Author Ernest Owens says it is “ridiculous” that the Netflix series Cleopatra is facing backlash over the casting of Black actress Adele James – as the late Elizabeth Taylor also faced controversy for playing the lead role as a white woman.
“History has said that there is some racial ambiguity around Cleopatra’s identity,” Mr Owens told Sky News Australia host Piers Morgan.
“She’s definitely not white and I think to even assume that Egyptians do not carry some level of African ancestry that can have darker skin complexion is also historically inaccurate. “So I think she’s {Adele James} more of the ideal of what Cleopatra would look like more than Elizabeth Taylor would be – and you didn’t see as much backlash for Elizabeth Taylor playing Cleopatra compared to that.”
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