Maureen Lipman clarifies criticism of Helen Mirren playing Jewish role

[ad_1]

Dame Maureen Lipman clarified her criticism of Dame Helen Mirren playing the role of a former Israeli prime minister, saying that if “religion dismisses the character” then actors from that religious group should be considered first.

The 75-year-old actress made headlines this week after asking if Dame Helen was the right fit to play Golda Meir, Israel’s first female prime minister, in the upcoming Golda biopic because she is not Jewish.

Speaking on ITV’s Good Morning Britain (GMB), Dame Maureen agreed that the challenge of acting was to become the character you play no matter where you are from, but added that she believed the actors who shared the background of their character had to be examined first.

Close

Dame Helen Mirren (Matt Crossick / PA)

Dame Helen Mirren (Matt Crossick / PA)

She said, “Because globalization is intensifying, the cast is getting smaller and we are becoming more and more tribal.

“If religion fires the character, then I honestly think you should watch this group, that genre.

“If the character is gay, I think you should definitely see the gay actors first. See the Jewish actors first and if that doesn’t work pull forward, go for it.

Dame Maureen has previously asked if Dame Helen was right about playing the role of Meir, telling The Jewish Chronicle: “The character’s Jewishness is so integral. “

Clarifying her remarks, she told GMB: “My feeling is, first of all, that Helen Mirren is a good actress, and will be brilliant in the role and will give the film the green light and be very good because she is. sexy and Golda Meir, believe it or not, was very sexy.

“I’ve seen shows on her before, so I have nothing against Helen playing it.”

Video of the day

Close

Dame Helen will play Israel’s first female Prime Minister Golda Meir (Jasper Wolf / Assemble publicity / PA)

Dame Helen will play Israel’s first female Prime Minister Golda Meir (Jasper Wolf / Assemble publicity / PA)

However, she asked if actresses of Jewish descent had been considered, adding: “My question is, should the casting directors have watched first, and maybe they did, to Bette? Midler or (Barbra) Streisand or Jennifer Connelly or Scarlett Johansson?

“I probably would have gone with Tracey Ullman, who is a brilliant actress.

“But maybe they wouldn’t have given the green light to a movie and maybe they considered that Helen had Russian in her origins and therefore she could play this Jewish woman from Milwaukee.

“Now this is a complicated argument and I will end up contradicting myself but to say, for example, that you wanted to make a film about Indira Gandhi, it would be fine, would there be a fuss, if you chose Salma Hayek, a Mexican , probably Catholic? Is this good?

“Once I played an Irish Catholic and Milton Schumann wrote in his review, ‘Maureen Lipman playing an Irish Catholic is like Barbra Streisand playing Mother Teresa’.

“Now you could say, ‘Why not? “”

[ad_2]