Diversity in Movies

Movies are a great way to tell stories about different cultures and make groups of people feel represented on the big screen. While it seems that diversity is something that is being seen more in movies today, there is still a long way to go. I feel that filmmakers want to have the big stars in their movies, which I understand completely and still feel that they should keep that going, rather than taking chances on hidden talent that shows representation in movies. For example, in the movie 12 Years a Slave, director Steve McQueen cast Lupita Nyong'o in a supporting role for that movie He took a chance on her because he believed that she would turn out to be a big star in the future. That next year, she won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in her first feature length movie. Today, she has acted in many more movies such as Star Wars: The Force Awakens, The Jungle Book, Black Panther, and Us, which comes out later in the month of March. It was thanks to Steve McQueen for taking a chance on her that she is a well known actress. Alfonso Cuaron casted Yalitza Aparicio in the movie Roma late last year. She had never acted in a movie before and Cuaron thought she was a great pick for accurately representing Mexican culture with the story he wanted to tell. She was nominated for an Oscar this past year for Best Actress. It is all thanks to Alfonso Cuaron for giving her an opportunity and I am sure that other directors might want to work with her now because of it. Having filmmakers going out to find these talented people, leading to diversity and hidden talents, will push forward more diversity in the future for the film industry. As Alfonso Cuaron said in an article written by the Wrap, "I think audiences at large are becoming hungry for a certain kind of diversity in cinema." People want to see themselves represented on the big screen in an accurate manner as well. While it is great for actors and actresses to step out of their comfort zone to try a different role than what they are used too, people who are, let's say LGBTQ+, should play those LGBTQ+ characters, etc. For example, Scarlet Johansson was set to star in a movie playing a trans character, according to a BBC article posted in July of 2018. She ended up backing out of the movie after backlash came pouring in about how a trans actor should be playing a trans character. It is in these instances, and many more, that Hollywood is realizing how diversity and accurate representation in Hollywood is an important thing to continue to do.

If there was anything I want you take from this post of all my feelings, it would be this. Diversity in Holywood is important and is heading in the right direction and still has a long way to go. Filmmakers need to be going out and finding that talent out there, going out to find diversity, to show accurate representation within Hollywood today. People want to be represented accurately and unless filmmakers are doing that, the progress will take many steps backward instead of going forward.

(Sources for the articles for this post)
<https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-44829766>
<https://www.thewrap.com/oscar-nominee-alfonso-cuaron-audiences-hungry-diversity-cinema/>