Maureen Lipman - "You have to be Jewish to play a Jew"

[matchmaker]

Dame Maureen Lipman has had a go at fellow Dame Helen Mirren for playing the Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir in a new film, claiming that you have to be Jewish to play a Jew.

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/jan/05/maure...

Guardian said:

Maureen Lipman has criticised the casting of Helen Mirren as Golda Meir in a forthcoming film about the former Israeli prime minister, saying that the character’s Jewishness is “integral”.

In comments reported by the Jewish Chronicle, Lipman said she “disagreed” with Mirren’s casting. She added: “I’m sure [Mirren] will be marvellous, but it would never be allowed for Ben Kingsley to play Nelson Mandela. You just couldn’t even go there.”

It's called acting, dear

I haven't seen the film, but am sure that Dame Helen will be wonderful in it.

[TonyToniTone]

[Esceptico]

I wondered how long it would be before someone posted that article.

I’m not surprised that someone raised the criticism as there are plenty of stupid people around with such silly ideas but I’m disappointed that Lipman was the one who did. I just don’t know what goes through such people’s minds. I’m sure they would scream blue murder if you said Jews could only play Jews, gays could only play gays and black people only black characters (so no black David Copperfields etc).

[SpeckledJim]

TonyToniTone said:

The defence rests, your Honour.

[Esceptico]

I did think about posting this yesterday but thought that with the profile of PH there would be no one woke enough to defend Lipman and her views so there wouldn’t be much of a discussion.

[ApexCult]

Funny she mentions Sir Ben Kingsley, be played a Jewish character in Lucky Number Slevin despite not being Jewish himself . Did she write an article for that?

[Liokault]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

No, no it’s not. For example, only black people can play black characters, but black people can play white characters.

I have just finished the very good “The Great”. Apparently 25% of the 18th century Russian court was Afro Caribbean.

White is the last unprotected class.

[matchmaker]

I suspect that Lipman is also one of those who screams "Anti-Semite" if anyone dares question the actions of the state of Israel against the Palestines. I'm not a political animal (and went to school in the early 1970s with many Jewish guys), but would tend to go along with the views of Miriam Margoyles, who despite being Jewish condemns the actions of Israel.

[KingNothing]

ApexCult said:

Funny she mentions Sir Ben Kingsley, be played a Jewish character in Lucky Number Slevin despite not being Jewish himself . Did she write an article for that?

Also Itzhak Stern in Schindler's list, by her logic, Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes shouldn't have played the Austrian characters in that movie either.

[Bacon Is Proof]

She's 75, let's just put it down to senility and move on.

[foxbody-87]

Also - Tom Hanks wasn’t even an astronaut when he appeared in Apollo 13.

[coppernorks]

KingNothing said:

Also Itzhak Stern in Schindler's list, by her logic, Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes shouldn't
have played the Austrian characters in that movie either.

That's taking it a bit far, however Lipman is being a bit precious and during her long career
her jewishness hasn't stopped her playing non-jewish characters.

[Esceptico]

foxbody-87 said:

Also - Tom Hanks wasn’t even an astronaut when he appeared in Apollo 13.

Good point.

Although he has played Tom Hanks in quite a few of his movies.

[OverHonda]

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/jan/05/maure...

Guardian said:

Maureen Lipman has criticised the casting of Helen Mirren as Golda Meir in a forthcoming film about the former Israeli prime minister, saying that the character’s Jewishness is “integral”.

In comments reported by the Jewish Chronicle, Lipman said she “disagreed” with Mirren’s casting. She added: “I’m sure [Mirren] will be marvellous, but it would never be allowed for Ben Kingsley to play Nelson Mandela. You just couldn’t even go there.”

I know it was almost four decades ago, but Kingsley managed to do a reasonable job of playing Gandhi. Almost as though - oh I don't know - maybe people can "act" as though they are someone else?

But that's crazy talk!

[Esceptico]

OverHonda said:

I know it was almost four decades ago, but Kingsley managed to do a reasonable job of playing Gandhi. Almost as though - oh I don't know - maybe people can "act" as though they are someone else?

But that's crazy talk!

Although Kingsley is half Indian. Which means he is probably “wrong” for all his roles and should never have become an actor.

[irc]

I was shocked when I found out Bryan Cranston wasn't a drug dealer.

[pquinn]

Esceptico said:

OverHonda said:

I know it was almost four decades ago, but Kingsley managed to do a reasonable job of playing Gandhi. Almost as though - oh I don't know - maybe people can "act" as though they are someone else?

But that's crazy talk!

Although Kingsley is half Indian. Which means he is probably “wrong” for all his roles and should never have become an actor.

If he was credited as Krishna Pandit Bhanji people might not question the whole Gandhi thing in the same way. All about perception.


As for the rest - the whole argument about 'X can't play Y' is usually a load of illogical bigoted garbage.

[Terminator X]

Don't let her watch Schindlers List as I doubt she would recover from the outrage.

TX.

[fizz47]

matchmaker said:

I suspect that Lipman is also one of those who screams "Anti-Semite" if anyone dares question the actions of the state of Israel against the Palestines. I'm not a political animal (and went to school in the early 1970s with many Jewish guys), but would tend to go along with the views of Miriam Margoyles, who despite being Jewish condemns the actions of Israel.

Totally agree. Wouldn’t surprise me at all- just see the abuse the Emma Watson got recently

[waynedear]

I am in a play called Survival for life on 8/5/22, Holocaust based, one of the actors is playing a Jewish girl, she is not Jewish, she is a great young actor, no one is bothered.
I am not Jewish, doesn’t really matter as I am playing a Nazi, it will be interesting to see the reaction when I do my HH salute in the biggest synagogue in Liverpool.