O.G. LUIGI ACTOR TO BOYCOTT NEW SUPER MARIO FILM

 Leguizamo Issues Statement On Lack Of Diversity In New Film

  Actor John Leguizamo, the actor who played the character "Luigi" in the original Super Mario Bros. film (1993)  has been slamming the newest Nintendo film for a lack of diversity in the cast. Though the online response has been varied, the statements made by Leguizamo condemn the newest film for having an "all white" cast. Diversity in media industries has been a hot-button topic in recent years. A history of "whitewashing" and underrepresentation of minority groups in film is a longstanding issue that has come to the forefront of discussion especially recently. One example that comes to mind was Scarlett Johanssen's portayal of Major Motoko Kusanagi in the film Ghost In The Shell. The film, adapted from a 1989 Japanese manga by Masamune Shirow, follows an android who has questions about her humanity... or lack thereof. Many were outraged to see a white actress playing a Japanese character in a Japanese story in Japan. The film was accused to whitewashing the main character of the story to attract a "mass audience."  The film instead drew so much criticism that it became a catalyst for change in the industry. Nowadays the film industry as a whole is trying to be more inclusive in it's casting and staffing processes.

This is where the newest Nintendo film The Super Mario Bros. Movie  comes into the picture. Leguizamo has gone on recent press tour exclaiming that the film's casting represents the studio "going backwards" in it's casting of white actors for the majority of the cast. He explained in one interview that the producers of the original Mario Bros. film fought for him to play Luigi because they wanted to increase the diversity of the cast. Though in the same interview, he explains that his co-star Bob Hoskins (Mario) was white and that he (Leguizamo) had never been considered for the leading role. In casting big names such as Chris Pratt, Jack Black, Charlie Day, Anya Taylor-Joy and Seth Rogan, Nintendo may have simply been trying to pack a cast of well-recognized blockbuster talent into their film. These names however also all belong to white actors. At a glance, I can see where Leguizamo is coming from. As someone who is passionate about representation of all cultures in film, I can understand the problem he has with the casting on paper. Though many others have come to the defense of the film stating that Leguizamo had overlooked the black, minority actors cast in the film, the roles they play have noticeably less screen time than their white counterparts. Keegan-Michael Key is cast as "Toad," Kevin Michael Richardson as "Kamek" and Khary Payton as a the "Penguin King." These characters are either villains or sidekicks with limited roles in the story. Though some diversity is present, I have to say I agree with Leguizamo's stance on the film. There is no need for the front five voice actors in a children's story to all be voiced by white actors.