As we previously reported, Zoe Saldana was casted lead role in Nina Simone upcoming biopic film [despite Simone’s family disapproval of the decision]. Simone’s daughter, went on public record and said that although she’s aware that her mother’s influence impacted women of all races, her mother’s image and fight to sustain her look throughout her career should’ve of been honored by the movie producers [as her mother would have wanted it so] contribution].
Fast forward to present day, Saldana has been casted and is currently filming the movie and pictures of the Saldana as Nina surfaced the internet and people are in uproar. Singer, India Arie recently penned an open letter of her admiration for Saldana as actress but disapprove of the “bafoonery” of it all.
Here’s India Arie’s letter:
” People have been asking me for weeks, months, years about a Nina Simone movie, when I heard about Zoe Saldana being cast I reserved judgement, you NEVER know what People are MEANT to do. SO TODAY I saw the images of Zoe Saldana as Nina Simone… AND I THINK THEY ARE RIDICULOUS!
Yes there should be a movie made, and YES they should have chosen someone who LOOKS like Nina Simone, ESPECIALLY since her RACE played such a PIVOTAL role in WHO, WHAT and WHY, she was. ”
“THAT ASIDE for a second, this just looks WEIRD, it looks like a person in Black(er) face with a fake nose … REALLY?!!!! ”
DOES NOT THE ONE NINA SIMONE’S LEGACY DESERVE BETTER THAN THIS?
“If they were going to pick a person who looks NOTHING like Nina Simone … why not her daughter Simone *shrug* just saying …As hard as Nina had to fight for what she wanted BECAUSE she was black and looked the way she did … THIS looks like a parody. If it has to be FORCED this hard something’s not right! ”
“I am VERY opinionated about music, I can dissect VOCALS ALL DAY, I don’t Know ACTING LIKE THAT! But I trust that through her obvious admiration of Nina, that Zoe Saldana can pull off the portrayal ENERGETICALLY …
But I DO NOT LIKE these PICTURES AT ALL!SEEING Nina Simone changed my life, when I was 17 My cousin and I tried to call her … Whole NOTHER story …. I will END this by saying I think VIOLA DAVIS should be playing Nina Simone.”
Speak on it Plum’s?
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