Orange is the New Black star Dascha Polanco was recently interviewed on The Breakfast Club on Power 105.1 while she was promoting her new film
The Perfect Match. Early on in the interview the hosts brought up Zoe Saldana in
Nina and how there was a lot of controversy about her casting.
“I have a problem with that too,” Polanco immediately answered. “I haven’t spoken about it but I have a problem with that too. If we were going to go that route than we didn’t need to do all the extra prosthetics or skin color and I don’t think that’s needed. If that was the issue there are plenty of actors I think that could have played the role.”The hosts then went on to ask Dascha what she would do if she was offered her dream picture, which was a biopic, and she found out that the family was not supportive of her casting.
“As an actor I think that it’s really hard because that’s something that you’re doing good.
I don’t think Zoe’s intention was in any way to discredit Nina Simone I think that she’s really trying to portray her. I think that as an actor you have to. . . you have your input, you have to have that conversation with the director as to what - especially in the times we’re on is very sensible so you have to really be cautious,” she stated. “As far as the family I’m not really sure what the whole dynamics are in that situation. . . you just have to have a good team behind you. I’m not saying she doesn’t you just have to as an actor say am I doing justice to this role especially when it’s a biopic. Am I really gonna - am I in any way gonna discredit the work or even the physical aspects. I know that you have Jamie Foxx for Ray Charles he did some things so I don’t understand. . . what I’m saying is he had to go through physical changes and I think a lot of people do.
The problem is the times and it’s a woman and the timing is not right. I think there are plenty of actors that can play the role. . . I would have loved to see Uzo play that role.”
The hosts then went on to say that Nina should have been played by a black woman. Dascha responded saying that she is Afro-Latina, which one of the hosts didn’t seem to understand.
“I consider myself to be a black woman,” she explained. “And I think a lot of Dominicans should because like from what I see that’s what they are.”The same host then responded with, “But why not be Dominican though?”
“I am Dominican, I say I’m Dominican,” Polanco responded. “I’m from the Dominican Republic but I am a black woman. We’re talking about where you’re from, like your country and you’re talking about race ethnicity, right? So I am Afro-Latina.”Source 1 and
2