The black female lead of "Cleopatra" responds to the controversy over casting: Don't watch it if you don't like it

Netflix's new documentary "Queen Cleopatra" is about to be released, but many Egyptians are dissatisfied because the protagonist Queen Cleopatra VII is played by black actress Adele James.

Historically, the identity of Cleopatra has been an unsolved mystery. Some historians believe that her mother was Egyptian, while others believe that she had African ancestry, but her true skin color is unknown.

Zahi Hawass, an Egyptologist and former Egyptian Minister of Antiquities, said: "This is completely false. Cleopatra was Greek, which means she had a lighter skin color, not black." He criticized Netflix for "trying to cause confusion by spreading false and deceptive facts that Egyptian civilization originated from black people" and hoped that Egyptian citizens would stand up against it.

Egyptian lawyer Semary also filed a complaint with the prosecutor, demanding legal measures and blocking Netflix's local services, "They are trying to distort and erase the identity of Egyptians." However, the film's producers responded that "Cleopatra's ancestry is controversial," and the lead actress Adele James also said, "If you don't like it, don't watch it."

This is not the first time that foreign countries have blackened white characters in history. In the TV series "Queen Charlotte", the heroine became black, but she was white in history. In addition, the heroine of the biographical film "Anne Boleyn" also became black, but Anne Boleyn was also white in history. Let's take a look at the white-to-black characters in film and television dramas in recent years listed by netizens: