Zazie Beetz’s Role in ‘The Harder They Fall’ Stirs Controversy
German-American actress Zazie Beetz opens about some internal struggles about her identity. Recently, she stated that she remembers thinking she “wasn’t black enough.” Beetz has starred on many projects like the hit show Atlanta where she played Vanessa. She has played dominant roles that include Domino in Deadpool 2 and Sophie Dumond in the Joker.
The actress is trying to change the narrative by starring in the new Netflix film The Harder They Fall, playing the role of Mary Fields. For many generations, cowboys were not seen as people of color. The entertainment industry did a great job hiding the fact that in most southern states, cowboys were African American and were women. With the new Netflix film coming out and Zazie playing a dominant role, it sets the standards for African American Women.
In an interview with the UK Times, Beetz explains her side of the story.
“The fact that we have been erased from the general portrayal of the old west makes it seem radical to introduce us into the narrative,” stated Beetz.
Bringing black cowboys to the forefront, the actress states that she thinks about her skin complexion every time she takes a role. Many people are upset that the actress took part when the real Mary Fields is dark-skinned.
Mary fields also known as Stagecoach Mary, is the first female star route mail carrier in the United States. This iconic woman made a path for many African American women in the United States. With Zazie Beetz being an interracial woman, the real Mary Fields was a dark-toned plus-size woman. With this role being important to African Americans due to the movie being at the forefront in the Black Western world, many people were offended by the casting.
Stagecoach Mary was the first black woman to work as a star-route mail carrier, on which she encountered her fair share of bandits.
— The Times (@thetimes) November 10, 2021
An old photograph shows her to be dark-skinned, and some online commenters have said that the choice of a light-skinned actress is colourist. pic.twitter.com/oOKQLSupl1
Colorism is prejudice or discrimination against individuals with a dark skin tone, typically among people of the same ethnic or racial group. In an article produced by The Guardian, Colorism is broken down to a better understanding. In the article, the journalist stated how she remembered when she first witnessed colorism in her household.
“I think this probably had to do with her own skin color – my mother was much lighter than my grandmother, with a spray of freckles across her nose. In my grandmother’s house, my mother’s high school portrait sat on the mantle – it was a photograph retouched with oil. The painter had lightened my mother’s skin to an anemic grayish-yellow, given her green eyes, and thinned her nose. “He thought she was Italian,” I remember my grandmother telling me, as an explanation.”
Colorism is not a new thing in the entertainment industry. Many actors speak out against the problem, hoping to help the problem go away. Tia and Tamera Mowry stated how there were multiple occasions where their mom was racially profiled. “Some examples, during our #sistersister days when traveling for work we would often fly first class. There were several times my mother was asked if she was in the right seat”, stated Mowry.
Zazie Beetz stated that she acknowledges that light-skin privilege exists. “I understand the privilege that I have as a light-skinned woman, and it’s always on my mind,” stated Beetz.
The talented German – African American actress bodied the role. She decided to take part because she fell in love with the project’s plot is about African Americans who were cowboys, not the typical cowboy stereotype.
The Harder They Fall is a Black western that portrays real individuals, but the plot is fiction. With the movie being unique, the streets have been talking about the hardcore movie.
Despite the controversy, Zazie put respect on Mary’s name. The Harder They Fall is only one of many more projects to come. Being one of the recent faces of Elle Magazine, the German- American Actress is unstoppable.
