The star of the BBC's Agatha Christie adaptation has admitted he is not a fan of “colour-blind casting”, despite program makers changing his character's race from white to black.
David Jonsson, who plays the protagonist in tonight's drama “Murder Is Easy,” said he initially turned down the role for this reason.
In the radical reworking of Christie's book, Luke Fitzwilliam has been transformed from a retired white colonial policeman into a black Nigerian who has just arrived in Britain for a diplomatic post in Whitehall.
Those behind the new adaptation, which also stars Penelope Wilton, say it is “embedded” with “themes of dying empire, power and the desire for political and personal independence.”
Screenwriter Sian Ejiwunmi-Le Berre said she wanted the drama about murders in an English village to reflect the experiences of black immigrants in the UK.
David Jonsson, who plays the protagonist in tonight's drama “Murder Is Easy,” said he initially turned down the role
In the radical revision of Christie's book, Luke Fitzwilliam was transformed from a white retired colonial policeman into a black Nigerian
The star admitted he's not a fan of “colorblind casting” (pictured: Luke Fitzwilliam, played by David Jonsson, and Bridget, played by Morfydd Clark)
Those behind the new adaptation, which also stars Penelope Wilton (pictured), say it is “embedded” with “dying empire themes”.
Luke Fitzwilliam arrives in Britain for a diplomatic post in Whitehall and is accused by other Nigerian immigrants of working for a boss who is a “colonial butcher”.
The story follows Fitzwilliam socializing at a West African educational center, where he is accused by other Nigerian immigrants of working for a boss who is a “colonial butcher” and “collaborating with his oppressors.”
He is also asked whether it would not be better to “help his own people gain independence in their homeland.”
Jonsson said: “I'm not a big fan of color-blind casting…being blind to anything is not a good thing.” So I think I said no, and they were pretty adamant.”
But he said after speaking to the show's bosses he realized they weren't “blind to anything” and so agreed to take part.