When Black actress Leah Jeffries was cast to play Annabeth Chase in the live-action Percy Jackson series in May 2022, she faced comments like “I’m sorry, but a Black Annabeth just won’t fit,” and “Annabeth is written as a white girl so someone white should portray her.” The primary issue viewers brought up was that Annabeth had originally been described in the book series as a white girl with blonde hair, and Jeffries would be unable to fit that perception. This was not a one-time controversy; from Avantika Vandanapu being cast by fans as Rapunzel to the races of the Scooby Doo cast being changed in Velma, consumers of pop culture have continuously criticized POC actors and characters in traditionally white roles at the expense of greater diversity.
How can this diversity be defended? Percy Jackson creator Rick Riordan provided a great example with a statement released in the same month of Jeffries’ casting simply titled “Leah Jeffries is Annabeth Chase,” emphasizing the search for an actor who could bring the character’s personality to life. “You are judging her appropriateness for this role solely and exclusively on how she looks. Friends, that is racism,” he wrote. Riordan made his priorities clear: POC actors should not have to justify their existence simply because of their race when they fit a role in every other aspect.
The crucial aspect of diverse casting is recognizing the role of race in a character’s identity and the story’s plot. For example, Tiana from Princess and the Frog should not be played by anyone other than a Black woman, because the large population of Black and Creole people in the movie’s setting, Louisiana, is an important part of Tiana’s character and development. Additionally, as one of the only Black Disney princesses, taking away the already minimal representation of Black girls continues to erase their presence in pop culture.
On the other hand, a character like Ariel from The Little Mermaid, with no notable racial or identity beyond being white and the added ambiguity of being a mermaid, could be played by an actor of any race. However, when actress Halle Bailey was cast to play Ariel in the live-action movie, she faced a significant amount of criticism simply for being Black and not fitting viewers’ perception of the character – a white girl with red hair. Wanting to preserve the authenticity of a character’s portrayal is a valid sentiment, but there’s a fine line between maintaining accuracy and feeling uncomfortable seeing POC in traditionally white roles.
The question at heart is why there aren’t more POC characters to represent in the first place. It’s unfortunately inevitable that POC actors will face criticism when playing roles that have traditionally portrayed white characters. While supporting these actors and recognizing their abilities to play certain roles is a good first step, creating spaces for POC actors to thrive as themselves is ultimately necessary. Original POC representation such as Miles Morales from the Spider-Man series and the Wang family in Everything Everywhere All At Once successfully portrays POC characters in stories that fit them, providing a model for other works to follow suit. Representation in media is important; consider who needs it most.
