There’s been quite a lot of controversy over the casting of Scarlett Johansson, known for her other roles in films such as Marvel’s Avengers and Captain America, as Major Motoko Kusanagi in Dreamworks/Paramount’s remake of the anime, Ghost in the Shell. But you may be asking, why the controversy?
The fact that a white actress will star in a film that is adapted from Japanese manga, written by a Japanese author, starring Japanese characters, and set in mid 21st century Japan is only the tip of the iceberg. The casting of a white actress to play an Asian character points to the much larger issue of white washing in Hollywood. The lack of diversity in this industry is blaringly obvious, with Asians making up only about 4.4% of speaking roles in movies. The casting of white actors and actresses in roles meant for characters of color just rubs salt into this age-old wound.
In the early beginnings of film, minorities were not allowed to be on film and mixed race relationships were considered too taboo to be portrayed on TV. So white actors and actresses were cast to portray Asian characters in popular war or exotic-themed films. Yet, the concept of whitewashing goes beyond just the casting of white actors and actresses in the roles of Asian characters. Whitewashing in Hollywood represents the erasure and replacement of Asian narratives, culture, and representation. It circles back to the fact that movies and TV shows are produced with a white audience in mind.
Due to this nature of the industry, producers and directors develop films meant to be relatable to white people. Never mind the fact that all other minority races have been forced to identify with white narratives and white people for years. Yet from the movie producers’ perspectives, a film will only be successful if it features an actor or actress with the fame to pull in a large audience. Unfortunately, there’s a lack of A-list Asian actors and actresses with the popularity to do so.
In some ways, it seems that there may be even less diversity in Hollywood today, as opposed to the past. Iconic Asian actors and actresses of the past include Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, and Lucy Liu. However, today, it’s hard to name an Asian actor or actress with the same stature and prominence. Yet, if roles like that of Major Motoko Kusunagi continue to go to white A-list celebrities, how will we ever meet our next Bruce Lee or Lucy Liu?