The star of the much-discussed Netflix documentary Queen Cleopatra says the furore over her occupation as Egypt’s ruler is “fundamentally racist.”
English actress Adele James, 27, takes on the role of the beguiling queen who became the most famous monarch from the land of the pharaohs.
The trailer claims that Cleopatra VII was black and had “curly hair”. A historian claims in the preview: “I remember my grandmother saying to me: I don’t care what they tell you at school, Cleopatra was black.”
The Egyptians reacted with dismay at the apparent rejection of records showing that Cleopatra was Macedonian-Greek. An Egyptian lawyer has filed a complaint with the country’s prosecutor’s office, demanding Netflix be shut down.
Speaking on Channel 4’s ‘Steph’s Packed Lunch’ today, Adele addressed the outcry against the role of a black actress in the role of Cleopatra, saying: “It would be naïve of me to say I didn’t expect anything I did, but I did.” I’m not expecting how big it is.
“And I think it’s distressing for anyone to suffer abuse in any form, not to mention the level and nature of what I’ve received, which is fundamentally racist.”
Adele James and John Partridge, who star as Cleopatra and Julius Caesar in the new Netflix docudrama, discussed the racial controversy on Channel 4’s show “Steph’s Packed Lunch”.
Actress Adele James plays the title role of Queen Cleopatra in the 2023 Netflix drama Cleopatra
“People talk about the wrong things.” Yeah, we don’t know where her mother or paternal grandmother came from, but there’s so much more to the show than just the question mark about her race.
“If you look at that it’s actually a very small part of the conversation, this is about the fullness of who this woman was and she was human and she shouldn’t be reduced to her race any more than I was or anyone else should.’ ‘
Cleopatra was played by white English actress Elizabeth Taylor opposite Richard Burton as Mark Anthony in Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s 1963 historical epic
Adele appeared on the show alongside her co-star John Partridge, best known for his time at EastEnders.
He added: “The controversy revolves around Cleopatra being black. I don’t hear anyone saying that Julius Caesar is a homosexual from Manchester.”
“At the end of the day, we’re just actors, and sometimes our morality comes into play, we work as actors.”
Adele also spoke about supporting Hollywood actress Jada Pinkett Smith, who will narrate the series and serve as executive producer.
She said: “She was so involved in the casting process that she looked at all of our casting tapes and gave feedback on the rush when we were shooting in Morocco.”
“And she’s been a huge supporter of the project from the start.” I mean, it’s her baby.
“She’s an African queen and I don’t think it could be more fitting and important that she’s the poster child for this cause.” She’s an icon.’
Former Antiquities Minister in Cairo Zahi Hawass condemned the documentary as “completely fake”. Cleopatra was Greek, which means she was fair-skinned and not black.
A painting from a villa at Herculaneum in what is now Campania, showing a red-haired woman, whose features, royal diadem and coiffure adorned with fine beaded hairpins recall a posthumous portrait of Cleopatra (left) and an engraving by J Chapman of Remember 1804, showing a 19th-century romanticized conception of Queen Cleopatra (right)
“Blackwashing” in other films and series
Anne Boleyn (2021)
Black English actress Jodie Turner-Smith played the Queen of England in a British television series. Anne Boleyn was white and the second wife of King Henry VIII.
Saint Joan (2020)
Black New Yorker Condola Rashad played the French heroine Joan of Arc in a 15th-century stage production of the story. In the play, Rashad is a Joan who does not confirm her gender.
Troy: Fall of a City (2018)
In the TV drama, Achilles, the Greek hero of the Trojan War, is played by black English actor David Gyasi.
The Hollow Crown (2012 – 2016)
Sophie Okonedo, a Nigerian-British actress, played Queen Margaret of Anjou in the Shakespeare TV adaptation. Margaret, of French descent, was Queen of England and married King Henry VI from 1445 to 1461. married.
Once upon a time (2011 – 2018)
Black actor Sinqua Walls plays the role of Sir Lancelot in the ABC series about fairy tales.
Lancelot is a British character who is considered one of King Arthur’s close companions and one of the greatest Knights of the Round Table. Arthur was a legendary king of Great Britain and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition.
Robin Hood (2006-2009)
The BBC series starred black English actor David Harewood as Friar Tuck.
Friar Tuck is one of the legendary Merry Men, the group of heroic outlaws in the folklore of Robin Hood, set in 15th-century Sherwood Forest, England.
Hawass said the only known rulers of Egypt who were black were the Cushite kings of the 25th Dynasty (747-656 BC).
“Netflix tries to sow confusion by spreading false and misleading facts that the origin of Egyptian civilization is black,” he added, urging his compatriots to take a stand against the streaming giant.
On Sunday, lawyer Mahmoud al-Semary filed a complaint with prosecutors, urging him to take “the necessary legal action” to block access to Netflix.
He claimed the show contained content that violated Egypt’s media laws and accused Netflix of trying to “promote Afrocentric thinking … which includes slogans and writing aimed at distorting and erasing Egyptian identity.” .
Cleopatra was played by white English actress Elizabeth Taylor opposite Richard Burton as Mark Anthony in Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s 1963 historical epic.
Three years ago, plans for a new film about the Queen, starring Israeli actress Gal Gadot, sparked a backlash from people who insisted the role should go to an Egyptian or African actress.
Gadot defended the decision, saying, “We were looking for a Macedonian actress who could fit Cleopatra.” She wasn’t there and I had a great passion for Cleopatra.’
The anger over Netflix’s right-on programming comes after it appeared to do without the wake-up messages last year.
Netflix suffered a setback in the first half of 2022, losing around 1,170 million subscribers as competitors like Paramount+ and Disney+ hogged them.
The huge drop was seen by some as a direct result of the company’s late response to calls from its viewers to tone down their wake agenda.
But after the decision to support the likes of comedian Dave Chapelle, things bounced back. Netflix added 1.75 million new subscribers in the 2023 quarter, nearly 550,000 more than consensus estimates and a stark contrast to the loss of 200,000 subscribers the company suffered in the same period last year.
The four-part Cleopatra series explores the legacy, intellect and life of Cleopatra VII, the Greek Queen of Egypt from 51 to 30 BC. Chr.
The trailer notes that Cleopatra belonged to the Ptolemaic dynasty, but then denies her lineage.
Controversy: In the show, which will air on May 10, Cleopatra is portrayed as black, although historical records show that she was of Macedonian-Greek descent
Hot water: Netflix has had to disable comments for the official trailer for the new Queen Cleopatra docu-series (pictured: Cleopatra played by Adele James).
Adele James on horseback in the new Cleopatra Netflix series
Adele James (left) in African Queens: Queen Cleopatra
Adele James in another screenshot from the new Netflix documentaries
The Death of Cleopatra, ca. 1645-55. Artist Guido Cagnacci
“She may have been Egyptian,” says one expert, while another adds, “I remember my grandmother saying to me, ‘I don’t care what they tell you at school, Cleopatra was black.’
The two-minute official trailer, uploaded on April 12, has already garnered over 1.9 million views on YouTube.
Meanwhile, Netflix had to disable comments on the official trailer after it was met with controversy.
A Change.org petition to cancel the show has garnered over 3,000 signatures. A previous petition, which was rejected, had over 62,000 signatures.
Author Kemi Owonibi tweeted, “For the tenth time Egyptian Queen Cleopatra was not Egyptian.”
“She was Greek! Cleopatra VII was white – of Macedonian descent, as were all the Ptolemy rulers who lived in Egypt.