posted
We all know Halle Berry has been signed to play Queen Nefertiti in an upcoming movie... Berry Signs ...but all of these internet articles confirming the same thing were written way back in February...and it's almost 2006. And nothing has been posted on IMDB.com, so I'm wondering what the hold-up is? Is this going to be some TV-movie? Is it going to get a big release and a lot of publicity? Or is it Independent (probably not knowing that it's a movie that takes place in ancient times). Could this movie be stuck in what you would call "Development Hell?"
Though, while we eagerly wait for some updated...I'd like to know who you all think should play the contreversial Pharoah Akenaton?
I say Djimon Hounsou or maybe Laurence Fishburne if he can lose some weight. Akenaton was definently a leader and revolutionary...LF could easily play that role (The Matrix Trilogy anyone).
Posts: 1219 | From: North Carolina, USA | Registered: Jul 2004
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quote:Originally posted by Horemheb: Neither will happen, you guys know that.
He won't be played by anybody white either...just for the simple fact that Berry has been signed for Nefertiti shows you that they're doing a TRUE representation of AE....and not European fantasy a la The Mummy Series.
Posts: 1219 | From: North Carolina, USA | Registered: Jul 2004
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posted
she's half white and hardly looks like aretha franklin. Putting in a black actor would not be a true representation since AE's are north african caucasianas. Besides, not everyone is an obsessed racial nut like some on this board.
-------------------- God Bless President Bush Posts: 5822 | From: USA | Registered: Jan 2004
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quote:Originally posted by Zaki85: sorry to say it but djimon hounsou is way too black to be egyptian.
i think a brown skin latino actor is better.
Djimon Hounsou from Amisted looks nothing like Akhenaten. Akhenaten from the statues looks like some with thin built, long lean, with ling thin face. Nick Cannon to me resembles Akhenatan the most in Hollywood.
Posts: 554 | From: Somaliland | Registered: Sep 2005
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posted
Ignoring Horemheb's silly contradictions the director of Monster's Ball is doing this film. I'm quite sure given his artistic style that Marc Forster has every intention of portraying 18th Dynasty Ancient Egypt as accurately as possible.
Halle likely would not have signed on if this were not the case, we are talking about a woman who's desire to play Dorthy Dandridge was so important to her that she took money out of her own pocket to get the movie produced when it was revealed that the budget wasn't big enough for production.
Here is the promotional web page there is apperently a discussion forum there.
She's perfect...Halle Berry plays black roles...and again...definently doesn't look white. Expect a black actor to play Akenaton.
Posts: 1219 | From: North Carolina, USA | Registered: Jul 2004
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posted
If someone were silly enough to try to cast it based on race Zaki85 is correct, a latino looking guy would work. Putting in some guy who looks like Eddie Murphy is not only silly, it won't happen.
-------------------- God Bless President Bush Posts: 5822 | From: USA | Registered: Jan 2004
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quote:Originally posted by Zaki85: sorry to say it but djimon hounsou is way too black to be egyptian.
i think a brown skin latino actor is better.
Djimon Hounsou from Amisted looks nothing like Akhenaten. Akhenaten from the statues looks like some with thin built, long lean, with ling thin face. Nick Cannon to me resembles Akhenatan the most in Hollywood.
Nick Cannon can't act for sh*t...plus he's too young. Besides...who in their right mind would have him star opposite one of the biggest actresses in Hollywood. Nick Cannon does little comedy films and is a B-list...if not C-list actor...not to mention Halle would have nothing to do with the movie if they chose him. The actor doesn't have to look like Akenaton (since we really don't have a picture of him ). They're going to go for believability and acting skills. Akenaton was strong, determined, contreversial, revolutionary, black, he was a leader.
Posts: 1219 | From: North Carolina, USA | Registered: Jul 2004
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quote:Originally posted by Horemheb: If someone were silly enough to try to cast it based on race Zaki85 is correct, a latino looking guy would work. Putting in some guy who looks like Eddie Murphy is not only silly, it won't happen.
Not only did the 18th Dynasty have a strong Nubian heritage, but EVERY depiction we have of Akenaton show him to have had very strong "black African" features.
Posts: 1219 | From: North Carolina, USA | Registered: Jul 2004
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quote:she's half white and hardly looks like aretha franklin. Putting in a black actor would not be a true representation since AE's are north african caucasianas. Besides, not everyone is an obsessed racial nut like some on this board
I see how you are very happy to suggest white actors,but you always bring up the race issue when black actors are set to play ancient Egyptians. You don't seem to mind that Northern/Western Europeans playing ancient Egyptians is inaccurate.
Plus ancient Egyptians were not north African ''caucasians'' but most likely resembled eastern African Somali or modern day Beja in the Sudan.
Somebody with Aretha Franklin's or Halle Berry's complexion would not look out of place in modern day Luxor/Aswan area in Egypt. This is where the 18th dyansty originated in southern Upper Egypt!!!
Also to note that anybody playing Akenaten might have to wear makeup conbsidering he possibly had Marafan syndrone that left him disfigured.
Posts: 8675 | From: Tukuler al~Takruri as Ardo since OCT2014 | Registered: Feb 2003
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quote: If someone were silly enough to try to cast it based on race Zaki85 is correct, a latino looking guy would work. Putting in some guy who looks like Eddie Murphy is not only silly, it won't happen
No,because the 18th dyansty originated in southern Upper Egypt. Latino is not a race and comes in various colors and phenotypes. I suggest a Dominican would be better suitable for a 18th dyansty monarch.
Most people on this board should know that Akenaten possibly had Marafan syndrone that left him disfigured. Some people debate wheather he had this diease or not.
Posts: 8675 | From: Tukuler al~Takruri as Ardo since OCT2014 | Registered: Feb 2003
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Ausar, I don't have any problem with a black actor in a shakesperian play, we have a great King Lear who is black. Obviously blacks did not live in that enviorment. These guys want to make some sort of dubious racial statement, that is not likely to happen. I have said that if you were looking for accuracy, and accuracy is not neccessary in a movie, then a latino actor would be the way to go.
-------------------- God Bless President Bush Posts: 5822 | From: USA | Registered: Jan 2004
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quote: Ausar, I don't have any problem with a black actor in a shakesperian play, we have a great King Lear who is black. Obviously blacks did not live in that enviorment. These guys want to make some sort of dubious racial statement, that is not likely to happen. I have said that if you were looking for accuracy, and accuracy is not neccessary in a movie, then a latino actor would be the way to go
Again I will say that Latino is not a race!!! Most Latinos like Puerto Ricans are multi-ethnic[Western African,Spainard,and Taino Indian],Cubans[varies from Spainard looking to multi-ethnic],and Dominicans[are mostly multi-ethnic],and Mexicans[are Spainards and Native American]. Somebody that looks like Halle Berry could easily be a Dominican or Puerto Rican.
Also to people posting pictures of Akenaten,need to consider that Akenaten had Marafan syndrone which made him disfigured.
Posts: 8675 | From: Tukuler al~Takruri as Ardo since OCT2014 | Registered: Feb 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Horemheb: Ausar, I don't have any problem with a black actor in a shakesperian play, we have a great King Lear who is black. Obviously blacks did not live in that enviorment. These guys want to make some sort of dubious racial statement, that is not likely to happen. I have said that if you were looking for accuracy, and accuracy is not neccessary in a movie, then a latino actor would be the way to go.
What do you make of Othello?
Posts: 4028 | From: NW USA | Registered: May 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Horemheb: You need North African caucasians, I nominate Dr. Hawass.
That is really rather silly and stupid.
Ugly light skin fart like that playing an African!
This is what Ahkenaton probably looked something like:
Your suggestion is worse than Scorpians!
North African Caucasians!!! Phooey.
East African Hamites = Indigenous Africans. Nothing IndoEuropean about them except for the occassional mercenary and female slaves.
Posts: 4028 | From: NW USA | Registered: May 2005
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posted
If Halle Berry is playing Nefertiti we need to determine at about what age Akenaton would have been to play aside his late 30's queen.
Denzel Washington would likely be close enough he is 51 but looks young for his age.
Last time I checked Dr. Hawass was a Modern Lower Egyptian, almost 60 years old and not an actor. A terrible choice Horemheb.
You have to think like a director.
We know that the Ancient Egyptians especially around the setting of the 18th Dynasty most resembled groups like the Somali and the Beja as Ausar said. So appearance wise in order to be accurate Ahknaten and other cast members must not deviate to far from that look.
If a director cannot find a talented actor from that region a substitue must be in order African-Americans and Afro-Carribeans would be a good source for talent pool and accurate appearance.
As far as Marfan's Syndrome is concerned this page covers that issue but says that is it just as possible that his appearance in art was due to caricatures.
They also say that since his mummy hasn't been found there is nothing conclusive but other mummies that were is relatives have been found. Genetics tests could determine whether or not they inherted the disease which could give us insight on the claim that Akhenaten had it as well.
Posts: 1203 | From: USA | Registered: Feb 2005
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quote:Originally posted by osirion: North African Caucasians!!! Phooey.
I know it is futile at this point but I have to call Horemheb out on this stupidity real quick.
Horemheb, your whole argument as it pertains to the race issue is that for any of us to bring up race makes us radical and obsessed which is an ad-hominem.
That only flies if you don't do it as well but since you do it makes you a hypocrite.
Secondly, your whole basis for stating that the Ancient Egyptians were "North African Caucasiods" is based on the testimony of an ARCHAEOLOGIST going off the statements of one out of THREE forsenic anthropological teams, one of which did NOT use the term North African Caucasoid but rather "of African ancestry". This was based on ONE body part that being the nasal index and also based on ONE Egyptian, that being Tut.
This is absolutely absurd.
For instance the Ancient Egyptian priest Natsef-Amun who was a Native Egyptian was classified as Negroid.
Modern Anthropologists such as Keita have debunked those pseudo-scientific terms, we know that these diverse traits were African not Eurasian and therefore not "Caucasoid". You just says this to chastise people which makes you a troll. A shameless troll, thats very unbecoming of a historical Professor. You ought to be ashamed of yourself either for being a fraud or for engaging in such unscholarly activity.
Yet you still insist on such nonsense.
Posts: 1203 | From: USA | Registered: Feb 2005
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posted
I think that denzel washington would be perfect as Akenaton. As for the other roles they should look at actors from East Africa to fill the minor roles.They should also look at Afro Americans, Afro caribbean people and Dominicans and afro Brazilians. I think they should try to make this as accurate as possible. Why not even use people from upper egypt to fill the roles. As for Horemheb The ancient Egyptians are Black African not North African caucasian you should know this by now. What makes the Ancient Egyptians North African Caucasian?nothing. They are Black african.
Posts: 9651 | From: Reace and Love City. | Registered: Oct 2005
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Zaki, Shemar moore has wider face than Nick Cannon and looks more of mixed race than Nick Cannon.
Posts: 554 | From: Somaliland | Registered: Sep 2005
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The R and B singer Raphael Sadiq might be a good choice. Although he might have a little more broader features than Akenaten.
Posts: 8675 | From: Tukuler al~Takruri as Ardo since OCT2014 | Registered: Feb 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Horemheb: ...Putting in a black actor would not be a true representation since AE's are north african caucasianas. Besides, not everyone is an obsessed racial nut like some on this board.
All biological accuracy aside, do all these images below really look like "caucasians" to you Hore??
As Ausar has said, Hispanic or Latin people are diverse with blacks among them but no doubt you refer to the light-skinned or 'white' hispanics yet they look nothing like the ancient depictions.
The poor Hore still seems to suffer from a bad case of dellusion.
By the way Ceelgabo, I have seen pictures of Somali nomad men with long faces who look exactly like Akhenaton! Coincidence? I would think not considering that Egyptians are closely related to Horn Africans.
Posts: 26243 | From: Atlanta, Georgia, USA | Registered: Feb 2005
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i swear, when i watch the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air i immediately recognize the resemblance. and i think Tatyana Ali (Ashley, from the same show) would be a good choice for Hatshepsut.
oh and Horemheb, Zahi Hawass is way too ugly to play an Egyptian king.
Posts: 752 | Registered: Jul 2005
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There's nothing silly or stupid about predicting who will play a role in an upcoming film! Ever been to a movie forum...obviously not!!
Do you know any East African actors? Hollywood doesn't look for people from the same region as the person being portrayed. Halle Berry isn't even from Africa. Russell Crowe is from Australia and he played a Roman Gladiator. Colin Farrell is Irish and he played Alexander...a Macedonian. The idea that the actor has to be from the same region is what's stupid!!!
To Ausar: More than likely they'll leave the fact that he had a disease out. From the way it's looking they may try to stick to reality...but don't think for a second they won't take "creative liberties." They'll probably just portray him as normal.
EDIT: That's alos like saying Jamie Foxx has to be from the same state Ray Charles was from to play him...or Joaqin Pheonix has to be from the same state Johnny Cash was from...the hell kind of elitist-sounding bullcrap is that?
Posts: 1219 | From: North Carolina, USA | Registered: Jul 2004
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The R and B singer Raphael Sadiq might be a good choice. Although he might have a little more broader features than Akenaten.
People, they're not going to get nearly as in-depth as you're thinking. Do you honestly think they're going to cast according to who has the right face width and shoulder length...there will be basic similarities between the actor and the person (like skin color and a rough weight), but not as much as some of you are putting into it. Filmmakers cast according to acting talent.
Posts: 1219 | From: North Carolina, USA | Registered: Jul 2004
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posted
actually Will looks more like Tut than Akhenaten. i do think he would make a good Egyptian king, also because he has the personality to pull it off.
Posts: 752 | Registered: Jul 2005
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There's nothing silly or stupid about predicting who will play a role in an upcoming film! Ever been to a movie forum...obviously not!!
Do you know any East African actors? Hollywood doesn't look for people from the same region as the person being portrayed. Halle Berry isn't even from Africa. Russell Crowe is from Australia and he played a Roman Gladiator. Colin Farrell is Irish and he played Alexander...a Macedonian. The idea that the actor has to be from the same region is what's stupid!!!
To Ausar: More than likely they'll leave the fact that he had a disease out. From the way it's looking they may try to stick to reality...but don't think for a second they won't take "creative liberties." They'll probably just portray him as normal.
EDIT: That's alos like saying Jamie Foxx has to be from the same state Ray Charles was from to play him...or Joaqin Pheonix has to be from the same state Johnny Cash was from...the hell kind of elitist-sounding bullcrap is that?
What is silly is you trying to compare the features of an East African person to that of a clearly West African person. Its silly because they obviously do not look anything alike.
You lose credibility by doing so.
Posts: 4028 | From: NW USA | Registered: May 2005
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There's nothing silly or stupid about predicting who will play a role in an upcoming film! Ever been to a movie forum...obviously not!!
Do you know any East African actors? Hollywood doesn't look for people from the same region as the person being portrayed. Halle Berry isn't even from Africa. Russell Crowe is from Australia and he played a Roman Gladiator. Colin Farrell is Irish and he played Alexander...a Macedonian. The idea that the actor has to be from the same region is what's stupid!!!
To Ausar: More than likely they'll leave the fact that he had a disease out. From the way it's looking they may try to stick to reality...but don't think for a second they won't take "creative liberties." They'll probably just portray him as normal.
EDIT: That's alos like saying Jamie Foxx has to be from the same state Ray Charles was from to play him...or Joaqin Pheonix has to be from the same state Johnny Cash was from...the hell kind of elitist-sounding bullcrap is that?
What is silly is you trying to compare the features of an East African person to that of a clearly West African person. Its silly because they obviously do not look anything alike.
You lose credibility by doing so.
What credibility....this is not a scienific debate my friend...it's a bloody "casting call," a harmless prediction (which is why I made this thread OT because while it relates to AE, it's about an upcoming movie). You need to lighten up, it's really not that serious. The reason I chose Djimon Hounsou and LF is because I'm going with well-known names. Names the filmmakers (depending on what direction they're taking the film) may put on their list of possibilities and may call them in for an audition. There are obviously more possibilities, but just for the simple fact that Halle Berry is playing Nefertiti slims the list down tremendously (in ways I don't think you understand). She will have a BIG say in who co-stars with her...why..because all multi-million dollar actors do. And she will want someone she is familiar with and who has a "name" almost as big as hers. I can almost gurantee you the actor will be American, he may be foreign though...but again there's the Halle Berry factor. Not only that, but she's also known to be very picky about who she co-stars with (not all the time, but she's had her moments).
All I'm saying is, this whole..."the actor has to look East African" mumbo-jumbo is nonsense. Because most Westerners (the majority of the people who will be watching this movie) won't know the difference...much less know there is a difference between an East and West African (which there really isn't except for maybe in the DNA...I mean there are East Africans like Ethiopians and Sudanese that look West African...it's all bullsh*t).
Point on point...this is a movie and as long as they don't make another white Egypt, 18th century romanticism film...I'm happy.
EDIT: And again Osirion...do you know for certain what Akenaton looked like? No you don't, and I'll say again, it is very much known that this particular Dynasty had a rich Nubian heritage...probably the most in the New Kingdom other than the obvious Nubian Dynasty. So there really would be no harm in casting a "West African" (I put parenthesis around it because it's funny how particular people think Hollywood's casting is...all they want to do is get the point across...nobody is paying attention to geographical locations).
EDIT EDIT: WTF are you talking about? I wasn't trying to compare the features between and East and West African? Where are you getting this from? Please....don't put words in my mouth!!! And don't insult my intelligence!
Posts: 1219 | From: North Carolina, USA | Registered: Jul 2004
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quote:Originally posted by King_Scorpion: All I'm saying is, this whole..."the actor has to look East African" mumbo-jumbo is nonsense. Because most Westerners (the majority of the people who will be watching this movie) won't know the difference...much less know there is a difference between an East and West African (which there really isn't except for maybe in the DNA...I mean there are East Africans like Ethiopians and Sudanese that look West African...it's all bullsh*t).
Thought Writes:
Great points King_Scorpian. Indeed there are West Africans that look like East Africans and vice versa. More importantly Egypt was a melting pot of Africans moving into the Nile from the Horn of Africa AND from the Central Sahara.
It is also of interest that we never see Europeans fighting to make sure that Southern Europeans get cast as Greeks and not Northern European actors. This standard of purity in casting ONLY applies to Africa and specifically NE Africa.
I am glad we cleared Evil E and Leba out so we can see who is who.....
Posts: 2720 | Registered: May 2004
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There's nothing silly or stupid about predicting who will play a role in an upcoming film! Ever been to a movie forum...obviously not!!
Do you know any East African actors? Hollywood doesn't look for people from the same region as the person being portrayed. Halle Berry isn't even from Africa. Russell Crowe is from Australia and he played a Roman Gladiator. Colin Farrell is Irish and he played Alexander...a Macedonian. The idea that the actor has to be from the same region is what's stupid!!!
To Ausar: More than likely they'll leave the fact that he had a disease out. From the way it's looking they may try to stick to reality...but don't think for a second they won't take "creative liberties." They'll probably just portray him as normal.
EDIT: That's alos like saying Jamie Foxx has to be from the same state Ray Charles was from to play him...or Joaqin Pheonix has to be from the same state Johnny Cash was from...the hell kind of elitist-sounding bullcrap is that?
What is silly is you trying to compare the features of an East African person to that of a clearly West African person. Its silly because they obviously do not look anything alike.
You lose credibility by doing so.
What credibility....this is not a scienific debate my friend...it's a bloody "casting call," a harmless prediction (which is why I made this thread OT because while it relates to AE, it's about an upcoming movie). You need to lighten up, it's really not that serious. The reason I chose Djimon Hounsou and LF is because I'm going with well-known names. Names the filmmakers (depending on what direction they're taking the film) may put on their list of possibilities and may call them in for an audition. There are obviously more possibilities, but just for the simple fact that Halle Berry is playing Nefertiti slims the list down tremendously (in ways I don't think you understand). She will have a BIG say in who co-stars with her...why..because all multi-million dollar actors do. And she will want someone she is familiar with and who has a "name" almost as big as hers. I can almost gurantee you the actor will be American, he may be foreign though...but again there's the Halle Berry factor. Not only that, but she's also known to be very picky about who she co-stars with (not all the time, but she's had her moments).
All I'm saying is, this whole..."the actor has to look East African" mumbo-jumbo is nonsense. Because most Westerners (the majority of the people who will be watching this movie) won't know the difference...much less know there is a difference between an East and West African (which there really isn't except for maybe in the DNA...I mean there are East Africans like Ethiopians and Sudanese that look West African...it's all bullsh*t).
Point on point...this is a movie and as long as they don't make another white Egypt, 18th century romanticism film...I'm happy.
EDIT: And again Osirion...do you know for certain what Akenaton looked like? No you don't, and I'll say again, it is very much known that this particular Dynasty had a rich Nubian heritage...probably the most in the New Kingdom other than the obvious Nubian Dynasty. So there really would be no harm in casting a "West African" (I put parenthesis around it because it's funny how particular people think Hollywood's casting is...all they want to do is get the point across...nobody is paying attention to geographical locations).
EDIT EDIT: WTF are you talking about? I wasn't trying to compare the features between and East and West African? Where are you getting this from? Please....don't put words in my mouth!!! And don't insult my intelligence!
Thats a load of crap. You post a picture of Ahkenaton next to a clearly stereotypical West African that looks nothing the same and then try to lambast me with a bunch of lunacy about people in America being ignorant about West and East Africa. People in America have a clear idea of what they think Egyptians looked like and it is not like that West African fellow you posted. And this type of crap from Afrocentrics is the very reason why many want nothing to do with such rantings.
Yes there were Egyptians with stereotypical West African features but we are talking about Ahkenaken or however you spell that guys name and he clearly looks like a typical East African person similar to Somalians or Ethiopians and not Yorubans.
There are plenty of Black Americans with East African features that would work.
Posts: 4028 | From: NW USA | Registered: May 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Horemheb: You have zero sense of humor osirion,it was a joke, go have a drink before this race stuff just consumes you.
By the way, the King was a north african caucasian, as is Dr hawass.
You are one stubborn person. When are you going to accept that Caucasian means IndoEuropean and that Egyptians were NOT IndoEuropean!
There's nothing wrong with IndoEuropeans but it has been shown that they were not the ones that developed the Egyptian dynasties. That is significantly been debunked. The term Caucasian is wrongly applied as many anthropologists have pointed out over and over again - its a stupid term for these people.
Now: What do you mean by the King being Caucasian? You said nothing about the likeness of the Ethiopian in comparison to Ahkenaton.
Posts: 4028 | From: NW USA | Registered: May 2005
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EDIT: And again Osirion...do you know for certain what Akenaton looked like? No you don't, and I'll say again, it is very much known that this particular Dynasty had a rich Nubian heritage...probably the most in the New Kingdom other than the obvious Nubian Dynasty.
Fair enough question. There may in fact be some exaggeration in the rather elongated facial representations of Akhenaten, as seen in the various sculptures made of him. Here is an example of depictions that appear more realistic IMO, as indicated by the length of the face, and the skin tone [at least in the one where Nefertiti is standing by his side; I had the image, but it appears to now be a broken one]...
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
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). They're going to go for believability and acting skills. Akenaton was strong, determined, contreversial, revolutionary, black, he was a leader.
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