Sean Penn isn’t a fan of people looking to be outraged when it comes to casting in movies and TV shows.
Over the past few years, we’ve seen multiple examples of backlash over casting decisions not representing people adequately. The famous actor thinks it’s stupid and nothing more than “gotcha moments. (REVIEW: ‘Westworld’ Season 3 Ends With The Possible Deaths Of Multiple Characters)
Penn said the following during an appearance on Conan O’Brien’s podcast, according to BroBible:
Today, almost certainly, I would not be permitted to be cast in that role [of Harvey Milk]. We’re living in a time where if you’re playing a gay lead character, you would have to be a gay man. And there have been these casting issues. In terms of finding the balance — you have a period of evolution that certainly has an opportunity for people who have had less opportunities to move forward, that has to be supported. And yet, in this pendeulum-swinging society that we’re in, you wonder at some point if only Danish princes can play Hamlet. It is, I believe, too restrictive. People are looking for gotcha moments and to criticize.
You can listen to his full comments below.
Is there a single rational person on the planet who disagrees with what Penn is saying? Is there a single one? The answer is no. We’re talking about movies. We’re talking about fiction. We’re talking about using our imagination.
We’re talking about things that very literally are made up. If casting decisions offend you, then you’re an idiot.
Here’s a newsflash for everyone out there. Movies are casted in large part by marketability. Tom Cruise is very short, and yet, he played Jack Reacher without any kind of problem.
Should there have been outrage about that? No, because it’s not real. Even if it’s a movie based on a real event, it doesn’t matter. We didn’t need actual NHL players to film “Miracle,” and it would have been stupid if that was the case.
How about actual high school football players for “Remember the Titans”? Yeah, still stupid.
Props to Penn for speaking up and using some common sense. That’s sorely lacking in Hollywood.