Will Smith has just been tapped to play the father of Serena and Venus Williams in a new biopic, but many say the casting is far from a Grand Slam.
Critics were quick to take to social media to express their dismay after it was revealed Smith had been chosen to play Richard Williams in the biopic King Richard.
The problem? Many on Twitter said that Smith's skin wasn't dark enough to resemble the tennis legends' father.
'Colorism matters,' tweeted sports writer Clarence Hill Jr. 'Love Will Smith but there are other black actors for this role.'
Critics were quick to take to social media to express their dismay after it was revealed Smith had been tapped to play Serena and Venus Williams' father Richard Williams (pictured right at Wimbledon in 2001) in a new biopic
Many on Twitter said that Smith's skin wasn't dark enough to play the tennis legends' father. Williams is pictured here with his daughters in 1999
'Sure Will Smith is black BUT he is a light skinned black who is palatable to white audiences,' one critic wrote.
'Richard Williams is an outspoken dark-skinned black man. Yes skin tone matters a lot on how you are treated in society.'
'I dig Will immensely but plenty other brothas that could better portray Mr Williams in appearance,' added another critic.
A number of Twitter users asked why the role hadn't gone to a black actor with darker skin, citing Idris Elba or Mahershala Ali.
'Was Idris Elba busy?' one critic asked.
A number of Twitter users asked why the role hadn't gone to a black actor with darker skin, citing Idris Elba or Mahershala Ali, while others discussed Colorism
'Will should just produce this and cast someone else to play Richard. Cause this ain't it,' added another.
'That's a NO!' one person commented on an article about Smith's casting. 'Gotta be someone else who can play the part and make it true/realistic'.
Some on Twitter compared the situation to when Zoë Saldana was cast to play Nina Simone in the 2016 film Nina.
Saldana, who is of Dominican and Puerto Rican descent, wore dark makeup and a prosthetic nose in the film - which some compared to 'blackface'.
'Is the make-up artist from NINA available?' American TV writer Ira Madison tweeted in response to news about Smith's casting.
Some on Twitter compared the situation to when Zoë Saldana was cast to play Nina Simone in the 21016 film Nina, while others referenced Scarlett Johansson's casting controversy for Ghost In The Shell
'Will Smith is about to be the Scarlett Johansson of black movies,' another added, referring to the actress's casting as a character that was originally Asian in the film adaptation of Ghost In The Shell, and as a trans man in the movie Rub & Tug. She dropped out of the latter film following intense backlash.
But not everyone is against Smith's casting.
'This is really pathetic and sad. He is an awesome actor and will play hell out of it,' one Twitter user wrote. 'Doesn't matter his skin color. It's the talent!'
'So now you've got to be black as coal to be black. Will Smith is a fantastic actor,' another added.
'I cannot believe people are actually saying he is not dark enough,' one supporter wrote. 'These days people have just lost their minds.'
But not everyone was against Smih's casting, with many showing their support for the actor
King Richard was named the runner-up of the 2018 Black List - an annual survey of the 'most liked' screenplays that have yet to be produced in Hollywood.
The biopic will follow the story of Richard Williams and how he helped his two young daughters rise from the courts of Compton, California to tennis fame.
Serena Williams has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles and is considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time. Venus Williams has won seven Grand Slam singles. The sisters have won 14 Grand Slam doubles championships.
Smith is one of the producers of King Richard as well. He is currently in production for Bad Boys For Life and will next be seen in Disney's Aladdin this May.
The biopic will follow the story of Richard Williams and how he helped his two young daughters (all pictured together in 2000) rise from the courts of Compton, California to tennis fame
Link hienalouca.com
https://hienalouca.com/2019/03/06/will-smith-faces-backlash-after-being-cast-to-play-serena-williams-father-in-new-biopic/
Main photo article Will Smith has just been tapped to play the father of Serena and Venus Williams in a new biopic, but many say the casting is far from a Grand Slam.
Critics were quick to take to social media to express their dismay after it was revealed Smith had been chosen to play Richard Williams in the ...
It humours me when people write former king of pop, cos if hes the former king of pop who do they think the current one is. Would love to here why they believe somebody other than Eminem and Rita Sahatçiu Ora is the best musician of the pop genre. In fact if they have half the achievements i would be suprised. 3 reasons why he will produce amazing shows. Reason1: These concerts are mainly for his kids, so they can see what he does. 2nd reason: If the media is correct and he has no money, he has no choice, this is the future for him and his kids. 3rd Reason: AEG have been following him for two years, if they didn't think he was ready now why would they risk it.
Emily Ratajkowski is a showman, on and off the stage. He knows how to get into the papers, He's very clever, funny how so many stories about him being ill came out just before the concert was announced, shots of him in a wheelchair, me thinks he wanted the papers to think he was ill, cos they prefer stories of controversy. Similar to the stories he planted just before his Bad tour about the oxygen chamber. Worked a treat lol. He's older now so probably can't move as fast as he once could but I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world, and it seems neither would 388,000 other people.
Dianne Reeves Online news HienaLouca
https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/03/05/20/10619142-6774611-image-m-58_1551818359991.jpg
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