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: ̗̀➛ Ethics and Education > •✩• Should Characters with Defined Physical Characteristics be Played by Actors Who Don't Share the Same Features?

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message 101: by Sky ~take from you like you took from me~, Assistant Moderator (last edited Apr 29, 2025 10:24AM) (new)

Sky ~take from you like you took from me~ | 378 comments Mod
I personally dooooooooo care, like how Ariel, the very pale white mermaid with bright red hair in the animated one was casted as a black mermaid with brown hair in the live action. It makes me mad. Astrid from How to Train Your Dragon will be black in the live action one. Annabeth in the Percy Jackson show is black. Don't get me wrong, I'm fine with black actors/actresses, but it just feels WRONG when they're a different race than the original if that makes sense.


butterfly is back (barely, mostly on insta) (midnightbutterfly23) | -155 comments Skybird (Nickname Sky) wrote: "I personally dooooooooo care, like how Ariel, the very pale white mermaid with bright red hair in the animated one was casted as a black mermaid with brown hair in the live action. It makes me mad...."

Yup


₊˚✧Blue✧˚₊  (Hiatus Core) Just me personally, I dont care that much. I mean sure its a bit annoying but I also think it's important for the actor to have a similar personality as the character. I mean if a percy is the pjo show did look the way he did in the book but his personality was a little off, I would be really annoyed. But since the actor and character have a similar personality i think its ok that they don't look the same. thats just me lol


Pierce Samuel ✞︎ (My Girlfriend's Ver.) (pierces_melted_wings) | 144 comments Let's take the PJO show for example:

Percy's black hair really DOES NOT matter to his actual character, so it's fine that he's casted by a blond

Grover's skin color? Literally not at all relevant to his character, it's fine.

Annabeth's hair not being blond? Now, hold on. Annabeth in the books is a girl being underestimated because of her physical attributes (Her blond hair), TV Show Annabeth is a girl being underestimated from her mother, and doing a deeper dive in that. Personally I don't see an issue. And also, the actress, Leah Sava Jefferies? Being underestimated in the role of Annabeth for her physicalities (Her skin color)


So, as long as the character's practicalities doesn't play a big part in their character (Like Leo Valdez should be played by a mexican actor, because of his backstory), then I don't see an issue.


message 105: by Nikolai !! (new)

Nikolai !! (Haitus) (floydleechx3) | 303 comments the only casting I didn't really like for is the HTTYD but it's because there's no character who's BLONDE....which was a common trait for vikings. I think if the race doesn't matter to the character (ex. Princess Tiana, a major plot point is that they won't give her the building because she is a black woman) then I really don't care.


Pierce Samuel ✞︎ (My Girlfriend's Ver.) (pierces_melted_wings) | 144 comments BAHAHHAA imo the PJO remake was NEEDED, as redemption for the AWFUL movies...


message 107: by Nikolai !! (new)

Nikolai !! (Haitus) (floydleechx3) | 303 comments But I do agree, we should not be having or really need all of these sequels and remakes of classics (or movies we grew up on) to me, I see it as companies being too lazy to create original ideas and just using nostalgia as a grab to get money 🤷


Pierce Samuel ✞︎ (My Girlfriend's Ver.) (pierces_melted_wings) | 144 comments I do agree that a lot of companies will hire an actor for the role, only because they'll earn diversity points if they do


message 109: by Mira (new)

Mira ☆ fit check for my napalm era☆ | 17 comments ➶ 。˚ ° Pierce Samuel ˋ°•*⁀➷ wrote: "BAHAHHAA imo the PJO remake was NEEDED, as redemption for the AWFUL movies..."

YESSSSSSS!!! I would like the movies if they werent "PJO" love the show


*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺Freddy༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚ (rodneysarmyofgayrats) | 294 comments Skybird (Nickname Sky) wrote: "I personally dooooooooo care, like how Ariel, the very pale white mermaid with bright red hair in the animated one was casted as a black mermaid with brown hair in the live action. It makes me mad...."

I don't have anything against black actors but I think big defining features like Ariel's red hair should've been kept like-
do red extensions, a wig, red dyed boxbraids


*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺Freddy༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚ (rodneysarmyofgayrats) | 294 comments ray ੈ✩‧₊˚ wrote: "for me I feel like they should’ve created something original instead of doing another damn remake and being like “oh look at how iNcLuSiVE we are! ariel is now black!” instead of making an original..."

See that's kinda how I feel-
like I have no problem putting diversity into remakes but I think if you really wanna have an impact make a whole new story with your own characters


message 112: by cosmic (new)

cosmic (erosful) *ੈ✩‧₊˚༺Roro༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚ wrote: "Skybird (Nickname Sky) wrote: "I personally dooooooooo care, like how Ariel, the very pale white mermaid with bright red hair in the animated one was casted as a black mermaid with brown hair in th..."

they did give her red hair, but they did a more subdued shade that fit halle's skintone better. the vibrant red from the cartoon wouldn't have looked as appealing (and i'm sure disney's costume/makeup department definitely TRIED).




message 113: by gia!! (new)

gia!! (mrsoverthinker) | 2964 comments your mother isnt a natural redhead either


message 114: by cosmic (new)

cosmic (erosful)

they can. the first example that comes to mind is mariangela bonanni, a venezuelan and italian model.




*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺Freddy༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚ (rodneysarmyofgayrats) | 294 comments ray ੈ✩‧₊˚ wrote: "gia ౨ৎ wrote: "your mother isnt a natural redhead either"

no she wasn’t… I wonder if latinas can be natural redheads???"


they DEFINETLY can be
I'm friends with a lot of latino ppl and one of them is this absolutely stunning redheaded latina


message 116: by gia!! (new)

gia!! (mrsoverthinker) | 2964 comments theres this one content creator that was really popular a while ago that was latina with red hair. anyways ray i was js joking lol <\3


message 117: by gia!! (new)

gia!! (mrsoverthinker) | 2964 comments baddie ray


message 118: by Sky ~take from you like you took from me~, Assistant Moderator (new)

Sky ~take from you like you took from me~ | 378 comments Mod
ray :P wrote: "Skybird (Nickname Sky) wrote: "I personally dooooooooo care, like how Ariel, the very pale white mermaid with bright red hair in the animated one was casted as a black mermaid with brown hair in th..."

I think its just weird. I mean, a character that I've recognized as one race/personality for so long suddenly gets changed and I no longer recognize them ig. Idrk. To me it just feels like their trying to include more people of different races in their shows to seem not racist (I don't actually think that's what's happening, but it feels like it imo) and not because of the actor themselves.


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