DAILY MAIL ONLINE 10 MAY 2023 - ADELE JAMES
BREAKS HER SILENCE ON QUEEN CLEOPATRA 'BLACKWASHING' CLAIMS AFTER BEING CAST AS AS THE MACEDONIAN-GREEK RULER IN NETFLIX SERIES
Adele James has broken her silence on claims that Jada Pinkett Smith's docuseries Queen Cleopatra has been
blackwashed.
The British actress, 37, takes on the role of the Macedonian-Greek ruler in the latest
installment of the Netflix African Queens show, which has faced a wave of controversy since the trailer was released.
Director Tina Gharavi recently defended the show after Egyptians reacted with horror to the denial of records which show
Cleopatra was Macedonian-Greek.
An Egyptian lawyer has filed a case with the country's public prosecutor demanding that Netflix be shutdown.
Meanwhile, Cairo's former antiquities minister Zahi Hawass condemned the documentary as 'completely fake. Cleopatra was
Greek, meaning that she was light-skinned, not black.'
Now, Adele has spoken out about playing the ruler in a new interview, revealing that she has even been sent death threats for taking on the role.
'The only thing I can say about it [Cleopatra’s background] is that we just don’t know,' she told Glamour. 'There are versions of Cleopatra that exist already with actresses in that role who are fairer skinned than I am, but I think I have every right to have a shot at humanizing this incredible woman.
'We all put our blood, sweat and tears into that show, and I think anybody else has as much of a right as anybody else to have a go at it because
we just don’t
know.
[Fair comment, but why not make a concerted effort to explain what we do
know. On a no-fault basis with fair and balanced reporting? This is in
all our interests, in the quest for knowledge. Credit to Netflix, Jada and
Adele for spending time on the subject, and hoisting the 'what if' flag.]
'The death threats that I’ve received, the racist comments, it’s just the vitriol. It’s not necessary, and it’s very harmful, all we did was release a trailer and look at the response, so I’m anticipating a wave still yet to come.'
But the actress has vowed to not be driven off social media by the cruel taunts and horrific trolling.
The trailer, released last week, features claims Cleopatra was black with 'curly hair.' One historian asserts in the preview: 'I remember my grandmother saying to me: I don't care what they tell you in school, Cleopatra was black.'
Cleopatra was the companion of Alexander The
Great, renowned for her marriages and affairs with Mark Antony and
Julius
Caesar.
Her first language was Greek although she was the only Ptolemaic ruler to use the Egyptian language.
On Sunday, lawyer Mahmoud al-Semary filed a complaint with the public prosecutor demanding that he take 'the necessary legal measures' to block access to Netflix.
He alleged the show featured content that violated Egypt's media laws and accused
Netflix of trying to 'promote the Afrocentric thinking... which includes slogans and writings aimed at distorting and erasing the Egyptian identity.'
Cleopatra was famously played by white English actress Elizabeth Taylor opposite Richard Burton as Mark Antony in Joseph L. Mankiewicz's historical epic from 1963.
Three years ago plans for a new movie about the queen starring Israeli actress
Gal Gadot sparked a backlash from people insisting the role should go to an Egyptian or
African actress.
Gadot defended the decision, saying: 'We were looking for a Macedonian actress that could fit Cleopatra. She wasn't there, and I was very passionate about
Cleopatra.'
The fury at Netflix's right-on programming comes after it appeared to have ditched the woke messaging last year.
Netflix took a hit in the first half of 2022, losing about 1,170 million subscribers as rivals such as
Paramount+ and
Disney+ raked them in.
The huge decline was seen by some as a direct consequence of the company's late response to demands from its viewers to tone down their woke agenda.
But after deciding to back figures like comedian Dave Chapelle it bounced back. Netflix added 1.75 million new subscribers for the quarter of 2023, nearly 550,000 more than consensus estimates, and a stark contrast to the loss of 200,000 subscribers the company suffered in the same period last year.
The four-part Cleopatra series will explore the legacy, intellect and life of Cleopatra VII, the Greek Queen of Egypt from 51 to
30
BC.
The trailer notes that Cleopatra belonged to the Ptolemaic dynasty but then goes on to dispute her heritage.
CAST
Jada Pinkett Smith - Narrator 4 episodes, 2023
Adele James - Cleopatra 4 episodes, 2023
Craig Russell - Mark Antony 4 episodes, 2023
John Partridge - Julius Caesar 4 episodes, 2023
Andira Crichlow - Arsinoe 4 episodes, 2023
Kaysha Woollery - Charmian 4 episodes, 2023
Laya Lewis - Eiras 4 episodes, 2023
Calum Balmforth - Ptolemy XIII 4 episodes, 2023
Louis Emerick - Ptolemy Auletes 4 episodes, 2023
Phillip E. Walker - Pasharenptah 4 episodes, 2023
Michael Greco - Pothinus 4 episodes, 2023
Greg Lockett - Ammonios 4 episodes, 2023
James Marlowe - Octavian 4 episodes, 2023
Simon Kunz - Cicero 4 episodes, 2023
James O'Driscoll - Thyrsus 4 episodes, 2023
Shelley Haley - Self - Classics Professor, Hamilton College 4 episodes, 2023
Debora Heard - Self - PhD Candidate, Nubian Archaeology and Egyptian Studies 4 episodes, 2023
Islam Issa - Self - Author, 'Alexandria: The City That Changed The World' 4 episodes, 2023
Colleen Darnell - Self - Egyptologist 4 episodes, 2023
Sally-Ann Ashton - Self - Author, 'Cleopatra and Egypt' 4 episodes, 2023
Jacquelyn Williamson - Self - Associate Professor, Art & Archaeology of the Ancient Mediterranean
4 episodes, 2023
Nada El Belkasmi - Octavia (uncredited) 1 episode, 2023
Sami Fekkak - Optio Roman Officer (uncredited) 1 episode, 2023
SERIES
PRODUCTION
Ben Goold ... executive producer (3 episodes, 2023)
Jada Pinkett Smith ... executive producer (3 episodes, 2023)
Jimmy Abounouom ... executive producer (1 episode, 2023)
Harry Connolly ... edit producer (1 episode, 2023)
Sean Grundy ... edit producer (1 episode, 2023)
Victoria Adeola Thomas ... factual producer (1 episode, 2023)
SERIES MUSIC
Michael 'Mikey' J Asante ... (3 episodes, 2023)
SERIES
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Sean Francis ... (3 episodes, 2023)
SERIES FILM EDITING
Guy Scutter ... (3 episodes, 2023)
Nigel Bunyan ... (1 episode, 2023)
Anne Dummett ... (1 episode, 2023)
Robin Hill ... (1 episode, 2023)
Paul Holland ... (1 episode, 2023)
Mairin O'Faolain ... (1 episode, 2023)
SERIES CASTING
Heather Basten ... (3 episodes, 2023)
SERIES PRODUCTION DESIGN
Paix Robinson ... (3 episodes, 2023)
SERIES COSTUME DESIGN
Barbara Elum-Baldres ... (3 episodes, 2023)
SERIES MAKEUP
Zanmarie Hanekom ... make up & hair artist (3 episodes, 2023)
Gloria Peñaranda ... key makeup artist (3 episodes, 2023)
Shamirah Sairally ... hair & makeup designer (3 episodes, 2023)
Gale Shepherd ... make up & hair designer (3 episodes, 2023)
Tyron Sweeney ... key hair stylist (3 episodes, 2023)
Khadija Najahi ... key makeup artist (1 episode, 2023)
SERIES 2ND UNIT DIRECTOR (OR ASSIST DIR)
Stephanie Zari ... first assistant director (4 episodes, 2023)
Monica Manaka ... second assistant director (3 episodes, 2023)
SERIES ART
Youness Benbakrim ... S/B props: art department (4 episodes, 2023)
SERIES SOUND
Nouhaila Ayari ... sound trainee (4 episodes, 2023)
Mohamed Waaziz ... boom operator (4 episodes, 2023)
Merce Williams ... sound recordist (4 episodes, 2023)
Niklas Matthaei ... foley artist (3 episodes, 2023)
Milos Stojanovic ... dialogue editor (2 episodes, 2023)
SERIES SPECIAL EFFECTS
Lahcen Chamane ... special effects technician (3 episodes, 2023)
SERIES CAMERA & ELECTRICAL
Younes El Ghozail ... Digital Imaging Technician: DIT (4 episodes, 2023)
Zakaria Marzak ... electrician (4 episodes, 2023)
Amine Boudour ... camera operator (3 episodes, 2023)
Sophia Hynch ... b camera loader (3 episodes, 2023)
Kwandiwe Lavisa ... a camera loader (3 episodes, 2023)
Arno van der Laan ... b camera focus puller (3 episodes, 2023)
Mark Van Zyl ... a camera focus puller (3 episodes, 2023)
Athi Maloy ... electrician (2 episodes, 2023)
SERIES CASTING
Fran Cattaneo ... casting assistant (3 episodes, 2023)
SERIES EDITORIAL
Fiona Starogardzki ... assembly editor (3 episodes, 2023)
Marty Webb ... colorist (3 episodes, 2023)
Kawtar Tarhzaoui ... edit assistant (2 episodes, 2023)
SERIES SCRIPT & CONTINUITY
Ivana Djidrova ... script supervisor (3 episodes, 2023)
Jessica Ratnasbapathy ... Script Producer (3 episodes, 2023)
TOP
TEN: STREAMING VIDEO ON DEMAND SERVICES
Netflix
230.75 million subscribers
Amazon Prime Video, Amazon.com, Inc., 205 million subscribers
Disney+ & ESPN+, Walt Disney & Hearst Communications. Disney+ (157.8 million)
ESPN+ (25.3 million) Total: 183.1 million
subscribers
Tencent Video, Tencent Holdings Ltd., 119 million subscibers
iQIYI Baidu, Inc., 111.6 million subscribers - originals, licensed content from other vendors.
HBO Max & Discovery + Warner Bros. (HBO Max: 76.8 million) (Discovery+: 24
million) Total: 97.6 million subscribers
Youku, Alibaba Group 90 million subscribers
YouTube Premium, Google (Alphabet) 80 million
subscribers
Paramount+ & Showtime - Paramount Global+ (60 million) Showtime (17.4
million) Total: 77.3 million subscribers
Apple TV+ Apple Inc. 50 million subscribers
BLACKWASHING IN OTHER FILMS AND SHOWS
James Bond (2022) - Talk of casting Idris Elba (proposed) as the British secret service spy.
Anne Boleyn (2021) - Black English actress Jodie Turner-Smith played the Queen of England in a British TV series. Anne Boleyn was white and the second wife of
King Henry
VIII.
Saint Joan (2020) - Black New Yorker Condola Rashad played the French heroine Joan of Arc in a stage production of the tale set in the 15th century. In the play, Rashad is a gender non-confirming Joan.
Troy: Fall of a City (2018) - In the TV drama, Achilles, the Greek hero of the Trojan War is played by black English actor David Gyasi.
The Hollow Crown (2012 - 2016) - Sophie Okonedo, a Nigerian-British actress, played Queen Margaret of Anjou in the Shakespearean TV adaptation. Margaret, of French descent, was Queen of England and married to King Henry VI from 1445 to 1461.
Once Upon a Time (2011 - 2018) - The ABC series about fairytales features a black actor Sinqua Walls as
Sir
Lancelot. Lancelot is a British character who features as one of King
Arthur's close companions and one of the greatest Knights of the Round Table. Arthur was a legendary king of Britain and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition.
Robin Hood (2006 - 2009) - The BBC series featured black English actor David Harewood as Friar Tuck. Friar Tuck is one of the legendary Merry Men, the band of heroic outlaws in the folklore of Robin Hood which was set in England's Sherwood Forest in the 15th century.
MEDIA
INDEX
BBC
NEWS - NETFLIX CLEOPATRA DOCUDRAMA 10 MAY 2023
BRISBANE
TIMES - RADAR REVEALS POSSIBLE LOCATION CLEOPATRA'S TOMB 2009
CBC
- CLEOPATRA OUTSMARTED EVERYONE, FEBRUARY 2021
DAILY
MAIL - ADELE JAMES BREAK SILENCE AS TO BLACKWASHING CLAIMS MAY 2023
GREEK
CITY TIMES - ARCHAEOLOGIST CLAIMS TO BE CLOSE TO DISCOVERY OF CLEOPATRA
2021
LIVESCIENCE
- WHERE IS CLEOPATRA'S TOMB/PALACE JULY 2020
SKYE
NEVILLE - PLASTIC FREE COMICS, WAITROSE BANS
THE
GUARDIAN - NETFLIX, NO NEED FOR WHITE ACTOR 10 MAY 2023
THE
SUN - QUEEN CLEOPATRA'S TOMB, TAPOSIRIS MAGNA 2020
TWITTER
- ON CLEOPATRA SERIES BY NETFLIX MAY 2023
UNDERWATER
PHOTOGRAPHY GUIDE - CLEOPATRA'S SUNKEN PALACE
USA
TODAY - MUSTAFA
WAZIRI, ALEXANDRIA, EGYPTIAN ARCHAEOLOGISTS 2018
YOUTUBERS
- MAKEUP,
CLEOPATRA'S FACE & EYE COSMETICS, MUMMY MASK
YOUTUBERS
- NETFLIX VIDEO COMMENTS MAY 2023
ZAHI
HAWASS - DOCUMENTARY: CLEOPATRA VII PHILOPATOR
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/may/10/queen-cleopatra-review-a-fun-drama-weighed-down-by-the-self-serious-need-to-educate
https://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2023/05/17/netflixs-queen-cleopatra-controversy-explained/?sh=489cff1c6628
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-africa-65574733
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-12065875/Adele-James-breaks-silence-Queen-Cleopatra-blackwashing-claims.html
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/entertainment/news/queen-cleopatra-actress-adele-james-says-claims-of-blackwashing-are-fundamentally-racist/ar-AA1b4dq6
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/may/10/queen-cleopatra-review-a-fun-drama-weighed-down-by-the-self-serious-need-to-educate
https://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2023/05/17/netflixs-queen-cleopatra-controversy-explained/?sh=489cff1c6628
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-africa-65574733
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-12065875/Adele-James-breaks-silence-Queen-Cleopatra-blackwashing-claims.html
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/entertainment/news/queen-cleopatra-actress-adele-james-says-claims-of-blackwashing-are-fundamentally-racist/ar-AA1b4dq6
CLONED
REPLICANT - Using the latest technology in computer genome mapping and
digital DNA splicing, an occult sect of scientists, reincarnate Cleopatra
VII, who died in 30BC, having located and plundered her sarcophagus from
its watery grave. The resurrected Pharaoh has to mesh with the modern
world she's been reborn into, where the Fourth Reich harbour evil plans
for her. This is fictional, original content, designed to entertain (what
if) rather than educate. Though, interestingly, the cloning technology is
real. All we don't (yet) have is Cleopatra's remains.
STREAMED
TV DOCUSERIES
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