As you already know, many people are upset about Zoe Saldana playing Nina Simone in the upcoming biopic about the late singer’s life, but things got taken to the next level when Zoe tweeted a Nina quote and the legendary singer’s estate replied by throwing some shade at the actress.
Now, Rob Johnson – former owner of BET and current founder of RLJ Entertainment, the company putting out the Nina Simone biopic – has issued a statement defending the film and their actress, calling Zoe’s performance “mesmerizing.”
“Zoe Saldana delivers an exceptional and mesmerizing tribute to Nina Simone. She gave her heart and soul to the role and displayed her extraordinary talent. The most important thing is that creativity or quality of performance should never be judged on the basis of color, or ethnicity, or physical likeness. Quality entertainment should be measured by the sheer force of creativity and the commitment that an actor or actress brings to the performance. We are proud to distribute the film headlined by Zoe Saldana and David Oyelowo on April 22, 2016.”
Folks will still feel strongly, but they should at least wait until the film comes out to judge if she did the role justice or not. We think David Oyelowo is a remarkable actor, and Rob is banking on him working with Zoe to produce a great movie-going experience.
SOURCE: PEOPLE | PHOTO CREDIT: Getty, Twitter
If I don’t think she’s “mesmerizing” and don’t enjoy the movie, will I get my money back?
Why should she play a black character when she says she’s not black? Hypocrite and money whore!