7 Cases Of Ridiculous Racism In Film Casting
4. Sean Connery Highlander
Highlanders Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez (try saying that five times fast) was always going to be a hard role for anyone to play, entirely because of his history. Despite having possibly the most Spanish name youve ever gazed upon, Ramirez is technically a millennia-old Egyptian masquerading as Spanish, who had lived in Japan for a long time but now dwells in Scotland. It would be a challenge for any actor to pull off such a hodgepodge of ethnicities, but you could probably find someone willing to give it a try. However, director Russell Mulcahy chose to jump off at the deep-end, casting Sean Connery. Yes, that Sean Connery. A man who laughs at requirements to drop his Scottish accent, even when playing an ethnic Lithuanian (the gem that is The Hunt For Red October). Much like other instances on this list, it appears as if the casting agency went for the marquee name over any kind of fidelity, and really, unlike those other entries its not very offensive its just mind-bogglingly stupid in that awesome 80s way. There were probably a queue of ethnically Spanish actors who could do this part better than Connery, but because hes Sean bloody Connery, he got to keep the role and explain his accent with a cursory well I lived in Scotland backstory. Its completely insane, but it got bums on seats come premiere time. Besides, Zardosz aside (seriously, watch that film), this is probably the most flamboyant wardrobe Connery's ever worn, and that's saying a lot in his colourful career. He;s even got an earring, for god's sake.