Zoe Saldana’s take on Nina Simone’s 2016 biopic resurfaces on the 21st anniversary of the singer’s death

An try and honor Nina Simone’s legacy on the 21st anniversary of her death has reignited the furore surrounding the controversial biopic starring Zoe Saldana as the late icon earlier this week. The film “Nina” premiered in April 2016, but even before the premiere there have been strong reactions about the actress changing her appearance for the role.

In this role, the “Avatar” standout wore a prosthetic nose that flared her nostrils, an Afro wig and was covered in deep-tinted makeup that mimicked Simone’s mahogany skin.

The “I Put a Spell On You” singer died of natural causes after a battle with cancer on April 21, 2003. She was 70 years old.

Her estate shared a post on X celebrating her life with a surprising portrait of Simone. However, retweets and replies reveal that she is endlessly attached to the cinematic flop from almost a decade ago. “I just got mad again.” he wrote user X, who re-shared the post together with photos of Saldana and Simone.

Another response To read“I still can’t believe they blackfaced her. And what’s worse, she agreed!” A one that rated Saldana based on her acting skills he wrote“I confirm what someone says. Zoe did a great job playing her and I enjoyed the movie. She’s nothing like her, but she got the job done.

According to Hollywood reporterMary J. Blige was originally cast for the role, but financial problems led to her departure from the production. Saldana, who identifies as a Black Latina with Dominican, Puerto Rican and Haitian roots, responded to early outcry from fans of the legendary artist who were unhappy with her participation in the concert.

“I never should have played Nina,” she said during a 2020 interview with Bese. “I should have done everything I could with the advantage I had 10 years ago – which was a different lever, but it was leverage nonetheless – I should have tried everything I could to cast a black woman in a role that was uniquely perfect black woman,” Saldana added.

Four years earlier, nonetheless, she took a distinct position.

“Women’s stories aren’t important enough, especially black women’s stories. I made my choice,” Saldana told Allure. “Do I continue to pass the script around and hope that the “right” black person does it, or do I say, “You know what? Whatever consequences this may bring, my casting is nothing compared to the fact that this story needs to be told.”

Simone’s daughter, Simone Kelly, echoed similar sentiments, speaking out against the film, which was released a yr after the official What Happened to Miss Simone documentary.

“There are many great actresses of color who could better represent my mother and bring her to the screen with the right script, the right team and a sense of wanting to bring the truth of my mother’s journey to the masses,” said Kelly the New York Times 4 years before the film saw the light of day.

Sam Waymon, Nina’s brother, shared scathing comments about the casting when he told the New York Daily News that it was “an insult to our people and their fight and all the things that Nina represented in her music and all the things that she stood for in own life. It takes a lot of courage and audacity to do this.” He said of Saldana’s dark complexion that it is “what we consider blackface.”

Saldana has previously mentioned that her success in films is due in part to her roles in science fiction series such as “Star Trek” and “Guardians of the Galaxy.” She claimed that the characters she chose suspended reality, allowing her to be colorblind as an artist and allowing fans to not care about her ethnicity and skin color.

Elsewhere, reacting to the estate’s well-intentioned posts, many people suggested that “I May Destroy You” actress Michaela Coel should be cast as the “High Priestess of Soul” if ever another attempt to tell her life’s story results in It will be possible. for the big screen.