ETCanada) August 5, 2020
Saldana’s casting as Simone in the 2016 biopic “Nina” caused a stir at the time, due to the fact that Saldana, who is Afro-Latinx, darkened her light skin and wore prosthetics to play the role.
Zoe Saldana regrets her decision to play legendary singer Nina Simone.
“I should have never played Nina. I should have done everything in my power with the leverage that I had 10 years ago, which was a different leverage but it was leverage nonetheless, I should have tried everything in my power to cast a Black woman to play an exceptionally perfect Black woman. I thought back then that I had the permission because I was a Black woman. And I am. But, it’s Nina. And Nina had a life and a journey that should be honoured to the specific detail. We’ve been appropriating ourselves with someone like Nina Simone for a very long time. And I just want her story to be told and I want it to be right because she deserves it. I’m so sorry because I love her music. I know better today and I’m never going to do that again. Never.”
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