WebProNews

Tag: nina simone

  • Zoe Saldana: Queen Latifah And Paula Patton Defend Her Role In “Nina”

    Zoe Saldana has been the center of controversy since she was cast as Nina Simone in the upcoming biopic, Nina.

    Critics of the choice say there were several other actresses that would have been better because Zoe Saldana is light-skinned and has a narrower nose than Nina Simone did.

    For the film, Zoe Saldana did have to wear skin-darkening makeup and a prosthetic nose.

    However, as evidenced from the trailer, Zoe Saldana clearly brings everything to the part and put her heart into portraying the legendary singer and activist.

    There are a couple of African-American actresses who are standing up for Zoe Saldana and they are calling for an end to the harsh judgement.

    Queen Latifah said recently, “I think Zoe Saldana is a great actress, so I am looking forward to it. She is of African descent. I don’t see why she shouldn’t play the role. I just want to see it. Get rid of the hype and let’s go watch a movie.”

    Paula Patton took it a step further and expressed concern for Zoe Saldana in the midst of the backlash.

    She said of Zoe Saldana, “I’m not into negativity like that. It’s a horrible thing to put on somebody…Imagine being in her shoes and enduring that. It’s not cool, and it’s not right.”

    She continued, “Clearly, someone thought she was perfect for it — she’s an amazing actress, she’s beautiful — and you haven’t even given her a chance and you haven’t seen it yet.”

    She added, “I think we have to be in a place where we celebrate each other and are kind to one another, and say, ‘There’s alternate versions of a story,’ Give her a shot, try to enjoy it and stop judging.”

    Zoe Saldana is truly a talented actress and seems to give everything she’s got to honor the late Nina Simone.

    What side do you fall on in the controversy surrounding Zoe Saldana?

  • Nina Simone Biopic: Two Sides Of Controversy

    Nina Simone was a singer and civil rights activist who penned songs about racism and black cultural strife in the late 50’s thru the early 70’s.

    A new biopic about Nina Simone, Nina, is set to come out next month, but it has caused some serious controversy along the way.

    The problem at hand is that Nina Simone is played by the talented Zoe Saldana. Critics say, well, she just isn’t black enough.

    Saldana, in order to look more like the legendary Nina Simone, dons skin-darkening makeup and a nose-widening prosthetic.

    Nina Simone’s daughter, an accomplished Broadway actress who goes by Simone, said she likes Zoe Saldana, but she’s just not right for the part.

    She said, “I love Zoe Saldana’s work. I’ve seen some of her movies more than once and really enjoy what she brings to the screen. As an actress I respect her process, but I also know that there are many actresses out there, known or not, who would be great as my mother.”

    Simone even had some suggestions for actresses to play Nina Simone.

    She said, “The one actress that I’ve had in my heart for a very long time, whose work I’m familiar with already, is Kimberly Elise. Many people have spoken to me about Viola [Davis]. I love her look. I love her energy. Both of the actresses that I’ve mentioned are women of color, are women with beautiful, luscious lips and wide noses, and who know their craft.”

    And the Estate and Legacy of Nina Simone was much more harsh when Zoe Saldana posted a Nina Simone quote to Twitter.

    However, those in charge of the biopic and some African-American actors in Hollywood are saying everyone should give Saldana a chance.

    Robert Johnson, founder and chairman of the studio releasing Nina said that Zoe Saldana’s portrayal of Nina Simone is “an exceptional and mesmerizing tribute.”

    He added, “She gave her heart and soul to the role and displayed her extraordinary talent. The most important thing is that creativity or quality of performance should never be judged on the basis of color, or ethnicity, or physical likeness.”

    Quenn Latifah argued that Saldana is a great actress who makes great movies, and, basically, get over it.

    She said, “I think Zoe Saldana is a great actress, so I am looking forward to it. She is of African descent. I don’t see why she shouldn’t play the role. I just want to see it. Get rid of the hype and let’s go watch a movie.”

    Paula Patton shared Latifah’s sentiments and expressed sorrow for Saldana.

    She said, “I’m not into negativity like that. It’s a horrible thing to put on somebody…. Imagine being in her shoes and enduring that. It’s not cool, and it’s not right.”

    #internationalwomensday #ninasimone

    A photo posted by Jazz Today (@jazz.today) on

    She continued, “Clearly, someone thought she was perfect for it — she’s an amazing actress, she’s beautiful — and you haven’t even given her a chance and you haven’t seen it yet.”

    She added, “I think we have to be in a place where we celebrate each other and are kind to one another, and say, ‘There’s alternate versions of a story.’ Give her a shot, try to enjoy it and stop judging.”

    Where do you stand on the controversy surrounding Nina Simone’s biography?

  • Nina Simone Biopic: Queen Latifah Says Everyone Needs To “Get Rid Of The Hype”

    Nina Simone was an extremely influential musician, a woman who did things on her own terms for years after cutting ties with her husband Andrew Stroud, who was also her manager. The iconic singer was also a fierce civil rights activist, and all the things she experienced have kept fans intrigued for years. That’s why, when a biopic about her life was announced, many were behind it…until the lead role went to Zoe Saldana. Now, Saldana is facing backlash, and several fellow stars are coming to her defense.

    For some, Saldana was a controversial choice to play Simone because she had to darken her skin and wear prosthetics in order to more closely resemble the star, and after she took to Twitter recently to talk about Nina Simone, Simone’s estate replied pretty harshly.

    This week, Queen Latifah said in an interview that she doesn’t understand why Saldana couldn’t play Simone.

    “I think Zoe Saldana is a great actress, so I am looking forward to it. She is of African descent — I don’t see why she shouldn’t play the role. I just want to see it. Get rid of the hype and let’s go watch a movie,” Latifah said.

    Paula Patton also came to Zoe’s defense, saying people need to give her a chance before they judge the film.

    “Clearly, someone thought she was perfect for it — she’s an amazing actress, she’s beautiful — and you haven’t even given her a chance and you haven’t seen it yet. I think we have to be in a place where we celebrate each other and are kind to one another, and say, ‘There’s alternate versions of a story.’ Give her a shot, try to enjoy it and stop judging.”

  • Nina Simone Biopic: Late Singer’s Daughter, Lisa Simone Kelly, Stands Up for Zoe Saldana

    A Nina Simone biopic, titled Nina, is set to hit theaters next month. Ever since accepting the lead role in the film, Zoe Saldana has come under fire, with many–some of them the late Simone’s relatives–saying her light skin and Latina features aren’t right for the role.

    Now another of Nina Simone’s relatives is speaking out–this time supporting Zoe Saldana. Lisa Simone Kelly feels terrible that Zoe Saldana is getting bashed for playing the role of her late mother.

    “It’s unfortunate that Zoe Saldana is being attacked so viciously when she is someone who is part of a larger picture,” Lisa Simone Kelly says in an interview with Time magazine.

    “It’s clear she brought her best to this project, but unfortunately she’s being attacked when she’s not responsible for any of the writing or the lies,” she adds.

    Zoe Saldana’s skin was darkened and she wears a prosthetic nose for her role as Nina Simone. Many have compared these alterations to the “blackface” that mimicked African-Americans. Lisa Simone Kelly maintains there are significant discrepancies in the script as well.

    Zoe Saldana has hit back at some of her naysayers. In one Twitter post she quotes Nina Simone herself.

    Just because Lisa Simone Kelly is standing up for Zoe Saldana, that doesn’t mean she is in favor of the way the movie was made. She blames director Cynthia Mort, however, instead.

    “The project has been tainted from the very beginning,” she tells Time. “Clearly, it is not the truth about my mother’s life, and everyone now knows that. This is not how you want your loved ones remembered.”

    Nina Simone’s family was never consulted for any aspect of the film.

    Nina opens in theaters nationwide on April 22.

  • Zoe Saldana “Nina” Controversy: India.Arie Weighs In

    Zoe Saldana has come under significant fire for her role as Nina Simone in the upcoming biopic, Nina.

    Now “Video” singer India.Arie is adding fuel to that fire. In a recent interview with Billboard, Arie said she was sad to see Zoe Saldana in this role.

    “I think the best way to say it is that they casted her against type and went too far to make her fit,” she said. “It’s not my place to say how Zoe Saldana perceives herself, and I can’t say how anybody else perceives her either.”

    India.Arie also bashed Zoe Saldana as Nina Simone on the late singer’s official website, saying, “it looks like a person in Black(er) face with a fake nose.”

    “[The Nina portrayal] is a caricature,” Arie added. “You had to put a whole other face on someone’s face.”

    The distribution company for the upcoming film said via a statement to People magazine, “The most important thing is that creativity or quality of performance should never be judged on the basis of color, or ethnicity, or physical likeness.”

    Zoe Saldana has been defending herself in her role as Nina Simone since first being cast in 2013.

    “I don’t care who tells me that I am not this and I am not that. I know who I am and I know what Nina Simone means to me. So that is my truth and that set me free,” she said at the time.

    India.Arie goes on to say she doesn’t think Zoe Saldana did anything wrong in taking this role.

    “I don’t know her and I don’t think she did anything wrong,” adding, “I think they cast Zoe Saldana because they wanted a big name, but that makes me ask, ‘Is the name Nina Simone not big enough to get people to come to the movie?’”

    Do you agree with India.Arie on the reason Zoe Saldana was cast in the role of Nina Simone? Did producers feel Nina’s name and talent alone weren’t enough to draw the masses to movie theaters?

    How do you suppose Nina, starring Zoe Saldana in the lead role will fare in theaters?

    Nina hits theaters on April 22.

  • Zoe Saldana Not Upset by Outrage Over Her Role as Nina Simone

    Zoe Saldana came under fire in recent days for playing the role of Nina Simone in the upcoming biopic Nina. The late musician and activist’s family is put off by Zoe Saldana wearing both a prosthetic nose and blackface while portraying the late singer.

    Zoe Saldana, however, isn’t bothered by their outrage. She even quoted Nina Simone in saying so.

    An official Twitter account for the late Nina Simone fired back at Zoe Saldana’s tweet.

    Zoe Saldana first drew criticism from Nina Simone’s family back in 2012, when she was cast in the role. They felt strongly that the role should be played by a dark-skinned actress. Saldana is of Puerto Rican and Dominican descent.

    Saldana herself once questioned if she should portray Nina Simone.

    “I didn’t think I was right for the part, and I know a lot people will agree, but then again, I don’t think Elizabeth Taylor was right for Cleopatra either,” she said during a June 2015 interview with InStyle.

    In 2013, Nina Simone’s daughter, Simone Kelly, said this about her late mother–and about the choice of Zoe Saldana playing the role.

    “My mother was raised at a time when she was told her nose was too wide, her skin was too dark,” Kelly told the New York Times. “Appearance-wise this is not the best choice.”

    Despite their upset, Zoe Saldana will appear on the big screen in the role of Nina Simone. Nina premieres on April 22.

    Will you be checking it out?

  • Zoe Saldana Under Fire for Playing Nina Simone in Upcoming Film

    Zoe Saldana is under harsh fire for playing the part of Nina Simone in an upcoming film about the musician and activist. Simone’s family doesn’t like that Zoe Saldana wears a prosthetic nose and blackface while playing the role.

    Saldana took to Twitter on Wednesday in light of the criticism she is receiving. She quoted Nina Simone.

    An official Twitter account for the late Nina Simone fired back at Zoe Saldana’s tweet.

    A few hours later the account shared another tweet.

    Zoe Saldana first drew criticism from Simone’s family in 2012, when she was cast in the role. Many believed the role should be played by a dark-skinned actress. Saldana is of Puerto Rican and Dominican descent.

    Saldana herself once questioned if she should portray Nina Simone.

    “I didn’t think I was right for the part, and I know a lot people will agree, but then again, I don’t think Elizabeth Taylor was right for Cleopatra either,” she said during a June 2015 interview with InStyle.

    In 2013, Nina Simone’s daughter, Simone Kelly, said this about her late mother–and about the choice of Zoe Saldana to portray her.

    “My mother was raised at a time when she was told her nose was too wide, her skin was too dark,” Kelly told the New York Times. “Appearance-wise this is not the best choice.”

    What’s your take on Zoe Saldana playing Nina Simone? Should another Hollywood A-lister have been cast in the role instead?

    Nina, starring Zoe Saldana, opens in theaters on April 22.

  • Nina Simone: Netflix Documentary Gets an Official Trailer

    Nina Simone: Netflix Documentary Gets an Official Trailer

    Netflix has shared the official trailer to its upcoming Nina Simone documentary, What Happened, Miss Simone?

    It’s directed by Liz Garbus, an Academy Award-nominated filmmaker best known for The Farm: Angola, USA and Bobby Fischer Against the World. It’ll hit Netflix on June 26.

    Without further ado:

    Here’s Netflix’s official description:

    Classically trained pianist, dive-bar chanteuse, black power icon and legendary recording artist, Nina Simone lived a life of brutal honesty, musical genius, and tortured melancholy. In this epic documentary, director Liz Garbus interweaves never-before-heard recordings and rare archival footage together with Nina’s most memorable songs, to create an unforgettable portrait of one of the least understood, yet most beloved, artists of our time.

    The film uses never-before-heard audio tapes, recorded over the course of three decades, of Nina telling her life story to various interviewers and would-be biographers. From over 100 hours of these recordings, What Happened, Miss Simone? weaves together Nina’s narrative, told largely in her own words. Rare concert footage and archival interviews, along with diaries, letters, interviews with Nina’s daughter, Lisa Simone Kelly, friends and collaborators, along with other exclusive materials, make this the most authentic, personal, and unflinching telling of the extraordinary life of one of the 20th Century’s greatest recording artists.

    There’s a lot of buzz surrounding this documentary. The film received a standing ovation at Sundance. Variety has called it “a most satisfying rendering of a complex cultural legacy.”

    Image via Netflix, YouTube

  • Nina Simone Netflix Documentary Gets Standing Ovation at Sundance

    Nina Simone Netflix Documentary Gets Standing Ovation at Sundance

    Netflix’s new documentary about the life of singer Nina Simone is off to a strong start, receiving high praise from the audience at the Sundance Film Festival.

    The film, What Happened, Miss Simone?, received a standing ovation and the praise has continued on Twitter.

    The documentary, announced in December, will hit Netflix this year.

    Classically trained pianist, dive-bar chanteuse, black power icon and legendary recording artist, Nina Simone lived a life of brutal honesty, musical genius, and tortured melancholy. In this epic documentary, director Liz Garbus interweaves never-before-heard recordings and rare archival footage together with Nina’s most memorable songs, to create an unforgettable portrait of one of the least understood, yet most beloved, artists of our time.

    The film uses never-before-heard audio tapes, recorded over the course of three decades, of Nina telling her life story to various interviewers and would-be biographers. From over 100 hours of these recordings, What Happened, Miss Simone? weaves together Nina’s narrative, told largely in her own words. Rare concert footage and archival interviews, along with diaries, letters, interviews with Nina’s daughter, Lisa Simone Kelly, friends and collaborators, along with other exclusive materials, make this the most authentic, personal, and unflinching telling of the extraordinary life of one of the 20th Century’s greatest recording artists.

    After the premiere of the film, John Legend took to the stage to play a touching tribute to Simone, who died in 2003.

    “Her life was a reflection of the legacy of racism in America but also of the extraordinary power that a righteous voice can have against even the most wicked historical legacy,” said Garbus.

    Image via Netflix, YouTube

  • Nina Simone: Netflix To Release Documentary On Legendary Singer In 2015

    Nina Simone: Netflix To Release Documentary On Legendary Singer In 2015

    Netflix, which is primarily known as a streaming service, has been pushing for more original content recently. It was announced that one of these original projects will be a feature-length documentary on the life of legendary singer Nina Simone. The documentary, What Happened, Miss Simone?, will be using three decades worth of recorded material including rare interviews, concert recordings, and diary entries. The film is directed by the critically acclaimed documentarian Liz Garbus, who made the films Bobby Fischer Against the World and The Farm: Angola, USA. What Happened, Miss Simone? will be released worldwide next year.

    As much as she is known for her music, Simone is also known for her fiery temperament and her political views. Simone criticized the Vietnam War in her songs, and even supported the armed revolt of African Americans during a time when the Civil Rights movement was at its peak. The documentary claims it will shine a light on these aspects of Simone’s life, and according to Netflix, it will be “the most authentic, personal, and unflinching telling of the extraordinary life of one of the 20th century’s greatest recording artists”.

    “I’m thrilled that Netflix has embraced the incredible story of Nina Simone and partnered with RadicalMedia on this film,” director Liz Garbus said about the film. “Nina feels like a treasured secret. With What Happened, Miss Simone? I’m excited to help bring her passion, her music and her story to the world.” Lisa Nishimura, Netflix’s VP of original documentary programming, also released a statement saying that the film “paints a brave and provocative picture of Nina Simone — artist, civil-rights activist and heroine — in a film that we’ve loved from Day One and are proud to bring to our viewers around the world.”

    Nina Simone was born Eunice Kathleen Waymon on February 21, 1933. She is known for her songs I Put a Spell on You and Feeling Good among others. She passed away on April 21, 2003, years after being diagnosed with breast cancer. 

  • Nina Simone Documentary To Premiere On Netflix

    Nina Simone Documentary To Premiere On Netflix

    Nina Simone’s documentary What Happened, Miss Simone? is scheduled to premiere on Netflix next year.

    The documentary, directed by Liz Garbus, follows the late music icon and “traces Simone’s life with the help of never-before-heard tapes, in which Simone tells her own life story,” according to Thecelebritycafe.com.

    “I’m thrilled that Netflix has embraced the incredible story of Nina Simone and partnered with RadicalMedia on this film,” Garbus recently said in a statement.

    “For each of her millions of fans, Nina feels like a treasured secret,” Garbus added. “With What Happened, Miss Simone?, I’m excited to help bring her passion, her music, and her story to the world.”

    “In What Happened, Miss Simone?, Liz Garbus paints a brave and provocative picture of Nina Simone — artist, civil rights activist and heroine — in a film that we’ve loved from Day 1 and are proud to bring to our viewers around the world,” Netflix’s vice president of original documentary programming Lisa Nishimura said in a statement.

    Simone died in 2003 at the age of 70. However, her work with music and civil rights remains prevalent today. There have been talks about a possible feature film about Simone’s life, but nothing has come of it so far.

    Garbus has also directed Love, Marilyn, Bobby Fischer Against the World, There’’s Something Wrong with Aunt Diane, Girlhood, and The Farm: Angola, USA.

    Are you planning on checking out the Nina Simone documentary when it hits Netflix in 2015? Leave your comments below.

  • Netflix Announces Original Nina Simone Documentary

    Netflix Announces Original Nina Simone Documentary

    Netflix has really been making a name for itself when it comes to acquiring and releasing high-quality documentary features. In fact, thanks to the service, people have never had such easy access to such a plethora of this kind of content.

    The company just announced yet another original doc, which is coming in 2015. It’s called What Happened, Miss Simone?, and is about legendary musician and civil rights activist Nina Simone. The description is as follows:

    Classically trained pianist, dive-bar chanteuse, black power icon and legendary recording artist, Nina Simone lived a life of brutal honesty, musical genius, and tortured melancholy. In this epic documentary, director Liz Garbus interweaves never-before-heard recordings and rare archival footage together with Nina’s most memorable songs, to create an unforgettable portrait of one of the least understood, yet most beloved, artists of our time.

    The film uses never-before-heard audio tapes, recorded over the course of three decades, of Nina telling her life story to various interviewers and would-be biographers. From over 100 hours of these recordings, What Happened, Miss Simone? weaves together Nina’s narrative, told largely in her own words. Rare concert footage and archival interviews, along with diaries, letters, interviews with Nina’s daughter, Lisa Simone Kelly, friends and collaborators, along with other exclusive materials, make this the most authentic, personal, and unflinching telling of the extraordinary life of one of the 20th Century’s greatest recording artists.

    Garbus is an Academy Award-nominated filmmaker known for The Farm: Angola, USA and Bobby Fischer Against the World.

    “In What Happened, Miss Simone?, Liz Garbus paints a brave and provocative picture of Nina Simone, artist, civil rights activist and heroine, in a film that we’ve loved from day one and are proud to bring to our viewers around the world,” said Lisa Nishimura, Netflix VP of Original Documentary Programming.”

    “I’m thrilled that Netflix has embraced the incredible story of Nina Simone and partnered with RadicalMedia on this film,” said Garbus. “For each of her millions of fans, Nina feels like a treasured secret. With What Happened, Miss Simone?, I’m excited to help bring her passion, her music, and her story to the world.”

    Another Netflix Original documentary, Virunga, is currently getting some Oscar buzz.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Zoe Saldana Could Play Eartha Kitt In New Role

    Zoe Saldana has quite a full plate these days when it comes to acting gigs; her IMDB page is bursting with roles until 2018, including three more installments of “Avatar”. But she’s not just taking on the big-budget megafilms (she’s also set to star in “Guardians Of The Galaxy” this year); she’s reportedly taking projects that speak to her. Namely, two biopics about a couple of ground-breaking African American women.

    The first, “Nina”, has Saldana playing Nina Simone. The role is a controversial one, since Simone often sang about what it meant to be a woman of color in her time and Saldana is relatively light-skinned.

    “We understand that there are these beauty issues,” said Lanita Jacobs, anthropology professor at USC, “and sometimes what sanctions people’s right to speak on these kind of issues is whether they have had experiences born of what it means to have kinky hair, or to have wide noses or darker skin. Nina’s music taps into a certain kind of awareness born of the way she looks.”

    “It’s one of the scariest projects I’ve ever been involved with because it was about an iconic figure, and there were so many political [issues] around it from the beginning, but I really wanted it to be a love song to Nina Simone and I wanted it to just come from a place of absolute love,” Saldana says. “I can’t stop to think about who thinks me to be black enough or not black enough. I know who I am. I like who I am. And I’m not going to explain who I am. I’ve always been like that—I was raised to be that way.”

    The film is in post-production and doesn’t have a release date, which brings us to her second big role: playing Eartha Kitt, the songstress and actress who was named “the most exciting woman in the world” by Orson Welles. Although the role hasn’t been confirmed, Saldana is reportedly in talks to play Kitt in an as-yet untitled biopic.

    The busy actress is also set to star in a mini-series production of “Rosemary’s Baby”, in which she’ll take over the role that Mia Farrow made popular.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Zoe Saldana To Play Nina Simone, Fans Outraged

    Legendary songstress Nina Simone often sang about the heartache that comes with looking different, with having only a shallow pool of self esteem to draw from, and with living for years with a complex about one’s appearance. She often spoke about Hollywood’s desire to keep dark-skinned women under its thumb. That’s why the news of a certain fair-skinned actress being cast to play Simone in a film about her life has rubbed a lot of people the wrong way.

    Zoe Saldana, who starred in “Avatar”, has been tapped for the role despite the fact that she looks nothing like the icon, and fans are so upset that a petition has been started to get director Cynthia Mort to consider another actress for the part. It’s not a slight on Saldana, they say; rather, they want Hollywood to start making more informed choices when casting roles. Because so much of Simone’s identity and music was tied up in the way she looked and the way she was perceived during her career, it makes sense to cast someone who has a similar aesthetic. For now, the plan is to give Saldana dark makeup and prosthetics to alter her appearance, but that in itself is offensive to many, according to Lanita Jacobs, anthropology professor at USC.

    “We understand that there are these beauty issues,” she says, “and sometimes what sanctions people’s right to speak on these kind of issues is whether they have had experiences born of what it means to have kinky hair, or to have wide noses or darker skin. Nina’s music taps into a certain kind of awareness born of the way she looks.”

    “Nina” is currently filming and is due out next year.

    (image)
    Zoe Saldana

    (image)
    Nina Simone