50 Shades casting reaction
A couple days ago, E.L. James went on Twitter and announced that there will be a 50 Shades movie, and that the parts of Christian and Anna were cast. Playing Christian Grey will be Charlie Hunnam, a television actor known mostly for his work on Sons of Anarchy. Playing Anastasia Steele will be Dakota Johnson, an actress who has had several minor roles in different movies and is the daughter of Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith.
When I first heard this news, I had to look them both up on Google to find out who they are. When the fans learned of this, there was an immediate outrage. People on Twitter claimed they both were not “Hot enough.” There was also a petition on change.org to get the cast changed. It had over 7300 signatures. Dana Brunetti, the producer of 50 Shades responded saying that there are factors that go into casting other than how the people look, which is true.
I do understand people’s disappointment. To be honest I did have my heart set on Ian Somerhalder as Christian. I also think Matt Bomer would have been a good pick. Many 50 shades fans wanted to see Alexis Bledel as Anna, another good choice in my opinion. I would have liked to see Mila Kunis or Emilia Clarke as Anna.
There is plenty of disappointment to be had by all. However, what I would really like to address is that despite the disappointment in the initial casting, we should not just let this sway whether or not we want to see this movie. There are some things I would like to point out about the casting process, what the movie will demand of the actors, and budget constraints that will hopefully, quell some initial concerns you have.
1. Have faith in Hollywood makeup artists.
I think what people are forgetting is that the pictures of Johnson and Hunnam right now, are not how they are going to look in the movie. Actors dye their hair all the time. Right now Hunnam looks ready to play Thor, or a biker thug… Give a stylist a few hours, and Hunnam’s hair will be dark and quaffed. His face will be shaved clean, and he will be in a suit. Johnson will dye her hair brunette just like Jennifer Lawrence did. They will use make up to make her eyes look bigger and any other trait you may expect from Anna.
2. These roles will require nudity, to say the least.
Everyone knows the story of 50 shades and the lifestyle it portrays. These two actors are going to have to be naked on screen at some point. They are also going to have to be in scenes that push the boundaries of sexual explicitness. Things like this make actors nervous. Believe it or not, even Hollywood actors can have body image issues. More than that, they also have a reputation to consider. Actors easily fall into the trap of being typecast. When people see actors playing a certain role, they expect them to be that way in real life. People wanted Alexis Bledel to play Anna, but she used to be the clean cut kid from Gilmore Girls. I think that would have left an uneasy feeling in most people who remember her from that show.
3. Well-known actors require more money.
Between the body image issues, the reputation, and the lifestyle they will need to highlight, actors will need to be paid more for these things. Well-established actors will require even more money. Actors who already have busy careers and established reputations have less to gain than actors who are still looking for that role that catapults them to the A-list. How much farther would Ian Somerhalder or Emilia Clarke be on the Hollywood food chain if they did this movie? For Hunnam and Johnson, this is a big enough opportunity for them that outweigh the difficulties they will face taking on these roles. If they manage to do the characters enough justice, it will mean great things in their future.
We always have ideas in our mind as to who should play what role in the movies we watch. I even have picked out a cast for Modern Disciples. However, we need to keep in mind that these are fantasies. In the real world, parts are played by actors who not only do not belong to us, but also need to think about what is best for them.
When I first heard this news, I had to look them both up on Google to find out who they are. When the fans learned of this, there was an immediate outrage. People on Twitter claimed they both were not “Hot enough.” There was also a petition on change.org to get the cast changed. It had over 7300 signatures. Dana Brunetti, the producer of 50 Shades responded saying that there are factors that go into casting other than how the people look, which is true.
I do understand people’s disappointment. To be honest I did have my heart set on Ian Somerhalder as Christian. I also think Matt Bomer would have been a good pick. Many 50 shades fans wanted to see Alexis Bledel as Anna, another good choice in my opinion. I would have liked to see Mila Kunis or Emilia Clarke as Anna.
There is plenty of disappointment to be had by all. However, what I would really like to address is that despite the disappointment in the initial casting, we should not just let this sway whether or not we want to see this movie. There are some things I would like to point out about the casting process, what the movie will demand of the actors, and budget constraints that will hopefully, quell some initial concerns you have.
1. Have faith in Hollywood makeup artists.
I think what people are forgetting is that the pictures of Johnson and Hunnam right now, are not how they are going to look in the movie. Actors dye their hair all the time. Right now Hunnam looks ready to play Thor, or a biker thug… Give a stylist a few hours, and Hunnam’s hair will be dark and quaffed. His face will be shaved clean, and he will be in a suit. Johnson will dye her hair brunette just like Jennifer Lawrence did. They will use make up to make her eyes look bigger and any other trait you may expect from Anna.
2. These roles will require nudity, to say the least.
Everyone knows the story of 50 shades and the lifestyle it portrays. These two actors are going to have to be naked on screen at some point. They are also going to have to be in scenes that push the boundaries of sexual explicitness. Things like this make actors nervous. Believe it or not, even Hollywood actors can have body image issues. More than that, they also have a reputation to consider. Actors easily fall into the trap of being typecast. When people see actors playing a certain role, they expect them to be that way in real life. People wanted Alexis Bledel to play Anna, but she used to be the clean cut kid from Gilmore Girls. I think that would have left an uneasy feeling in most people who remember her from that show.
3. Well-known actors require more money.
Between the body image issues, the reputation, and the lifestyle they will need to highlight, actors will need to be paid more for these things. Well-established actors will require even more money. Actors who already have busy careers and established reputations have less to gain than actors who are still looking for that role that catapults them to the A-list. How much farther would Ian Somerhalder or Emilia Clarke be on the Hollywood food chain if they did this movie? For Hunnam and Johnson, this is a big enough opportunity for them that outweigh the difficulties they will face taking on these roles. If they manage to do the characters enough justice, it will mean great things in their future.
We always have ideas in our mind as to who should play what role in the movies we watch. I even have picked out a cast for Modern Disciples. However, we need to keep in mind that these are fantasies. In the real world, parts are played by actors who not only do not belong to us, but also need to think about what is best for them.
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