After saying minorities should not play traditionally white superhero roles,Michelle Rodriguez has now backed down — a bit.
While still stressing she supports the idea behind her original comment, the actress posted a video to Facebook clarifying her remarks.
It all started when a photographer asked Rodriguez about a rumor she’d been considered to play the Green Lantern. She replied, “That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. … I think it’s so stupid … because of this whole, like, ‘minorities in Hollywood’ thing. … It’s so stupid, it’s, like, stop stealing all the white people’s superheroes. Make up your own, you know what I’m saying? What’s up with that?”
Many took to social media to criticize Rodriguez for seeming to dis an attempt by Hollywood to bring some diversity to the entertainment business.
In response, Rodriguez wrote, “I stuck my foot in my mouth once again. … I have a tendency to speak without a filter. Sorry about that. What I really meant was, at the end of the day, there’s a language and the language that you speak in Hollywood is ‘successful franchise.’ I think there are many cultures in Hollywood that are not white that can come up with their own mythology.
“We all get it from the same reservoir of life, the fountain of life. It doesn’t matter what culture you come from. I’m just saying that instead of trying to turn a girl character into a guy, instead of trying to turn a white character into a black character or a Latin character, I think that people should stop being lazy and people should actually make an effort in Hollywood to develop their own mythology.”
Rodriguez also noted that there aren’t enough writers representing minorities, and that that should be “serious priority,” instead of taking already well-known superheroes “and trying to make them fit to whatever cultural background you are. I just feel it should be more creative than that.” She concluded, “That’s what I really meant. I’m sorry if it came off rude or stupid. It’s not what I meant. So, cheers.”
