This is an impromptu posting seeing as I'm just discovering that the rumors which have been going on for months ( unknown to me until now ) about Angela Bassett playing Amanda Waller in Green Lantern are not rumors it seems. Now it's time for this blog to get in on the action. You pretty much have to in a manner of speaking almost re-invent the character if Bassett were to play Waller. What I mean by that is how many long time readers of the Suicide Squad and Checkmate ever had an image in their head of Amanda Waller looking like this in their heads before the character became popular enough to make it to TV and now the big screen.This is the same for Pam Grier as Waller. Pam Grier is . . .Pam Grier, she automatically brings a sense of charm and sensuality to any role she plays which are traits that don't really come to mind when we think of Amanda Waller. That by no means is to be said that this can't work out just fine for Bassett given what a great actress she is. It's just that she's so goddamn good looking! Just look at her. Give yourself a moment to let your eyes take it all in. So it's like we need someone to play Tina Turner. . bam! Angela Bassett , case closed. Plus for me she was who I wanted to be cast as Storm in the X-Men and I never quite got over that even though Halle Berry did ok in that role. It's kinda like with my dad who despite being a Star Trek fan could never quite accept Avery Brooks as Sisko in DS9 (or any other role for that matter) because he loved him so much as Hawk in Spencer for Hire.
The inaugural posting of this blog site (Tues. Oct. 26 posting) which was part 1 of "Would the real Amanda Waller please stand up?" had a comment from someone who brought up Alfre Woodard as another good candidate to play Waller. Woodard, another great black actress who's also pretty easy on the eyes plays the police chief in Memphis Beat and you may also remember her as Zephram Cochrane's partner in the Star Trek TNG flick First Contact ( The Borg ). To me Alfre Woodard fits the role of Waller a bit better. But hey, unless she's being totally miscast Angela Bassett is a pleasure to see any in any film. Except for Meet The Browns. Even Bassett being in that stinker couldn't make it watchable, avoid that piece of shit like the plague.
Bassett's fine I guess, but I wish they'd cast an actress who looks more like Waller. Part of what was great about the Wall is that she was a short, fat woman, and yet she could put the fear of God into all these villain types.
ReplyDeleteHollywood is so afraid of bigger women, it's almost unbelievable.
The casting of Bassett as Waller doesn't agree with me, either. Comicbook artists work hard to make characters unique, while Hollywood works hard to make everyone look the same.
ReplyDeleteI would cast a plus-size actress in the role. Queen Latifah, Jill Scott, and Monique have all done enough work to deserve this kind of look, and there are sure to be others that didn't come to my mind immediately.
welcome to the blog samax. that was an excellent suggestion about Queen Latifah! she has become quite the actress in recent years and i know she can play a real ball buster too like in that restaurant with Wesley Snipes in Jungle Fever. either later today or tomorrow i'm going to have something posted that includes Bronze Tiger i think you might like.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Angela Bassett would make a great Vixen!
Vixen is a character that has more range in acceptable casting. I'm a big fan of Angela Bassett, so she can have whatever part she wants, I guess. She just isn't right to play the Wall. She will do a good job I'm sure, but like you said, she would be recreating the character, not really portraying the character as I know her from the comics.
ReplyDeleteLatifah would OWN it...
I agree cast the character as she is. Dont make her a Hollywood prototype. I hate when they do that to comic book characters. Just like when they cast Halle Berry as Storm in the X-Men movies. Nothing against Halle but she is not storm.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure I'm not unique in this thought, but thanks largely to her voice work on the JLU series and her other TV work, when I think of Amanda Waller I now think of CCH Pounder.
ReplyDeleteNot just her voice, but in most all her acting roles she can really pull off that commanding presence that Wallers character needs.
(BTW Dave, thanks for letting me know about this blog, considered it bookmarked.)
and than you for the comment Richard. i agree cause among other things i loved her on the SHIELD. welcome aboard, i wasn't sure how this blog would go over with people but i just decided one day last week to just go for it.
ReplyDeleteMan, I echo samax's sentiments about Queen Latifah! Come to think of it, she's the right age (if it's Waller just starting out), she's got the right look, and damn if she couldn't pull off "tough." :)
ReplyDeleteLatifah for the Wall!