Penélope Cruz Hesitated to Play Colombian Spy in ‘355’ - Jessica Chastain Explains the Casting
Penélope Cruz Hesitated to Play Colombian Spy in #The355 - Jessica Chastain Explains the Casting https://t.co/xwT9qBk49J pic.twitter.com/X4WZaJsii4
- IndieWire (@IndieWire) October 8, 2020
source
when the The 355 trailer came out people were confused about spanish Penélope Cruz playing a colombian spy
Jessica Chastain, who produced the movie, issued a statment to Variety:
“When I had the idea of making this film, we didn’t have a script or financing. “Penelope was incredibly helpful in this regard. After conversations with our consultant, I brought her the idea that she could play a fervent agent from Brazil. She mentioned that it wouldn’t be right for her to play a character from Brazil, as the majority language is Portuguese.”
“I realized that Colombia has a rich ethnic heritage, with approximately 80% of the population having European or mixed European heritage. We settled on a character who is a descendant from the colonization of Spain in the New World.”
“I understand that we are continuing to evolve how we think in terms of our cultural beliefs. When making this film, I wanted to move beyond nationalism and understand the international common thread that connects us all. At the end of the day, it wasn’t important where the characters came from, but that they all come together to form an alliance beyond borders.”