The Mixed Race Casting Debate: Who Can Be Cast in What Roles?

Crazy Rich Asians. The Sun is Also a Star. To All The Boys We’ve Loved Before. These are all examples of controversial mixed race casting, either mixed-race actors cast in mono-racial roles or vice-versa. To tackle this question of Who can be cast in what roles?, we gathered six different thoughts, reflections, and opinions from mixed folks on the question of Mixed Race casting in film and television. Is it socially productive and ethical to cast mixed-race actors in mono-racial roles or to cast mono-racial actors in mixed-race roles? Who can play who on the big, small, and laptop-sized screens in the 21st century? With the rise of mixed-race representation in the media, in mixed-race roles and not, we’re diving into this question and the many different views that mixed folx have on the subject.

" Lack of Mixed-Representation” : Gen Xia Ye Slosberg

I think it’s important to recognize how mixed ppl have historically been cast based on their appearance (i.e. white assumed or ethnically ambiguous actors can often play roles that were designed to be white/or no race at all, while more ethnic passing folks will tend to play roles of that ethnicity. there’s is nearly no representation of double-minority mixed ppl and they often just play the ethnicity they more closely resemble anyway like Yara Shahidi.) so there’s privilege there for actors who are more ambiguous/passing who then can both be contenders for roles that are white or race-blank, but also claim ownership of ethnic roles that reflect their heritage (ie Darren Criss, Rashida jones).

“The Danger in Dictating Who Can Play What” : Alex Chester ( Editor-in-Chief of The Hapa Mag)

There are so many things that come into play when hiring a BIPOC or Mixed actor. First and foremost it is against the law to ask the actor what their ethnicity is. Granted, this doesn’t stop casting directors or producers. Another aspect to keep in mind when it comes to Mixed actors portraying mono-ethnic characters is the lack of work available to Mixed actors. There are few and far roles specifically written for a Mixed actor, and there are few roles written for a BIPOC actor.

Since there is a small percentage of roles available, BIPOC mono-ethnic actors play mixed ones (Lana Condor in “To All the Boys I Love”) and mixed actors play mono roles (Henry Golding in “Crazy Rich Asians.”) I think it becomes dangerous when people start dictating what mixed-actors can and cannot play. If the mixed actor identifies with the given ethnic makeup of the role then I do not see this as a problem. The problem is, Hollywood is white-centric and there just isn’t enough work to go around to the BIPOC/Mixed community. This is why it is essential to create our own work and make sure our stories are being told. I also think it is important to keep in mind Hollywood rarely, if ever, will hire a Mixed actor to play a white mono-ethnic character. Even if the Mixed actor identifies with their white side. This doesn’t matter because the United States sees anyone that isn’t fully “white” as an other.

 “PRIVILEGES IN CASTING” : KAIYA JEFFERSON (MIXEDLIFE SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR )

I think it’s very important to talk about mixed privilege as it relates to casting. Mixed people, specially light skin Black folx, are seen as “acceptable” people of color by the film industry. We as multiracial people are almost overrepresented because they are casts in roles that should very well be a mono-racial actor’s role. Your token Black girl in movies is Yara Shahidi or Zendaya but not Lupita Nyong’o or Viola Davis and that’s not ok to me. There needs to be a representation of all BIPOC of all shades not just the “acceptable” people based on Eurocentric beauty standards.

“COLORFUL CASTING” : Meghan Weinstein (Director )

Excerpt from“Colorful Casting, White Worshipping, and Social Media Heist Films - An Interview with Director Meghan Weinstein”

“Unless a character needs to specifically be one race because of story (time/place/setting) I’ll always leave the casting open to race or body type, even sometimes gender and age.  It’s fun to find actors who are actually not what I pictured in my mind, but still somehow bring something interesting and new to the character. I’ve witnessed firsthand how male Directors have a preconceived view of what race or kind of looking women are fit to be cast in romantic roles. I know that we’re all conditioned to view certain “types” of characters looking a certain way, even myself. But if you go into casting thinking that way, the outcome is going to be totally unoriginal. I could compare this idea to a bouquet of flowers--you could have a bouquet with all one kind of flower and it will still look pretty, but if you mix it up with all kinds of different flowers and greens it becomes much more vibrant, lush and unique. And it better reflects the real world, which is full of all types of different looking people. That’s the reality of the world I live in and I make a conscious effort to make my productions reflect that.”

Read the rest of this MixedLife interview Here

 “The Dilemma of Mixed Actors” : Stephanie Jack ( Director and Actress )

Excerpt from “Exploring Confusion: An Interview with Filmmaker and Actress Stephanie Jack

“I think it's tricky, because to some extent I feel like as a mixed person there are so few roles that are specifically written for us that if we can't do the rules for the Asian people or for the white people, then we're not gonna get any work so for some it's just...“Hey, I'll take anything that I can take”.

Of course, that's me talking from the point of view of someone who is starting out in an acting career....There's just not that much work out there specifically for mixed people, so you have to be fairly pragmatic about it.

I think another one of the things that's been really confusing for me is that sometimes I'll get called in for things that are neither white nor Asian. And that's when it gets very confusing. 

I don't know if there's any kind of right and wrong. Because I think, on the one hand, you want to try to be pretty specific. But on the other hand, maybe it is better if all of our definitions of race are a little more fluid so that everyone kind of has an opportunity to do different types of roles.

...When you get cast as white or Asian, both of those feel fine just because I guess I am half. But it's when it gets more specific and they say actually, we want you to look more white so you need to bleach your hair blonde. Things like that are where it becomes uncomfortable because it starts getting into this realm of appearances and stereotypes and it's a tough one. 

I really don't know what to think because there just aren't that many roles that are written for mixed people.”

Read the rest of this MixedLife interview Here