“Cloud Atlas” Should Have Used More Asian Actors, Group Argues
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Warner Bros. Pictures(LOS ANGELES) — The new drama Cloud Atlas has come under fire from an organization that fights stereotypes of Asian Americans in the media, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The founding president of the Media Action Network for Asian Americans contends that the film “missed a great opportunity” to utilize Asian actors in one of its story lines.
The story line in question is set in 2144 South Korea and features Jim Sturgess, Hugo Weaving and other cast members as Asian characters. The stars of the movie play multiple roles as part of a series of interconnected plots that span many centuries.
MANAA argues in a statement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, “The Korea story’s protagonist is an Asian man — an action hero who defies the odds and holds off armies of attackers. …It would have been a great, stereotype-busting role for an Asian American actor to play, as Asian American men aren’t allowed to be dynamic or heroic very often.”
The organization further states, “It appears that to turn white and black actors into Asian characters, the make-up artists believed they only had to change their eyes, not their facial structure and complexion.”
Cloud Atlas opens Friday.
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