‘Cleopatra’ Casting Causes Concerns over Color

Tinsel Town is all aflutter since Israeli actress Gal Gadot, renowned the world over for her portrayal of Wonder Woman, announced she would play the title role in an upcoming rendition of Cleopatra. Though Gadot was born and raised in Israel, a geographical neighbor of the historic Egyptian queen’s homeland, many critics accused the actress and her production cohorts of “whitewashing” the feminine icon. While Gadot’s fans and supporters pointed to the fact that a Mediterranean-born actress would be portraying a Mediterranean figure, her detractors brought up her European ancestry and the fact her parents’ original last name – Greenstein – hardly sounded local. More on this crucial issue is sure to come.