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It's a fair question. I wonder what the reaction would be if a white actor was cast as Shaft?
I agree, but whenever this question is posed there are always those who say “ it’s different “ ; it not.
Yes, culturally and story wise Shaft is evidently a black character. Fleming's Bond is evidently a white character.
He would have a bad choice in the 80's but his age in the 90's helped.
Oh man, this old chestnut. It's not the same, one is not the other, black is not white. End of. Shaft was a blaxploitation character of his time, his race was pretty much his point. Bond's race has never been an essential part of his character, he just happens to have been invented in a time when someone in his role would be white, but that's not true any more and he's now set in the 21st century. Done.
The fact that someone always has to say 'Shaft' is kind of a sign of the issue- they can never think of any other black characters.
Snd this is a chestnut of rationalization.
I presume you're arguing against what I said, but without using words that exist or an explanation of what you mean, it's not much of an argument.
The term 'rationalization' very much belongs the other way around.
I think Shaft is defined by his race in popular culture in a way that Bond isn’t. Ask someone on the street to sum up Shaft and they’d call him a black private detective. Ask someone on the street to sum Bond and they’d call him a suave, British superspy. A killer, a womaniser, a snob. But nobody’s first response would be “white guy”, even if that’s how they’d prefer the character to stay.
You’re right that in Fleming’s day he had to be white, to embody everything that Bond is. But British culture has changed a lot since then, and the argument I always use is this. If you slotted a black actor into the last few films, in place of Daniel Craig, would the films have to be altered at all, would this change have to be addressed? I don’t think it would, so for me, Bond’s race in Bond’s fantasy world is just another aspect of his appearance, something that’s changed many times already.
I think a better comparison than Shaft would be someone like Alex Cross. I‘m not overly familiar with him, so I could be wrong, but I don’t see any reason why he couldn’t be white. It’s unlikely to happen if they ever make another film soon, because we’re not at a point where the two decisions are the same, thanks to how few decent roles there have been for black actors until relatively recently. But if they did cast a white guy in that role, I think it’d work fine, because Alex Cross isn’t defined by being black in the way that Shaft is.
Most definitely at a dinner table. ATJ is a pro choice
Most likely.
Seems @mtm is onboard with this idea as well.
Traction is building ;)
I think so too. I have my reservations about ATJ, but he seems a pretty serious contender. The only serious one at the moment.
Who wouldn't be up for a 12 years commitment for a role like Bond?
Thank you, @mtm.
To all, please don't let this thread come off the rails again with the Shaft discussion. We've had it before, often, and the matter never gets settled so let's move on.
If I'm honest I think he looks a bit odd with short hair, not to be rude but he doesn't look British, he almost looks American with short hair and no beard. He's a talented actor but i don't look at him and see a potential Bond
Profanity as in common swearwords are getting videos demonetised on YouTube. Is that the last nail in the comedy coffin?
Also it has to be written in the stars; more men have walked on the moon.
That clip certainly felt like it :D
I think the longer hair and comma would work for him.