Rooney Mara has spoken about her controversial casting as Tiger Lily in 2015 film Pan.
Thousands protested about the white actress being cast as the Native American princess character when the film was released. In a new interview with the Telegraph, Oscar-nominated Mara, said she can understand why people were upset and that the cast of the film should have been more diverse.
“[It was a] tricky thing to deal with,” Mara said. “There were two different periods; right after I was initially cast, and the reaction to that, and then the reaction again when the film came out.
“I really hate, hate, hate that I am on that side of the whitewashing conversation,” she added. “I really do. I don’t ever want to be on that side of it again. I can understand why people were upset and frustrated.”
Mara was careful not to criticise the film, but did state that she thinks the cast should have been more reflective of the character’s origins. “Do I think all of the four main people in the film should have been white with blonde hair and blue eyes?” she asked. “No. I think there should have been some diversity somewhere.”
Will Smith is among the actors who have decided to boycott the 2016 Academy Awards, saying that he wants to be “part of the solution” to the film industry’s diversity problem.
irector Spike Lee and actress Jada Pinkett Smith, Will Smith’s wife, have also announced that they will be boycotting the Oscars ceremony, which takes place in LA on February 28 and is hosted by Chris Rock.
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