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Why Hollywood isn't casting Greek actors for Greek characters, in films that are entirely based on Greek culture? Klélia Andriolátou is a Greek actress, that firs Homer's description for Helen of Troy. Apart from that, she is a Peloponnesian Greek like Helen herself. Why is Lupita a better choice?

Posted by ClothesZestyclose814@reddit | AskBalkans | View on Reddit | 754 comments

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754 Comments

Fearless_Still9526@reddit

Hollywood is a business. They’re not interested in anything authentic. They have one goal and one goal only. Make money. So they will cast whatever actors they think will make the most money. They don’t care about the history or the culture or the story they’re portraying.
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kaubojdzord@reddit

You might as well ask that question about entire cast. Considering viking ships and armour I don't think authenticity is something Nolan is particularly concerned for.
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astralrig96@reddit

it’s so hypocritical and cognitively dissonant when left americans say “it doesn’t matter, nobody cares, it’s fiction” when they would roam the streets if a non-black person was cast to play a mythical character originating from Africa if your life philosophy is honoring cultural integrity, it shouldn’t be selective and arbitrary but applicable to all cultures
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Far-Pool5222@reddit

"Left Americans" goofy
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astralrig96@reddit

goofy doesn’t fit here, the crowd using forced diversity as a concept, is textbook left
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Far-Pool5222@reddit

Stop making a fool of yourself you already did enough
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Minimum-Virus1629@reddit

If you don’t understand why this doesn’t apply to blacks, then I don’t what to tell you man. This is basically the same as asking ”oh if all speech is free, why can’t I say the Nword” You can’t. That’s it . We make an exception for this one group, if you’re bothered, time travel and tell your ancestors not to be arseholes.
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astralrig96@reddit

it doesn’t make sense to make exceptions for anyone today if you are committed to seeing all humans as equals making exceptions for a specific demographic is literally communicating to them: “we still see you as different and will always do”
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Minimum-Virus1629@reddit

Idk what to tell you. That is how it is. You can either just accept it, or you can complain about it, but it won't change.
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RemoteLook4698@reddit

Yup, so we complain about it and boycott movies until they change it
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Minimum-Virus1629@reddit

The world doesn’t revolve around white people anymore unfortunately for you, and you are no longer the main target demographic. Hollywood will do whatever makes them more money and pandering to silly little bigoted incels who have a made up view of some mythical past where they the main character, well that’s simply not profitable anymore.
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RemoteLook4698@reddit

Wooah. Idk who you're trauma dumping your hatred of Europeans or Mediterraneans or Whites to, but that was not my point in the slightest. You terminally online people are weird as hell sometimes. Yikes. My point was about cultural appropriation of everybody, not just "whites". And FYI, Americans didn't even see us as whites 20 years ago. Greek-Americans used to be attacked by the KKK for being "tainted" btw. Did you know that little guy? Of course you didn't. And as far as the word "profitable" that you used, I'd beg to differ. Every single slop Hollywood movie that recently came out and did this shit has severely underperformed. Look at the Kleopatra one or the Disney one with that one actress who looked like Lord Farquaad. They flopped hard. It's a feeble attempt to make racist sentiment against black people and minorities weaker but not only has it failed to do so, it's actually made all these nazoid freaks ever worse. Instead of prematurely blowing your load and trauma dumping your white hatred next time, at least ask the person you're speaking to what they think about this whole thing. Damn
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No-Championship-4632@reddit

Meh, picturing Jesus as a tall blonde man with blue eyes isn't any different.
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RemoteLook4698@reddit

That's an American thing, though, I think. But yeah it's not much better
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AdvancedAd3228@reddit

American left has to do with left as much as Lupita has to do with Helen.
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Far-Pool5222@reddit

Indeed.
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Consistent_Guava8592@reddit

If an American leftist came at Balkan bbq we would agree and disagree on lots of stuff but he would return without his belongings home .
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RemoteLook4698@reddit

Lmaooo hahaha
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Theban_Prince@reddit

I do have to point out that a very recent movie had Egyptian gods played not just by Mediterranean looking people, but Danish blue eyes blonde hair guys. And nobody gave a fuck.
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kredokathariko@reddit

The problem is that the outrage with Lupita reveals the same selectiveness. Western Europeans like Damon and Holland are equally historically inaccurate and yet their casting faced no such controversies. At least the American left's selectiveness has a reasoning behind it: they argue that because black people were historically underrepresented in media, adding them in is good but erasing them isn't. This reasoning is not perfect, but at least there is one. I do not see any reasoning to explain why one would be outraged by Nyongo but not any other historical inaccuracy in the casting and the movie in general.
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Repulsive-Ad7507@reddit

Nolan is notoriously anal about cinematography. He's basically known for using CGI only when absolutely necessary, and still using film. He also used french actors in Dunkirk. So his care for authenticity is extremely selective, you're right. And that's because the West doesn't see Greece of today as a heritage of Ancient Greece. We're all just a bunch of "tainted genetics" to them which caused our fall from grace in the context of "Western greatness". The idealized version of Greece as the foundational mythos for the West is far more important than any pretence for authenticity. Squaring that circle is easy for a chauvinist, which a lot of westerners are.
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Shot-Program-1085@reddit

I’m from Sweden which I guess is included in the west. I think that basically everyone was taught that the Ancient Greeks looked Mediterranean. It’s the first time I’ve ever heard this tainted genetics theory and it sounds absolutely crazy. Are you saying that any Europeans believe this shit?
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totally_notanerd@reddit

It's less about what is taught and what is shown. What you see over and over again reinforces your visual perception of reality, and what a lot of western people have seen over and over again is Mediterranean cultures, especially those of the greeks and romans, being populated by a bunch of western European white people, oftentimes with english accents, when that wasn't actually the case and they know that from a purely academic perspective. Roman and Greek influence is a massive part of the mythology that has formed the "white" identity for centuries. It wasn't too long ago that standard societal practices in white majority countries involved active discrimination against Mediterraneans on the basis of race and ethnicity, all the while ancient Mediterranean cultures were being praised by white academics. The reality is that for a long time we assigned the ancient greeks and romans a "white" social status while modern-day Greeks and Italians were assigned to a seperate racial category and treated like shit, being seen as little more than the tainted and impure shadows of their ancestors. Hell, nowadays certain groups of people (mostly neo nazis) have turned the Greek mythology around Atlantis into a modern day conspiracy theory that serves to undermine the accomplishements of ancient greeks and other ancient non-white cultures. This whole casting issue is the result of the normalized cultural perception of ancient Greeks in media as being white, extrapolated to allow non-white actors to play "white" characters, as is being normalized within modern culture (not a problem for the vast majority of projects); whilst still excluding actual Greeks from their own stories. I'd go as far to say that it's a form of white washing, not just in the way they represent ancient greeks as western european white people, but also in how they allow non greek minorities to play greek characters under this presumption of the characters whiteness. It's fascinating, because Greek people are still getting screwed over in a more diverse casting model.
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digitally_satisfied@reddit

"Exactly. The fact that a guy from Sweden has never even heard of this theory shows how irrelevant it is. So it is not like Europeans or anyone else actually thinks that... just the **19th-century racists who invented it.**
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RemoteLook4698@reddit

There are literally people walking around today that still believe the Austrian Painter was right and that the jews are behind everything. Is it really that hard to believe that people would see the Greeks like that? Why did they only call the ancients "Hellenes" and never us? They don't even recognize our proper name. They did it for Iran (persia), but they won't ever do it for us. There are MANY people out there who believe this. They're not historians or biologists of course but they do exist and they are many
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Repulsive-Ad7507@reddit

It used to be a belief popular in the early 20th century. That basically Mediterranean used to be proper white Aryans but got degenerated with time due to interracial relationships with brown people. Which is why ancient Greece and Rome were great but moder Greece and Italy less so. Obviously it was popular with certain political parties. I do feel like there is a latent version of this Nazi belief among western Europeans. People don't have to be Nazis or even eugenicists to pick up such cultural artifacts. My experience in western Europe personally made me feel that way. That Europeans see Mediterraneans as "has been losers".
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Shot-Program-1085@reddit

I’m really sad that you and fellow Greeks have experienced that. Sorry to come across as questioning but to think that fellow Europeans would think that way about Greeks was upsetting. Hopefully it’s an ideology that is dying out.
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Repulsive-Ad7507@reddit

It is just latent eugenicist nonsense that has stack around due to lack of quality exposure to the target group. many other groups got it far worse. It is just a relevant example regarding as to why non-greeks are so confident doing whatever they want with Greek mythology.
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ERShqip@reddit

Well that sucks and i feel you but sadly greeks and other balkaners have commited these crimes against ome another im Albanian and some nationalstic Greeks have said theyre fair share of things about me and my people. For decades acually many greeks have spread bs propoganda about albanians im not saying you or your family or all greeks have but sadly many have even though greeks albanians and south italians share the same genetics and backrounds but yea sorry needed to vent
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lameuniqueusername@reddit

I’m not doubting you at all but can you explain what experiences got you to that conclusion?
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digitally_satisfied@reddit

...and the way you mix cinematography with eugenics is beyond me. Do you ( or any of you reading this ) think the ancient Greeks didn't really mix with others at that time ? The idea of a "pure" Ancient Greece that then got "tainted" is historically and biologically wrong.
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RemoteLook4698@reddit

It does, and it's much more prevalent than you might think.
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aristosk21@reddit

Εγκεφαλικό?
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digitally_satisfied@reddit

No . *Dunkirk* was in 1940 and the French accent is something modern audiences actually recognize and associate with that specific time and place. It adds instant, relatable authenticity to a historical event people still remember. This is like it happened yesterday compared to The Odyssey which makes no sense. It is not well known what a real bronze age Greek looked and sounded like exactly, so Nolan just goes for Star Power that guarantees a $200 million budget.
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Billib2002@reddit

What the hell are you even talking about brother lol
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despacito6456@reddit

He gave the Greeks pants, he genuinely doesn't gaf. But I just don't get why he'd even make this movie when it seems he actually dislikes everything from the myth
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Baoooba@reddit

At the end of the day, fair or Anglo-Saxon looking Greeks absolutely exist, even if it’s not the most common look. So it’s perfectly plausible to say he’s simply a fair-looking Greek. That way the authenticity isn’t compromised, and they can cast the best or most well-known actors rather than limiting the pool only to Greeks. But once you casting black actors it starts to feel less believable and can pull people out of the story.
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Special-Transition77@reddit

Light featured Greeks are a small portion of the population and are mainly found up north due to slavic admixture
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Baoooba@reddit

Not really. Areas with significant Slavic immigration haven’t really left much of an imprint on the Greek population in terms of fair complexion, at least not to the same extent as the cultural influence they left. Not as much as you’d expect anyway. The regions in northern Greece that traditionally show lighter-featured Greeks tend to be around Epirus and the Pindus range, near towns like Metsovo. These areas were historically Vlach-populated, so the lighter traits are more likely linked to Vlach ancestry rather than Slavic immigration. Other areas where Greeks with fair features and blue or green eyes are more common are the Ionian Islands. Again, this isn’t due to Slavic influence, but rather to around 400 years of Venetian rule and their relative isolation from the rest of Greece.
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Special-Transition77@reddit

Olalde, Iñigo; et al. (7 December 2023). ["A genetic history of the Balkans from Roman frontier to Slavic migrations"](https://reich.hms.harvard.edu/sites/reich.hms.harvard.edu/files/inline-files/1-s2.0-S0092867423011352-main.pdf) (PDF). [*Cell*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cell_(journal)). **186** (25). p. 5480; [Figure 4B](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10752003/figure/F4/); [Data S2, Table 8](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10752003/#SD6). [doi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1016/j.cell.2023.10.018](https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.cell.2023.10.018). [PMC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PMC_(identifier)) [10752003](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10752003). [PMID](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PMID_(identifier)) [38065079](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38065079). ["Ancient DNA analysis reveals how the rise and fall of the Roman Empire shifted populations in the Balkans"](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/12/231207161343.htm). [*ScienceDaily*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ScienceDaily). 7 December 2023. Retrieved 5 September 2025. Modern genetic research indicates the Slavic impact on modern Greeks is more than substantial Peloponnesian Greeks have \~30% Slavic and goes as extreme as \~45% in the north
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Baoooba@reddit

What's your point though? >Modern genetic research indicates the Slavic impact on modern Greeks is more than substantial Didn't deny that. >Peloponnesian Greeks have \~30% Slavic and goes as extreme as \~45% in the north So what? As I’ve said before, there isn’t an obvious difference overall, northern Greeks aren’t noticeably fairer than southern Greeks. The only places where I’ve seen a clear difference are in specific mountain areas in the northwest, around Metsovo, and in parts of the Ionian islands. That suggests Slavic admixture isn’t the explanation for it.
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8NkB8@reddit

Aside from being Greek, why is this actress a good fit for the role?
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Fast-Vegetable-1234@reddit

You should first ask why is Lupita a better fit?
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puzzledpanther@reddit

Multitudes better actress for one.
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Fast-Vegetable-1234@reddit

Susan Sarandon is also a better actress than Kleila. Why not cast her?
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puzzledpanther@reddit

Because they didn't want to... it's the director/producers movie and they can cast whoever they want to.
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Fast-Vegetable-1234@reddit

You're contradicting yourself. Did they hire Lupita cause she's a better actress or cause they wanted to?
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puzzledpanther@reddit

It's not a contradiction? They could easily want her because she's a better actress. But in reality, you do realize they probably never even considered Klelia right? She's not exactly well known outsite Greece.
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Fast-Vegetable-1234@reddit

There are far better actresses than Lupita. For some reason they specifically wanted a black person. And if I have to explain why is that wrong, then you're not Greek at all.
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puzzledpanther@reddit

> For some reason they specifically wanted a black person. I'm curious as to what does your logic tell you as to why they wanted a black person then? >And if I have to explain why is that wrong, then you're not Greek at all. You don't get to tell me if I'm Greek or not just becuase I don't share your racist opinion. I'm confident enough in my own culture not to feel "threatened" by someone casting a black actress for an ancient Greek god. I'm actually intrigued how she'll choose to portray her even though from the trailer, the film looks shit.
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Fast-Vegetable-1234@reddit

They wanted a black person in order to promote "diversity" and adhere to the new racist rules that Hollywood has in place. And yes, I get to tell you if you're Greek or not because you obviously don't care about preserving your culture and defending from such racist attacks.
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puzzledpanther@reddit

>They wanted a black person in order to promote "diversity" They already had other black people on the cast. Also what's wrong about representation of different people? Do you think only Greek actors should play Greek roles? Or is the colour of her skin that bothers you? > and adhere to the new racist rules that Hollywood has in place. Do you have a link to these rules? > And yes, I get to tell you if you're Greek or not lol no you don't. You should tone down your arrogance. >because you obviously don't care about preserving your culture I'm confident enough in my own culture not to feel "threatened" by someone casting a black actress for an ancient Greek god. What > and defending from such racist attacks. So you fight "racism" with racism? Do you see how utterly stupid that is?
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Fast-Vegetable-1234@reddit

Here you go: [https://www.oscars.org/awards/representation-and-inclusion-standards](https://www.oscars.org/awards/representation-and-inclusion-standards) It's the colour of the skin yes. I would have the same problem if she was Mexican or Chinese. How on Earth can you think that it's ok for a Chinese actress to play the most beautiful Greek woman in history?
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puzzledpanther@reddit

>Here you go: https://www.oscars.org/awards/representation-and-inclusion-standards So you have a problem with representation of underrepresented racial or ethnic group in films? Is your issue just with black people, Mexicans and Chinese or do you also don't want Women and LGBTQ+ people in films? >It's the colour of the skin yes. So you're a racist. You're ok with Brad Pitt playing Achiles just because he's white? >How on Earth can you think that it's ok for a Chinese actress to play the most beautiful Greek woman in history? Because I'm not a racist and this isn't a documentary. Why would I have a problem with that? It's called acting and a creative interpretation.
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Fast-Vegetable-1234@reddit

I have a problem with racist policies. If for example a movie was made about the Greek revolutionary war, then that movie wouldn't be eligible for an oscar because it didn't have "underrepresented racial and ethnic groups" in it, yet it would be a movie about a freaking war of liberation from a colonizer. How does this make sense? Greeks are white, Alexander was blonde, Brad Pitt is a blonde white person. Therefore everything is okay there. Would you have this same opinion if for example a white person was cast as Obama? Or a Chinese person was cast as George Floyd?
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puzzledpanther@reddit

>I have a problem with racist policies. Have you ever tried to relax your racism and think why representation policies are in place? Do you understand why they are important in a healthy society? Are you also against minorities getting support in getting jobs or university positions? >If for example a movie was made about the Greek revolutionary war, then that movie wouldn't be eligible for an oscar because it didn't have "underrepresented racial and ethnic groups" in it, So? Who gives a fuck about Oscars? Many brilliant films don't get Oscars. Also I didn't read it extensively but they only need to meet 2/4 standards to be eligible. And if the movie is not aiming to be accurate, who gives a fuck. If it's meant to be a documentary then feel free to critisize it if they get somethign wrong. >Greeks are white, Alexander was blonde, Brad Pitt is a blonde white person. Therefore everything is okay there. Fucking lol.. Many Greeks would not be considered white by your "Alexander was blonde" standards. >Would you have this same opinion if for example a white person was cast as Obama? Or a Chinese person was cast as George Floyd? I wouldn't give a fuck as long as the film was not trying to be accurate.
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Fast-Vegetable-1234@reddit

Greeks are underrepresented in Hollywood films, yet these policies don't include them. So much for your support for your minorities. The Odyssey by Nolan is trying to be accurate, but misrepresents the reality that Helen was white and Greek. So you confess to basically agree with my opinion.
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puzzledpanther@reddit

>Greeks are underrepresented in Hollywood films, yet these policies don't include them. So much for your support for your minorities. I thought you said Greeks are white? Now they are a minority? Make up your mind please. >The Odyssey by Nolan is trying to be accurate My arse it is. Have you not seen the trailer? A lot of the stuff is his interepretation and nothing to do with reality. >So you confess to basically agree with my opinion. lol I'd be very upset with myself if I had a racist opinion like yourself and couldn't even explain to myself what I'm upset about, let alone a stranger on the internet.
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Fast-Vegetable-1234@reddit

Greeks are a minority in the US. Just like Moldovans and Bolivians for example. What does their skin color have to do with that?
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puzzledpanther@reddit

>Greeks are a minority in the US. They are not an underepresented minority.
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Fast-Vegetable-1234@reddit

If they are not a minority, then they are a majority, Are sure that Greeks are a majority in the US?
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puzzledpanther@reddit

They are not an underepresented minority. Please work on your reading comprehension.
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Fast-Vegetable-1234@reddit

What qualifies as an underrepresented minority? How did you reach this conclusion about the Greeks?
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puzzledpanther@reddit

Just google it. You will get much better answers than what I can give you.
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Fast-Vegetable-1234@reddit

So you don't know and you're just parroting Hollywood propaganda.
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puzzledpanther@reddit

I know because I searched for it. I extensively answered you with my own opinions. You have access to the interent so no excuse to be lazy and continue to believe your incorrect bullshit just to excuse your racism. Then again it doesn't seem like you need an excuse and you just prefer to be a racist. Says a lot about your character.
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Fast-Vegetable-1234@reddit

You're the one being racist. If you know it, then it would very simple for you to share it with us here. Until then, you're just parroting propaganda.
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puzzledpanther@reddit

>You're the one being racist. Pretty clear to everyone who is being racist. >If you know it, then it would very simple for you to share it with us here. No. Put in the minimal work to become informed instead of being a spoiled racist child expecting other people to help do the work for you. >you're just parroting propaganda. Which part of my replies was propaganda?
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Fast-Vegetable-1234@reddit

If you were right about Greeks being overrepresented in media then you would have just presented the facts and figures. Until then, you're the racist clown that hates his nation.
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puzzledpanther@reddit

> If you were right about Greeks being overrepresented in media then you would have just presented the facts and figures. I don't have to be right, they are facts. They are there, go fetch them yourself. >Until then, you're the racist clown that hates his nation. Pretty clear to everyone who is being racist and who is the clown who refuses to spend two minutes to read the facts because it would tear down the only point they have left.
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Fast-Vegetable-1234@reddit

So far you've presented 0 facts.
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puzzledpanther@reddit

Of course I have, you just refuse to awknowledge any.
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Fast-Vegetable-1234@reddit

You haven't shared any links, any research, any actual numbers. Zero.
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puzzledpanther@reddit

I'm not going to do your work for you. It's your choice to remain an uninformed racist.
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MasterNinjaFury@reddit

Bro your a traitor. Stop calling other people racist. More like you are being racist to your self and have been propagandised in the UK. I feel sorry for you. It seems like you hate your ethnos.
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Odd-Web-5509@reddit

Why not ?
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sjedinjenoStanje@reddit

She's light-complected, which means she's not typical-Greek looking but rather the ideal among southern Europeans who have an inferiority complex towards northern Europeans.
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gothfangsx@reddit

Maybe you have it we don't, I'd rather live here than in North where it's not even safe anymore but hey guess you can speak for the whole part of Europe
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sjedinjenoStanje@reddit

Who's "we"? It's not an entire-nation sort of phenomenon, but a cultural phenomenon that affects large numbers if not majorities. Not every Greek person is pointing to a blue-eyed blond Greek woman and saying "See this typical Greek looking woman?!"
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gothfangsx@reddit

Any source or study on the complex then since you're talking about large numbers? Just because you might envy them doesn't mean you get to lump the rest of us with you
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sjedinjenoStanje@reddit

Just an observation of mine. I might change my mind if I notice Scandinavian women dying their hair dark and putting in brown contact lenses at anywhere near the scale.
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gothfangsx@reddit

Scandinavian women never dyed their hair ever? Never met a girl that wears fake contact lenses, it might be your surroundings. Being blonde and pale doesn't make you superior hope that helps
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sjedinjenoStanje@reddit

You keep on arguing with a strawman, not my comments...kind of passive-aggressive.
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gothfangsx@reddit

It's your words not mine, we are just as European as they are nothing superior about them
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sjedinjenoStanje@reddit

That's right and I'm glad you feel that way
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milopitas@reddit

Yes definitely when homer repeatedly called Helen λευκωλενος (white handed / pale skinned ) and light haired it definitely was his inferiority syndrome cause northern Europeans where so fuckin awesome in 800bc he has to envy them
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sjedinjenoStanje@reddit

Back then it might have been a novelty, but now in the 21st century, in Europe the fair-complected countries are generally wealthier than the darker-complected ones (well, outside the former USSR).
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milopitas@reddit

What do you mean novelty ? Light skinned blonde or blue eyed people existed since forever although being a minority . It just the way Homer liked his girls . Tall light skinned blonde and with big tits and nice legs .
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Elias_Sideris@reddit

Homer was a man of culture. 😏
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GimmeFuel6@reddit

If you knew southern Europeans at all, you would know that we actually have a massive superiority complex, especially Greeks and Italians
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sjedinjenoStanje@reddit

I know southern Europeans well enough to know that massive superiority complex is a facade to cover up a massive inferiority complex. Hence the faint odor of peroxide that one can smell there..
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GimmeFuel6@reddit

You’re projecting your own perceptions, I fear.
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sjedinjenoStanje@reddit

Yes, I'm doing exactly that: projecting (writing on a public forum) my own perceptions. Aren't we all?
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GimmeFuel6@reddit

No, we are not all doing that. We are discussing and expressing our opinions, not projecting them on others. The fact that you believe that it is normal and standard to do so, is a bit worrying.
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sjedinjenoStanje@reddit

Who are you kidding, seriously man, people speak on behalf of their own countries and others all the time here.
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fuckingmacedonian@reddit

They're right. When all ir most of your value comes from "my ancestors did this" and not from something you actually did or are actively doing, it's all just a coping mechanism for a society in decline.
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East-Raccoon135@reddit

Spot on lmao
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casual_philosopher02@reddit

Definitely not common yes they see us light coloured greeks on the streets and ask for pictures 
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8NkB8@reddit

Interesting. She doesn't stand out among Greeks because of her physical features. Someone like Tracy Spiridakos (100% Lakonian) looks a lot more Nothern European. With that said, in my experience Italians and Greeks don't have those sorts of complexes about appearance/light skin, but other neighboring countries seem to.
View on Reddit #77468008

Bottles4u@reddit

She shows tits
View on Reddit #77473593

MrKorakis@reddit

Maybe, if she has a short on screen time and just needs to look pretty she would probably be ok. But her acting skills are very limited at best.
View on Reddit #77473139

tortoistor@reddit

because they don't give a shit about realism and they think people from sourhern europe are "people of color". i legitimately had an argument once with an american who claimed italians are black
View on Reddit #77466656

Competitive_Debt_390@reddit

Yeah I have gotten as much from the arguments I see online. They genuinely believe Greeks are a different colour than other European countries. Mediterranean was supposed to be a sub category for white together with Nordics back in the day. A tiny bit darker than the average Nordic person but still very much white. If I’m being honest Anne Hathaway looks a lot like the people I encounter in Greece. A very big percentage is just brown eyes, brown hair and fair skin. The rest look a bit tanner like say i don’t know Penelope Cruz? And there are plenty blondes as well like the girl we can see above, with lighter eyes and skin, who could have easily pass as Central European.
View on Reddit #77838103

casual_philosopher02@reddit

you can't be greek without a deep tan, short frame and black curly hair
View on Reddit #77521356

hobokenguyquestion@reddit

Marry me pls I can get Greek citizenship through my dad 😭✌️
View on Reddit #77697606

casual_philosopher02@reddit

using me for citizenship I fear, no
View on Reddit #77700514

hobokenguyquestion@reddit

Use me for citizenship pls Σ’ ευχαριστώ
View on Reddit #77701068

casual_philosopher02@reddit

greek passport strooonk💪💪
View on Reddit #77701250

Toliveandieinla@reddit

😂
View on Reddit #77476602

Equivalent_Net_3752@reddit

He watched one scene from True Romance.
View on Reddit #77466723

Turpentine_Tree@reddit

![gif](giphy|tnYri4n2Frnig)
View on Reddit #77470397

Equivalent_Net_3752@reddit

![gif](giphy|gictytW9IIIkNGIMcs|downsized)
View on Reddit #77471071

Physical_Dig6992@reddit

Ignoring the race bending. Lupita is an Academy award winning actress with several successful blockbuster movies as well. Nolan is interested in working with some of the best working actors in Hollywood right now, and I just dont see him giving the role to just some actor because they are Greek. Look at the man's filmography, he is in the "look here is another heavy hitter" part of his career. 
View on Reddit #77806146

cspetm@reddit

Accent maybe?
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Accomplished_Look964@reddit

Chill out. It’s Hollywood. Dont take it so seriously.
View on Reddit #77768603

Big_Flatworm_402@reddit

Maybe because they're not good enough?!
View on Reddit #77757888

LudicrousPlatypus@reddit

![gif](giphy|58FMysL4cmjsIales5) The only 100% Greek actor in Hollywood
View on Reddit #77756633

adyrip1@reddit

Didn't they cast black vikings? Why be surprised anymore? Just usual Hollywood self righteous bullshit.
View on Reddit #77467565

levenspiel_s@reddit

yeah, nothing new here. To be frank, it is more surprising to see a regular casting.
View on Reddit #77472893

Useful_Secret4895@reddit

Regular casting: all white people?
View on Reddit #77486116

levenspiel_s@reddit

That's not regular. Cast Whites as white, blacks as black, reds as red, women as women, etc. There are always gray areas, but there are also very clear cases.
View on Reddit #77513617

Useful_Secret4895@reddit

If by "reds" you mean native Americans, you are using an explicitly racist language from the 50s. What's next, calling Asians "yellows"? What you are also proposing is a race based casting of roles, and that, is very racist.
View on Reddit #77679670

levenspiel_s@reddit

It's not the natives, just going on black white to other colors. I could say blue, or green. Don't look for racism where it doesn't exist, you're diluting the actual racism problem.
View on Reddit #77683091

Useful_Secret4895@reddit

Well, back in the 90s black actors were cast for roles in antiquity themed films, and nobody found that off. Not anymore, because now Republicans have turned into MAGA cultists and they fully embraced the legacy of American racism. When you say those things, you totally play by their rules and reproduce their propaganda, even if you do not believe in the same ideas as them.
View on Reddit #77683912

levenspiel_s@reddit

Not sure. There are cases where it is blatantly obvious. Casting different people just to destroy stereotypes is sometimes counter-productive. MAGA is cancer, and the global deterioration of human values is concerning, but I don't get the oversensitivity on basic definitions. Richard Dawkins was "canceled" for saying there are two biological genders. That's bonkers to me. I think we should not be afraid of saying the truth just because it could be used as a weapon for the populist right wing. They don't care about facts or who supports what.
View on Reddit #77694183

Useful_Secret4895@reddit

First of all, the Odyssey is not an historical work, it's fictional. There are hundreds of variations of the myth, actually every year they produce versions of it in the theater of Epidaurus where they take enormous liberties with it. It's art, you are free to place the whole story in space with aliens if you want. This is about artistic vision, not historical accuracy. Homer himself avoids to give any clue about the appearance of Helen, he just says her beauty was so out of this world that it could bring destruction. Now if they had cast a German nordic blue eyed blond beauty, the MAGA crowd would be happy, but it's just as far from how most greek people look like. I mean, they picture Jesus, a Middle East Jew as a tall blond guy, right? Conclusively, art is not here to reinforce our prejudices, but to challenge them. If a black woman cast for the role of the greatest mythological beauty makes you uncomfortable, perhaps you are the problematic one. As for Dawkins, he had it coming. It wasn't just the gender thing, he attacked feminism, rape survivors, Islam and favoured reactionnary views, making him a figure of interest in the far right milieu. People expressed their protest and a couple of speaking events were cancelled. Good riddance I say.
View on Reddit #77738429

levenspiel_s@reddit

If this was in a school play, or in a niche art event, yeah, fine. Otherwise no, it does bother me, mostly because it is dishonest, and it is a foolish attempt to break the stereotypes, and I disagree I am the problem in this particular case. Hitler was against smoking and I didn't start smoking because of i had to be different from him. And i will not defend this attitude because I happen to fall on the same page with fucking MAGA in this case. Dawkins is after the truth, he doesn't case if it offend anyone (as he likes to quote: "you're offended? So, fucking what!?"). I admire him for courage, even if yeah some sleazy shitheads use his rhetoric. He is right. He attacks Islam, he attack Christianity more, because he knows religion is evil. It's the root of all evil. Not the people, but the religion. Similarly he is right in most other topics, not all imho, but we are in trouble if we alienate bright minds like him. Luckily he doesn't care. Anyway, I guess we won't agree. Cheers.
View on Reddit #77751451

Useful_Secret4895@reddit

It's ok, i do not mind not agreeing with articulate people. It was a nice exchange.
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phinkz2@reddit

Yeah they cast black people in a movie about Swedish history not so long ago. It's sad for many reasons but it's also stupid because Swedes will see this and figure "eh, why bother, it will be nothing about our history". Best way to lose 10 million potential viewers...
View on Reddit #77471032

This_Lion5856@reddit

If you want to see something weird write white woman in love in google and go to pictures
View on Reddit #77479702

AcidicAnxiety@reddit

Same with white man in love. Crazy
View on Reddit #77563501

MH_Gamer_@reddit

There’s some additional gay ones in that too
View on Reddit #77638387

kozeljko@reddit

Is it weird? You aren't searching images matching your search, but for images that are present in content that matches your search input. And I reckon "white woman" + "love" is way more likely to appear in articles about interracial relationships.
View on Reddit #77593256

Seel_Fucker_7309@reddit

Nah bro even blacks claimed Cleopatra. They made whole documentary about how one stupid woman's grandma told her that Cleopatra was black and they took it as fact.
View on Reddit #77468574

TankerDerrick1999@reddit

This whole shit was a documentary BTW, everything they said was supposed to be educational material, fictional shite i tell ya.
View on Reddit #77492995

DelaraPorter@reddit

That wasn’t even about being self righteous it’s was just Hotep cult ideology
View on Reddit #77505285

mylk43245@reddit

Yes all the black people in the world claimed cleopatra. lol half these movies struggle to get a black audience let alone worldwide. Also most black people live in Africa and have no idea who cleopatra is
View on Reddit #77481588

Baoooba@reddit

I think I remember reading that they found some Viking burials in England and did DNA tests on them, and found that some of the bodies were not of Scandinavian ancestry. I believe one was from as far as modern-day Syria. This highlighted that when Vikings did their raids as far south as the Mediterranean, they would take on new recruits. So while Black-looking Vikings were definitely not common, there is still historical evidence that dark-featured, Arab-looking Vikings existed, and it’s therefore not far-fetched that maybe the odd Black Viking existed in this way. Having said that, casting an Arab or Black-looking actor as a Viking and not mentioning their origins in the context of the story, like everyone who meets him for the first time not even commenting on it, would be unbelievable.
View on Reddit #77484651

shirokhorsheed@reddit

Just be grateful they're portraying you as human. The film 300 made us Persians look like non-human, androgynous freaks.
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-Against-All-Gods-@reddit

Someday I'll make a rival movie about the battle of Marathon. Expect the Persian army to be scary because it's obviously better equipped, organized and disciplined than Greeks. Also expect a lot of braided beards, and the Persian staff already planning: "That hill over there will look much better if had an inscription, "I, Darius the Achaemenid, ordered this inscription to be carved. Praise Ahuramazda."
View on Reddit #77510501

RemoteLook4698@reddit

The white nazoids would hate that one lmao. "But I thought middle Eastern browns were uncivilized?!"
View on Reddit #77745114

Repulsive-Ad7507@reddit

Xerxes was hot as fuck. I got no clue what you're talking about.
View on Reddit #77496155

RemoteLook4698@reddit

Finally someone agrees with me lmao
View on Reddit #77745065

ChaosKeeshond@reddit

Remember Prince of Persia, where every Middle Eastern character (in other words: everyone) was played by a white actor, with the exception of the villain who was played by a South Asian man?
View on Reddit #77490691

country-blue@reddit

Don’t forget Gods of Egypt, which had fucking Jamie Lannister of all people playing Horus (not to mention all the other white actors portraying ancient Egyptian gods)
View on Reddit #77501611

RemoteLook4698@reddit

Jamie Lannister lmaoo. Wasn't the villain an Arab looking guy too?
View on Reddit #77745011

Candid_Company_3289@reddit

https://preview.redd.it/jdjoqva6g5hg1.png?width=579&format=png&auto=webp&s=9371e96d9e796fa7cf5a66b59f65b5d5d9395cf7
View on Reddit #77478126

RemoteLook4698@reddit

Holy shit this is so unironically true lmao
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RemoteLook4698@reddit

I mean, Xerxes was hot af though. But yeah that one was quite racist. It came out during the "everyone hates the middle east" Era so it checks out
View on Reddit #77744931

Separate-Cricket-495@reddit

Frank Miller, have you even seen that guy? What do you expect from a guy that almost wears a cape publicly.
View on Reddit #77692765

MrKorakis@reddit

That shit was inexcusable. Persia had an advanced civilization and did not deserve to be portrayed like barely human zergs in the movie. I get that the comic is also bad at this but they should have changed that in the adaptation
View on Reddit #77472943

No-Scale5248@reddit

When you were a kid learning ancient history of the Persian invasions, did you not have a similar view of them? 
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OhWellImRightAgain@reddit

As this? [https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/300/images/8/83/300-Wiki\_Xerxes\_I\_001.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20140611235011](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/300/images/8/83/300-Wiki_Xerxes_I_001.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20140611235011) no
View on Reddit #77580997

vireoal@reddit

Sure they did. None of that civilization ever makes it to the front lines, typically.
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Mminas@reddit

In all fairness 300 was a comic book adaptation so a lot of the creative freedom had to do with that. It's pop-art.
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imladrikofloren@reddit

And the Odyssey is a fairy tale with even less link to history than 300.
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OhWellImRightAgain@reddit

Every work of fiction is a "fairy tale" then, so nothing matters - Nolan should next make a 1984 movie with a Japanese actor as Winston Smith.
View on Reddit #77580942

Mminas@reddit

The Odyssey is a timeless epic what survived 3000 years of human history. Frank Millers 300 is a silly comic book with zero literary value.
View on Reddit #77537019

marvsup@reddit

In fairness, Frank Miller is a racist, so a lot of it had to do with that.
View on Reddit #77497526

Special-Remove-3294@reddit

Isn't 300 literally based on a comic book where everything is told by a survivour of the battle that goes like "trust me bro"? AFAIK it is not a historical movie
View on Reddit #77539149

Exiled1989@reddit

That was a comic depiction of how a Spartan storyteller and messenger VIEWED Persians. If you read historic books, they considered the Persian army effeminate. And I highly possible the storyteller depicted Persians as monsters and his own people as giga chad superhumans. For morale to the rest of the army.
View on Reddit #77507911

venusFarts@reddit

They really did you dirty in that silly movie
View on Reddit #77505096

-GenghisJohn-@reddit

That was historically accurate. Try cutting down on the makeup or something.
View on Reddit #77495192

No-Scale5248@reddit

The 300 movie was from the Greek-history pov so it makes sense that the "evil" invaders were portrayed as.. Evil and monstrous. Kids here learning history would have the same view of the invading Persians, no need for Hollywood involvement. Besides, 300 had this over exaggeration in general, like the Greek priests were monstrous too. 
View on Reddit #77494856

bulbulator050@reddit

300 wasn't document. It was relation from Greek warrior ( his story version). U always dehumanize enemy becouse that how it work on adrenaline rush ( actually there was author choose. And generalny lie becouse this Greek WHO betroy was deformed too. Beside priest in temple on mountain weren't so human.
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dwartbg9@reddit

But Xerxes was pretty cool, dude?! Yeah, definitely weird, but I think they didn't make the Persians look weird. ![gif](giphy|nWazao5HaUAjm)
View on Reddit #77477939

Vanko_Babanko@reddit

and they made him hentai-level-kinky egyptian supermutant..
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JbVision@reddit

They sure did. They turned your entire population into a bunch of monsters. That shit was insane!
View on Reddit #77481053

despacito6456@reddit

Yeah I think Greece and even Egypt get a lot of bullshit like this but nothing compares to what 300 did to y'all, genuine hate crime
View on Reddit #77477476

SOHONEYSAME@reddit

OG Greco-Persian war is, probably, the "most important" war Greeks fought, ever.
View on Reddit #77470620

Fred_Neecheh@reddit

Helen in the Odyasey? Wouldnt that be like 5 minutes screen time, at the very start?
View on Reddit #77466157

Eterniter@reddit

Menelaus returned with Helen to Sparta after liberating Troy. Odysseus' son met them there when he went to ask for information of his father's whereabouts.
View on Reddit #77468237

SuperConcert8949@reddit

Liberating Troy?
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Mminas@reddit

The American way :p.
View on Reddit #77472577

SuperConcert8949@reddit

So Clytemnestra killed Agamemnon over oil?
View on Reddit #77472919

Mminas@reddit

Agamemnon was on the Epstein list.
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RemoteLook4698@reddit

I THINK THEY NEED SOME OLIVE OIL OVER THERE 🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷
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Objective-Contact-15@reddit

Damn, thats funny!
View on Reddit #77519885

That_Case_7951@reddit

Olive oil
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abrequevoy@reddit

So, 5 minutes of screentime.
View on Reddit #77511862

Fred_Neecheh@reddit

Right, not a huge part here
View on Reddit #77470715

despacito6456@reddit

Apparently the movie starts with an illiad flashback
View on Reddit #77477390

Dieselface@reddit

Hollywood has never cast Greek actors for films about pre-modern Greece. But that's also not unique to Greece; they do the same thing with movies set in Egypt, the Levant, North Africa, even Italy (ancient Rome) to an extent. There's lots of reasons for that, ranging from passive racism to casting based on name recognition.
View on Reddit #77467617

Mminas@reddit

The main reason they won't cast Greeks in this type of movie is because they want the US audience to think the depicted ancient Greeks as a self-insert so we can't have them tanned and speaking with an accent. Modern day identity politics require some of the self-insert people to be black. But they should definitely not be Greek because then it's "them" on the screen and not "we".
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Dieselface@reddit

This is a good read on it. It's an consequence of the profit-based model: the biggest filmmakers deliberately appeal to people's cultural biases. It's just unfortunate that Greece doesn't seem to have a film industry which can makes it own high-quality productions.
View on Reddit #77472787

No-Scale5248@reddit

If you watch any Greek films or series btw you'll notice the actors in general aren't really any different looking than an American cast, just your average Caucasian cast including all shades of Caucasian traits. Also as a Greek with deep roots from Southern and Central Greece, with most of my extended family having light features (blond hair, blue-green eyes, pale skin) I see no issue with white blond blue eyed Hollywood actors portraying Greeks, I would infact not feel "represented" if the actors were more on the tanned side. 
View on Reddit #77496066

Dieselface@reddit

>If you watch any Greek films or series btw you'll notice the actors in general aren't really any different looking than an American cast, just your average Caucasian cast including all shades of Caucasian traits. I've watched at least one Greek film (Rembetiko), consume a lot of content about Greece and Greek history on the internet, and (totally unimportant, I know) my entire extended family is Greek. And from that experience, I can say I heavily disagree with this statement. Even other Caucasian ethnicities don't look similar to each other. Russians don't look like French, Spaniards don't look like Finns, etc. Greeks look most similar to their neighbors, so mostly southern Balkans, southern Italy, and, yes, western Turkey. >Also as a Greek with deep roots from Southern and Central Greece, with most of my extended family having light features (blond hair, blue-green eyes, pale skin) The problem with Nordic actors not fitting in isn't that they have light-colored features; it's that their facial features overall don't look Greek, southern European, or eastern Mediterranean in structure. Mostly in the eyes, nose, and brow area and to a lesser extent head shape. I'm talking about averages, of course, so there are exceptions on both sides. >I see no issue with white blond blue eyed Hollywood actors portraying Greeks, I would infact not feel "represented" if the actors were more on the tanned side.  That's your opinion. Again, yes, Greeks can be pale with blue eyes and blonde hair (although usually still looking Mediterranean, not Nordic), but many Greeks are tanned darker than their natural skin tone. Also, as it pertains to the ancient Greeks specifically, there was a beauty standard that men should be tanned (or, ideally, naturally relatively darker) from going out to war and handling the affairs of public life, and women should be pale because they would sit at home and handle domestic affairs. Casting pasty looking Brits (cough cough Tom Holland) really fits neither the ethnic profile nor the beauty standard of that era.
View on Reddit #77496755

No-Scale5248@reddit

>I can say I heavily disagree with this statement. Even other Caucasian ethnicities don't look similar to each other. Russians don't look like French, Spaniards don't look like Finns, etc. I meant the diversity of characteristics if we exclude the "typical Greek face/ average facial structure", like eye/ hair color, skin tone, you'll see all types of them. Style trends and culture can shape how a person looks as well and make people look similar to each other, not just genetics. >The problem with Nordic actors not fitting in isn't that they have light-colored features; it's that their facial features overall don't look Greek, southern European, or eastern Mediterranean in structure.  Who cares about the "average" facial features when selecting some actor for a role? Are you engaging in racial purity or something? The Greek woman above in this post might as well be Swedish, German, French, British. If you didn't know who she is and you were told she's Swedish, you wouldn't question it. I see women like her every single day in my everyday life and have family members and friends like her. People with her features are not the majority but they're still everywhere around in Greek society. So they can't play a Greek role if they look "northern European"? I find your "purist" average phenotype type of argument to be pointless.  >Casting pasty looking Brits (cough cough Tom Holland) really fits neither the ethnic profile He literally looks like the average dorky Greek kid and my best friend looks very similar to him, good to know he doesn't belong here in Greece. I'll let him know 👍🏿 >Greeks look most similar to their neighbors, so mostly southern Balkans, southern Italy, and, yes, western Turkey. Are you Greek-American? Cuz you're exhibiting the typical Greek-American (and plain American) arrogant behaviour that's trying to lecture and teach NATIVE Greeks who they are. You're really not beating the allegations nor the stereotypes.  FYI my ex gf is Turkish, I spent a lot of time in Turkey and the average "western" Turk looks nothing like the average Greek. So kindly contain your arrogant misinformation in your terminally online Greek-American bubble, it doesn't really fly against natives.
View on Reddit #77500337

Tall-Manner2509@reddit

Idk what you're talking about, Jason Mantzoukas is %100 Greek by his own words and he could pass for an Arab. My uncle's father is half-Greek, half-Georgian,he's also on the darker side.
View on Reddit #77678786

No-Scale5248@reddit

>is %100 Greek by his own words and he could pass for an Arab. This obviously very ugly tanned man has no relation with how Greeks look like on average lol. He could be Greek-Egyptian maybe. There are Greeks with Egyptian ancestry. But he's just very ugly, enough to have a confusing background. He looks  Sudanese or something.  >My uncle's father is half-Greek, half-Georgian,he's also on the darker side. And Pontic Greeks don't look that different from Armenians and Eastern Turks. Greeks vary depending on the region. Cretans and islanders are more Mediterranean looking, Central and southern Greeks from the mainland have more lighter features on average like my mother's side, everyone is pale with light features and they're 100% Greek.  Anatolian Greeks night have local admixture as well. Armenians are not too far away from Greeks, I believe proto-anatolians thousands of years ago were the same people. But Greeks were shaped by 2 different kinds of people, the anatolian farmers and the indo Europeans who came from the eurasian steppes.  Greeks from the mountains  have lighter features, sea Greeks have darker on average, because there are still Greek islanders and Cretans with light features. My mom's friend is from crete, she's super pale like a ghost and has light blue eyes. 
View on Reddit #77736426

Asweetmelody@reddit

How can you say that there’s no difference between a Northern phenotype from Mediterranean features? The actress featured above even has a Mediterranean or Eastern look. The actress also originally has dark brown hair too.
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Tall-Manner2509@reddit

One of my cousins is half-Laz half-Kurdish and she looks exactly like this actress. Heck,my Kurdish grandmother had blonde hair and green eyes.
View on Reddit #77678899

No-Scale5248@reddit

I'm not saying in general our phenotypes are the same, I'm saying there are plenty of Greeks who could pass off as any other European. My first cousin is 100% Greek and looks like a mix between Dicaprio and Brad pitt with very pale skin, golden long hair and light blue eyes. You'd never guess he's Greek just by looking at him. There are a ton of Greeks like him. 
View on Reddit #77621146

Asweetmelody@reddit

So we agree? Majority of Greeks do not look like Northern Euros with some exceptions. Even you say that your cousin do not look Greek cause you claim he looks like Brad Pitt and Leo. lol. You can just say light hair and light eyes no need to say he look like two leading men in Hollywood. Also some French people can look Mediterranean too especially the ones in the South.
View on Reddit #77622371

No-Scale5248@reddit

>Even you say that your cousin do not look Greek cause you claim he looks like Brad Pitt and Leo. lol. Based on your ignorant and generalised view of Greeks, he does not look like Greek.  In reality, he DOES look like Greek, because he IS Greek.  >So we agree? Majority of Greeks do not look like Northern Euros with some exceptions. Who's "northern Europeans"? By your own logic majority of Germans don't look the same as majority of Norwegians. In that case we agree.  Or does "the majority don't look alike" only applies when comparing the "darker" Europeans?  >no need to say he look like two leading men in Hollywood. Because that's literally how he looks like. I know your ignorant brain can't comprehend how an inferior Greek man could be good looking and a lookalike of superior aryan celebrities. 
View on Reddit #77624095

Asweetmelody@reddit

I highly doubt he looks like Brad Pitt and Leo! Drop the @ then. It’s like arguing with a wall with you. I don’t doubt there are Greeks that have light hair or eyes but they still look different from Northern Europeans. If you drop that actress in Norway, she would still stand out. How hard is it for you to understand? https://preview.redd.it/biv8jh4jvihg1.jpeg?width=553&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2e329cc5c22eb15e3e8125bea998c997783767e8 She looks so Mediterranean to me so I don’t know how you can’t see it.
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Dieselface@reddit

Tbh, when I read your first post I got the vibe that you're an insincere person trying to hide more beyond-the-pale opinions behind passive-aggression. I should've just gone with my gut and not even bothered to reply initially. You're exhibiting typical reactions of a minority of Greek (and southern European people generally) who desperately want to be associated as closely with "whiteness" as possible. Hence, you're claiming to be offended by any sort of casting of actors who looks darker than what would be considered "white" and you're offended by people saying Greeks could pass as some Middle Eastern ethnicities or vice-versa. But then you try to turn around and use American-style identity politics to try to imply I'm being racist for saying that (if we're trying to be authentic) we should avoid casting Nordic-looking actors for ancient Greece roles. When you *just* said in another post that you don't want Middle Eastern actors (many of whom objectively pass better as Greek than most Scandinavians or Brits) to play Greeks at all. You don't have any beliefs, just biases, a common mental ailment these days. That's why you're cynically using political messaging from across ideologies to argue for your bias (that Greeks are the same as northern Europeans and totally different from their eastern neighbors). Messaging, which I should add, is mostly American in origin. Which means that if you *are* truly from Greece, you're more "terminally-online" than me. Also, frankly, I get the vibe that you're making up most of your anecdotes.
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Asweetmelody@reddit

I got the same impression as you. I don’t know why they can’t acknowledge Nordic phenotype is different from Mediterranean features. Even if they have the same colouring, you would be able to see a difference between them. Mediterraneans are also famous for being beautiful so Idk why they’re so insecure. I can only imagine it’s because of their own racial bias and prejudice.
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No-Scale5248@reddit

My personal issue with Hollywood related to Greece is when they portray modern Greeks as middle Eastern, like they actively choose actors of middle Eastern/ North African descent. 
View on Reddit #77495517

Dieselface@reddit

Really? I've never seen that, personally, but I also haven't watched many movies about modern Greece. The only one that comes to mind is itself a Greek film, Rembetiko. The only western films involving modern(-ish) Greece I know about but haven't watched are My Big Fat Greek Wedding (I assumed it had a Greek cast?) and El Greco (most Greek characters played by Greeks, main character played by a Brit who definitely passes as Greek).
View on Reddit #77495971

Free-Raspberry-530@reddit

That and the accent thing. Lanthimos is doing the same by casting only American actors. Unless you are very, very attractive, the chances to get a role in Hollywood with a thick, unusual accent are minimum. Also this movie has mainly A-list actors.
View on Reddit #77493462

Interesting_Self_315@reddit

Because the west is fucking west centered.
View on Reddit #77733677

Emergency-Buddy-8582@reddit

Because, in every Hollywood film set in Europe, they use American actors using a fake British accent. Whether it is set in Greece, France or Germany, the accent is always British for Hollywood.
View on Reddit #77709593

nimdull@reddit

Since a pig portion of US people are black. As simply as that. Hollywood and Netflix main focus is US viewers. In a way the best would be if Europ do there own big cinema.
View on Reddit #77698150

Separate-Cricket-495@reddit

Because Hollywood is insane. Not to mention what they have done with essentially all series about the Roman empire where Romans are suddenly black. and then there are "black Vikings" Their latest nonsense is Vlad the Impaler is to be portrayed by a black actor. It is ridiculous.
View on Reddit #77692143

_jahac_apokalipse@reddit

Because of epstein files
View on Reddit #77687271

Azzaxtor@reddit

Because they are woke. Nothing new from Hollywood
View on Reddit #77685432

AdditionalSwimming1@reddit

She can play in Greek film, you know they have their own industry?
View on Reddit #77677495

ZaiusC@reddit

It's people who use Spanish people as if they were Mexicans and vice versa. They completely disregard historical accuracy... well, you know.
View on Reddit #77674870

Academic-Balance6999@reddit

I mean, Helen of Troy was the daughter of Zeus and hatched from an egg. I think the original story can handle any kind of casting.
View on Reddit #77649469

quebexer@reddit

It's time for Yurop to release their own movies based on their own culture.
View on Reddit #77476174

That_Case_7951@reddit

Europe is not a country
View on Reddit #77633452

quebexer@reddit

1. I wrote Yurop, not Europe 2. When did I say that Europe was a country? 3. Isn't a movie from Brazil a South American Movie?
View on Reddit #77633619

That_Case_7951@reddit

Yes, but different countries have different economy and reputations
View on Reddit #77640199

EatTheRichForVegans@reddit

Make your own movie and use whatever actors you want.  If you don't like what they're doing, don't spend money on it.  Simple really. 
View on Reddit #77626168

Fluid_Bicycle_2388@reddit

Likely a controversial take, but I'm not in favour of this policy of "let's only have Greeks play Greek characters in movies" (or any other nationality for that matter). It's acting, and acting should be all about being able to pretend well. To put it simply, anyone can pretend, and we should hire the one who pretends the best, regardless of their passport or origins. To add to this, limiting that only people of this or that origin can play a certain character is cultural gatekeeping. Like imagine if I said that only British theatres can perform Shakespeare.
View on Reddit #77529296

Savings_Dragonfly806@reddit

Then lets cast a White Black Panther if that's what you believe.
View on Reddit #77530828

Fluid_Bicycle_2388@reddit

Not an issue for me personally.
View on Reddit #77536206

Savings_Dragonfly806@reddit

Then I guess you don't care about accuracy.
View on Reddit #77541741

Fluid_Bicycle_2388@reddit

It's acting and storytelling. Unless it's the actual real life character performing, like in an autobiographic movie, it's all pretend and by definition innacurate.
View on Reddit #77542961

Savings_Dragonfly806@reddit

You do realize that storytelling involves imagery, which is visuals, photos, videos? Which means that whatever is shown represents the setting and the location of the story. In this case, casting a black woman for a Greek figure violates the setting and the historical accuracy, basically making it a false and fabricated presentation.
View on Reddit #77543923

Fluid_Bicycle_2388@reddit

How is the imagery affected by whether the actress has a Greek passport or a German one, for example? Because that is the topic here, not whether a black actress should be cast for the role of Helen or not.
View on Reddit #77602915

Savings_Dragonfly806@reddit

When did I ever talk about passports? Or maybe you are just using sarcastic humor, which isn't even funny. But I have come to a conclusion that only reason you support the casting of black woman as Helen is because you are from the Fake "Macedonia".
View on Reddit #77604970

AskBalkans-ModTeam@reddit

Your post/comment was removed for violating Rule 3 of r/AskBalkans "No agenda pushing". We want this subreddit to be an inclusive space and no chauvinism, bigotry or insults towards national, ethnic, religious etc. group will be tolerated. Depending on the severity of this violation, you may be banned. In any case, refrain from posting or commenting in such a manner.
View on Reddit #77609324

Fluid_Bicycle_2388@reddit

The topic of the post is "Why Hollywood isn't casting Greek actors for Greek characters, in films that are entirely based on Greek culture" - hence the issue of passport, i.e. nationality. The discussion is not about black people being cast, but about the relevance of the nationality of the actor, as per the title. However, I see that you are pivoting towards other topics and ad hominem arguments to avoid engaging with my question about how is the imagery affected by the actor's nationality. In that case, OK, we can end it here. Have a good day.
View on Reddit #77606593

Savings_Dragonfly806@reddit

I haven't been avoiding your question, I just gave you an answer about how ridiculous it is to cast a black woman as Helen. By the way, not wanting foreign filmmakers to ruin your country's history is not cultural gatekeeping, you only say that as an excuse for the historical inaccuracy.
View on Reddit #77607048

OppositeFingat@reddit

Or a black Tarzan.
View on Reddit #77536915

musicalfanks@reddit

That's so true. As a greek I feel like we need more representation.
View on Reddit #77606420

Unusual-Meet-8745@reddit

Nah fuck all yall. Ill defend Nolan till i Die
View on Reddit #77604782

cetrebe@reddit

cuz being white and beautiful doesnt fit the jew agenda
View on Reddit #77601148

Excellent_Jeweler_43@reddit

Because Hollywood don’t give a fuck about actual authenticity, it is just a propaganda machine, but people don’t want to admit it
View on Reddit #77465767

BankBackground2496@reddit

It's a money making machine. A few billionaires are willing to spend hundreds of millions to influence public opinion but I've not seen them investing in movies.
View on Reddit #77466681

Ha55aN1337@reddit

I bet you a 100$ casting a hot white chick makes them more money than Lupita, if that was the goal.
View on Reddit #77469100

BankBackground2496@reddit

Hard to judge the bet, it would require making another movie with same budget but with the hot white chick of your fancy. This guy Christopher Nolan made only one money losing movie, Tenet
View on Reddit #77470117

Ha55aN1337@reddit

Or check the box office or Lupita films vs some of the famous hot white actresses films.
View on Reddit #77471391

CallMeDefault@reddit

Sydney Sweeney movies are some of the biggest box offiice bombs of all time and she's like the most famous, most stereotypical 'hot white chick actress', and I'd bet you couldn't name any of her movies. It matters less than you think it does.
View on Reddit #77590523

Ha55aN1337@reddit

You go and choose the ONE controversial hot white chick that prople boycott right now? :) And even her last film earned 310million on a 35million budget… that’s as big of a return on investment you can get. Now go check how Margot Robbie films are doing. And even then, you are STILL missing the point. I did not claim that putting a hot white chick in a film will get you money. I said that putting Lupita in instead of someone like say Margot, is NOT a decision you make to earn more dollars. Lupita is not an attraction that brings earnings. Which was the claim that I was replying to. After all a major part of film earnings comes from China which is not really known as super-unracist when it comes to these things.
View on Reddit #77594942

BankBackground2496@reddit

When a movie flops the director gets the blame.  A movie's budget is agreed with the director then the actors are cast. So far Nolan made only one money losing movie and that can be blamed on Covid.
View on Reddit #77485439

Ha55aN1337@reddit

You are working hard not to get it. My point is, no one has ever said: “choose Lupita over a hot white trending actress to play the role of the most beautiful woman on earth SO WE CAN MAKE MORE MONEY.” As others have said, it’s an ideological choice, not a monetary one. It’s to make it seem that the whole greek and persian world worshiped a black woman as the simbol of ultimate beauty. Chances are, that was not true.
View on Reddit #77514543

BankBackground2496@reddit

What is this ideology that makes a white director prefer a black actress? He leans right https://www.newstatesman.com/the-weekend-essay/2023/07/christopher-nolan-conservative-parallels
View on Reddit #77517541

Ha55aN1337@reddit

OK. I give up. Lupita got the role by being the most beautiful Balkan woman alive.
View on Reddit #77521242

CrazyNegotiation1934@reddit

He wins by default, as i wont go to see a movie that has a random cast and Odyssey is only in name. So is one ticket less.
View on Reddit #77534405

levenspiel_s@reddit

the entire american dream bullshit is based on hollywood propaganda. Especially West Europe had gobble it up for ages. it changed the labguages, it spread american brands. We all saw America's invasions in Vietnam, Iraq, etc are through their eyes, and we "sympathized" with them. What else would they do?
View on Reddit #77472608

BankBackground2496@reddit

I agree, the US movies had distorted history and have contributed to the current state of affairs resulting in ICE executing innocent people.  But the driving factor is money. Considering 10% of US movies goers are black casting Lupita makes sense. In US/UK TV commercials you'd see mixed race couples. That is not propaganda, they are trying to appeal to most people.
View on Reddit #77474690

Lucifer_893@reddit

Not anymore. These days they’d rather make propaganda that most people don’t watch, than make money. It’s very weird to see.
View on Reddit #77466910

BankBackground2496@reddit

Christopher Nolan's portfolio is quite solid moneywise, Tenet is his only movie not to break even at the box office but that can be blamed on Covid. I've had a browse of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List\_of\_biggest\_box-office\_bombs. The only propaganda movies I could find was The Alamo and XXX State of Union.
View on Reddit #77471767

Excellent_Jeweler_43@reddit

It’s been propaganda literally since inception. Remember back during the cold war how the American was always the good superhero guy and the Russian was the evil villain? Or how in every cartoon TV show the kids are always eating cereal for breakfast? Or people sitting in diners drinking coke? Or even further back how all the actors were smoking? All of this is propaganda for different reasons. At least back then it was actually entertaining, nowadays it’s literally just a psy op out in the open.
View on Reddit #77467686

puzzledpanther@reddit

>it is just a propaganda machine I don't disagree.. but what exactly is the propaganda here?
View on Reddit #77537911

DerLandmann@reddit

You do know the difference between a movie and a documentary, don't you?
View on Reddit #77472028

spRitE86--@reddit

have you seen the requirements the oscars ask for now ? [https://www.oscars.org/awards/representation-and-inclusion-standards](https://www.oscars.org/awards/representation-and-inclusion-standards) this is why
View on Reddit #77583000

IamBecomeZen@reddit

Very simple. They are stupid. I like Nolan's films. And one could say this isn't the first time he got pushback on his casting (Heath Ledger as the Joker) however when one casts for a history epic one should consider history, instead of trying to gain woke points. Nothing against Lupita, she is a great actress, but this role simply isn't for her.
View on Reddit #77570453

No_Wish2072@reddit

They steal cultures but fill it with their people.
View on Reddit #77468677

puzzledpanther@reddit

Are you saying that only Greeks actors should play in films with a Greek setting? Then do the same for every movie ever made?
View on Reddit #77538138

No_Wish2072@reddit

Have your national history yearly portrayed by Indian actors that never stepped foot on England your whole life. You too will feel they stole your culture and replaced it with their people.
View on Reddit #77548660

puzzledpanther@reddit

>Have your national history yearly portrayed by Indian actors that never stepped foot on England your whole life. I wouldn't give a flying shit. >You too will feel they stole your culture and replaced it with their people. No I wouldn't.. noone is stealing my culture. So answer the questions: Are you saying that only Greeks actors should play in films with a Greek setting? Then do the same for every movie ever made?
View on Reddit #77556779

No_Wish2072@reddit

If something is worthless to you this debate is pointless. >Are you saying that only Greeks actors should play in films with a Greek setting? Then do the same for every movie ever made? This all-or-nothing mindset blinds you to the proposal I made before.
View on Reddit #77556941

puzzledpanther@reddit

>If something is worthless to you this debate is pointless. My national history isn't worthless to me. Quite the opposite. I think it's established enough to not feel threatened by someone non-Greek playing a role in a fictional piece of art. In fact it's quite flattering when people want to re-enact Greek historical/fictional pieces. >This all-or-nothing mindset blinds you to the proposal I made before. You still cowardly refuse to answer the question. At least you make it obvious how ridiculous your opinion is.
View on Reddit #77558082

No_Wish2072@reddit

>You still cowardly refuse to answer the question. At least you make it obvious how ridiculous your opinion is. It has been answered but it went over your head so you resort to insults. Proving again how utterly pointless it is to debate with you.
View on Reddit #77559667

puzzledpanther@reddit

You didn't answer it. Too cowardly to support your unsupportable racist opinion.
View on Reddit #77560750

No_Wish2072@reddit

I did answer it, you just dont understand it. This is why you feel the need to call me a racist and a coward despite being neither. Your whole debating style relies on a "yes" or "no" answer and when you get a different answer your mind just lost it. I respect you by not dishing out personal insult, at least have the decency to take your words back.
View on Reddit #77561320

puzzledpanther@reddit

>I did answer it No you didn't. >This is why you feel the need to call me a racist and a coward despite being neither. You are a racist becuase of the content of some of youre replies. You are a coward because you'd rather offend me and waltz around than answer a simple question. > I respect you lol >at least have the decency to take your words back. Racists do not deserve any sort of decency.
View on Reddit #77562209

Temporary_County1838@reddit

She is definetly not a Greek.
View on Reddit #77472350

Elias_Sideris@reddit

She is quite definitely Greek.
View on Reddit #77485448

Temporary_County1838@reddit

Greeks are mediterreans. Her phenotype definetly not. Thats why there is no difference between her playing Helen of Troy or some other blue eyed blonde.
View on Reddit #77504781

Elias_Sideris@reddit

Well, everything you said now is correct. Helen was described as a blue eyed blonde, so yeah, any actress who looks like this could portray Helen, but casting a Greek actress with those characteristics is just free points.
View on Reddit #77510096

Disguised2K@reddit

>Blonde women existed in ancient Greece they werent greek, they were slavs who brainwashed to believe they are greek
View on Reddit #77539036

Elias_Sideris@reddit

"Slavs did not inhabit Greece during classical "ancient" Greece, but they migrated to and settled in Byzantine Greece in large numbers starting in the late 6th century AD, primarily from the 580s onwards." \- 5 second Google search
View on Reddit #77539394

Disguised2K@reddit

ah yes they can't be mixed through marriage or slavery, they need to do mass migration 😂 no wonder that greece has one of the worst education systems in europe 😂 let me educate you; blue eyes are a genetic mutation related to cold climates and greece and greeks do not have a cold climate. this is no different than that saying arabs had blue eyes, obviously some arabs can have it but they are having it through another race's genetic. it's simple as that.
View on Reddit #77559206

Elias_Sideris@reddit

My original statement was "blonde women existed in ancient Greece". All you did was confirm my point. As to how that came to be, I don't care. I'm interested to know how you know anything about education in Greece. At least I'm educated enough not to falsely claim that Alexander the Great was a slav like our neighbours do.
View on Reddit #77560808

Disguised2K@reddit

being blonde is also related to cold climates and your point is ''greeks can be blonde and blue eyes'' like helen but its not proving that she is greek in dna. so stop deceiving yourself. if you are saying she wasnt greek in dna but brainwashed to believe she is greek, then yes, you are right 👍
View on Reddit #77561465

Elias_Sideris@reddit

I'm going search how the "blonde" phenotype appeared in Greece tomorrow because I gotta go sleep now. Btw, when it comes to education, we're ranked #20 out of the 44 European countries that exist. We're literally at the top half.
View on Reddit #77561977

joner888@reddit

🧃
View on Reddit #77561629

Lonely-Sunbed-2508@reddit

It’s not that deep. a. I don’t wait for Hollywood to make “definitive” adaptations of Greek literature and tradition. b. Nobody had a problem with Matt Damon not being of Greek ancestry, maybe because most people are just racist misogynists, maybe because Damon is a tremendous actor… c. Lupita Nyong’o is absolutely beautiful, I can see ancient freaks fighting wars over her. Some more thoughts. 1. All this bullshit talk about actors from different races depicting characters from different races is tiring. I grew up watching “Jason and the Argonauts” (2000) on Star channel and Orpheus was black and it was awesome. Back then there were no black people here, today there are. Let’s just get over it and chill a little. 2. Everybody is talking about why Helen is black, or “is not Greek” and no one is talking about why they made a headline about who was cast as fucking Helen? She is literally a minor character and appears only briefly in the 4th rhapsody… it’s not the Iliad they’re making… it’s the Odyssey.
View on Reddit #77476870

Savings_Dragonfly806@reddit

Are you a "Greek" from America? You sound like one.
View on Reddit #77531542

Lonely-Sunbed-2508@reddit

Που το ξερεις τι ειμαι εγκω;
View on Reddit #77536108

Savings_Dragonfly806@reddit

Από το τι λες. Και αυτά που λες είναι μπούρδες.
View on Reddit #77541829

Lonely-Sunbed-2508@reddit

Οχι. Αυτο που λες εσυ ειναι μπουρδα.
View on Reddit #77541997

Savings_Dragonfly806@reddit

Γιατί;
View on Reddit #77542262

Lonely-Sunbed-2508@reddit

Έτσι. Εσυ δικαιολόγησες; Είπα πέντε πράματα και δεν επιχειρησες καν να πεις με ποιον τροπο διαφωνεις. Μπουρδα!
View on Reddit #77542484

Savings_Dragonfly806@reddit

Ώστε επειδή υπάρχουν μερικοί μαύροι στην Ελλαδά, που περισσότεροι είναι μετανάστες ή πρόσφυγες, θα πρέπει να τους παρουσιάζουμε σαν Αρχαίους Έλληνες? Με την ίδια λογική, ας παρουσιάσουμε τον Ναπολέων Βοναπάρτη σαν Αλεγερινό, επειδή υπάρχουν πολλοί Αλγερινοί στην σημερινή Γαλλία. Δεν σου ακούγεται χαζό τώρα αυτό? Και μην πεις πως "είναι μυθολογία" ώστε να πεις πως δεν έχει σημασία. Η ΜΥΘΟΛΟΓΙΕΣ ΒΑΣΙΖΟΝΤΑΙ ΣΤΑ ΜΕΡΗ ΠΟΥ ΠΡΟΧΕΩΝΤΑΙ, ΔΕΝ ΕΙΝΑΙ ΚΑΛΗ ΑΥΤΗ Η ΔΙΚΑΙΟΛΟΓΙΑ. Τώρα δεν λέω πως ΜΟΝΟ Έλληνες πρέπει να τους παίζουν αυτούς τους χαρακτήρες, αλλα ότι καλύτερο θα ήτανε να χρησιμοποιούσαν άτομα που ΜΟΙΑΖΟΥΝ με αυτούς τους αρχαίους λαούς.
View on Reddit #77559971

Savings_Dragonfly806@reddit

Το γεγονός που εσύ υποστηρίζεις αυτούς τους Αμερικανούς να χρησιμοποιούν μαύρους ηθοποιούς για Έλληνες χαρακτήρες είναι πολύ αντιπατριοτικό από εσένα! Και δεν έχει σημασία τι δικαιολογία σκεφτείς, δεν είναι καλό ούτε σωστό να παραμορφώνεις την ιστορία ενός λαού ώστε να ταιρίαζει με τις δικές σου ιδεολογίες. Άσε που οι δικαιολογίες που είπες εσύ είναι χάλιες.
View on Reddit #77559967

Lonely-Sunbed-2508@reddit

Also “ah yes, I grew up watching the famous star channel from the US of A”
View on Reddit #77536186

neokretai@reddit

Nolan is clearly leaning heavily on the fantasy aspect of the Odyssey. Because aside from the general story there seems to be zero attempt at recreating the historical setting. He's apparently managed to cast people from pretty much every part of the world apart from Greece.
View on Reddit #77559733

PrincipleMan@reddit

Because Anglo-Saxons have been usurping Hellenic and Latin achievements and culture for centuries.
View on Reddit #77558865

egw0tan@reddit

Thats a banger casting 👌
View on Reddit #77558826

Repulsive-Ad7507@reddit

Greek mythology has long been a vehicle for American identity politics. First they would shove anglo Saxon white blonde hair blue eyed actors into the roles because white sells and later when it became more convenient they would push for as much diversity in US standards as possible. Both obviously don't reflect the setting but they can also say "it is mythology bro, why do you care" to shut down conversation.
View on Reddit #77465973

CockamouseGoesWee@reddit

Yep. It's to the point that everyone knows Stravos Helkias will never go beyond indie films despite being arguably one of the biggest comedians today because unless there is a Greek director he will never even have the chance to audition. Even Billy Zane had to go to Greece for work.
View on Reddit #77467030

butdoesitfly@reddit

As an American who fell too far down a rabbit hole: A major reason our entire history is the way it is because Americans want to f*ck ancient Greek statues, and I am not exaggerating when I say that. We don't see Greek people as humans with a history. You're just art we make fan fiction about. And I'm sorry...
View on Reddit #77475206

Consistent_Guava8592@reddit

It’s ok , we want to fuck American statues so let’s trade .
View on Reddit #77557559

No-Scale5248@reddit

Your comment has this.. bizarre aura of superiority even though you are trying to pass it off as the opposite. And can you elaborate more?  >We don't see Greek people as humans with a history. Who's "we"? The average American? The elites? 
View on Reddit #77494263

butdoesitfly@reddit

If it comes off as superior: mood wise, I'm pissed off at the American education system, which could probably be framed as the "We" because America's education system is, unfortunately, Hollywood. If there isn't a movie or famous book about it, then the average American isn't going to know about it. "We" do this to a fudge ton of other histories/groups of people as well and I'm tired. It's been part of my job correcting misinformation that comes out of Hollywood. I don't know how else to frame that. So as a massive summary: There was once a German named Johann Winckelmann who lived during early 1700s, and he was obsessed with ancient Greek statues (also suspected to be gay), like absolutely thirsting, which he considered peak of all human art. One thing in particular he emphasized as this ideal beauty (not knowing ancient Greek statues used to be painted) was the whiteness of their skin. This passion helped to launch an era of Philhellenism, which many American Founding Fathers were part of, and American slave owners would name their slaves after Greek mythology figures as sort of a show of how cultured they were (kind of like what Romans did with Greek slaves). But with respect to this, it had long been the standard upper-class white male education to be educated in the classics. Ancient Greeks were men to learn from. Modern Greeks didn't matter. Then, \~1830 there came a girl named Garafilia. She was Greek who was kidnapped and enslaved by Ottomans. She was bought by an American, adopted as a daughter, and brought back to Boston, where she died soon after at age 13. Her story is the foundation for "The Greek Slave Story" that inspired the writing of Uncle Tom's Cabin--which was a major catalyst for the US Civil War--and the of The Greek Slave statue. This depicts a Christian Greek woman, stripped of her clothes, supposedly being auctioned off -- but it has a jarring resemblance to a certain statue of Aphrodite. Americans obsession with this statue exploded. It was formally the first statue of a nude woman ever put on display in the US--carted around the country, and churches would even have field trips so people could go look at this woman and declare injustice. People wanted to buy replicas, and the original artist had to fight off people creating knockoff. And yet, this helped to full motivation for Americans to send assistance to the Greek People in their fight against the Ottomans for Freedom. It also helped to spawn America's white feminist movement, with this statue being pointed too as a symbol of men's oppression of women. However: 1) The Greek Slave Movement and The Greek Statue spawned a genre of art of striped Greek women surrounded by dark skinned men. This become intertwined with the demonization of black men and the depiction of them as sexual predators seeking to violate white women. That's another conversation. 2) Greeks began to immigrate to the US, and you would think they would be welcomed. But they weren't. They began to face discrimination because Americans didn't consider Italians and Greeks to be "white" at this time, nor did they consider modern Greeks to be the same thing as the ancient Greeks. The was a fudge ton of anti-immigration sentiment against Greeks coming to the US. Greek-Americans/immigrants even became targets of the KKK. In order to stop the KKK attacks, The Order of AHEPA was founded, with a major push to prove to Americans modern Greeks were the same peoples as ancient Greeks. This resulted in Americans finally perceiving modern Greeks as "white," to a certain extent, because once the discrimination stopped--modern Greek history/existence was just chucked out the window and we just went back to same old. (continued, 1/2)
View on Reddit #77502039

butdoesitfly@reddit

Nothing I told you is something Americans learn in school--even as part of the Civil Rights movement, despite the fact Greek Immigrants were extremely supportive of black people. And you don't learn it from Hollywood films either, because of course they aren't going to make a film about this. You have to go out of your way to learn about it. So we all grow up with Greek mythology books as children, and then when we learn modern history, Greeks are treated like how we treat Native Americans. Relics of the past. The biggest irony of course being: in order to shut down Black Americans complaining about slavery, some white people will say "White people were slaves too!" and point to Greeks being enslaved even though the notion Greeks were "white" is something they had to "prove" to the same racists that sought to suppress black people. Which brings us to aspect #2, because I'm part of the LGBTQIA community, so I get subjected to it consistently: A lot of Americans in LGBT community likes to claim ancient Greece was a massive gay utopia that was ruined when Greeks become Christian, and the reason that ancient Greece ceased to be great was because it became Christian. This partly comes from a book called The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire, that attempts to argue the fall of Rome was partly caused by the rise of Christianity--and because Romans/Greeks were not producing sexy statues anymore, this was therefore evidence they had ceased to be great (there are even memes about this). The LGBT treatment of Greek history is additional intertwined with 1) the fetishization of gay men, and 2) whatever Sigmund Freud was on, Oscar Wilde, and the Neopagan movement of the 1900s--which has a lot of Noble Savage and orientalism appropriation and imagery as well. So you end up with stuff like a 1970s Neopagan group of lesbians founded around the notion Artemis/Diane was a lesbian goddess celebrated by ancient lesbians (even though Sappho literally writes in one of her poems Artemis is immune to Eros, but American lesbians generally don't seem to care much about anything she writes that isn't about loving women). Pederasty, and people writing about "gay history" citing is as evidence being gay was once celebrated, is also a major contributor to why the LGBT community has been heavily associated with pedophilia/child grooming--especially given the existence of NAMBLA. Classists have called out the LGBT community for this; they just get called homophobes trying to erase gay history. That is also a separate conversation. Hence, my claim: Americans don't see \*(modern) Greeks as humans with a history. And many don't see ancient Greeks beyond a gay fetish fantasy or mythological characters either. (2/2)
View on Reddit #77502136

CockamouseGoesWee@reddit

I am a gay Greek British/American and I definitely agree that gay fetishization of Greeks is a major problem here, and even if someone is gay that doesn't mean anything. Greece was certainly never a queer paradise LGBT communities like to set it up to be, but the struggles were often times quite different. And please stop worshiping Alexander the Great, he was an alcoholic despot who died by hubris, idc if he was or wasn't queer
View on Reddit #77502382

kopanos_o_megas@reddit

You are not responsible for what Hollywood does, apology not accepted.
View on Reddit #77475805

dcell1974@reddit

It's the same reason Jennifer Aniston and Zach Galifianakis have such monumental failures in Hollywood. Racism against Greeks is a huge real issue that we suffer from here. Everyday, I am refused service at lunch counters and told to sit at the back of the bus. All because I am Greek.
View on Reddit #77482788

Boeing367-80@reddit

There are only around 15 million Greeks in the whole world. My view is they've always punched above their weight due to the outsized role they played historically. There are, for instance, about 50% more ethnic Romanians, but they play a far more muted role.
View on Reddit #77493799

TankerDerrick1999@reddit

Wait a minute, this shit is still continuing? The racism against greeks in America? In 2026?
View on Reddit #77492735

dcell1974@reddit

No, not at all. I was being sarcastic. There hasn't been racism in an real way against Greeks in decades. We are a very small population, so we mostly aren't thought of at all, and in the places where there are a lot of Greeks we are generally perceived as church-going, hard-working, and entrepreneurial. Culturally, people basically think of us as kind of like Italians - loud, boisterous, emotional, family-oriented. Portrayals in the media are generally positive if a bit reductive. People here love the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" an unreasonable amount.
View on Reddit #77493531

CockamouseGoesWee@reddit

My goodness, people saying there is a bit of a problem does not mean we are the worst off when it comes to discrimination in Hollywood. And yes, those two did well and that is true, but there are not many Greek actors out there. I will say even in 3D animation I (a man) was nearly SA'd while I was a student employee because I "looked Guatamalen or Filipino". That is a significant problem.
View on Reddit #77484222

dcell1974@reddit

I am not saying racism isn't real. What I am saying is that Greeks are not really discriminated against in any real way in the United States. Halkias has had a pretty incredible career trajectory and seems to still be on the rise. The fact that Billy Zane didn't blow up after Titanic is just the entertainment industry doing its thing. Greeks as a population seem to punch above their weight overall in entertainment. We are less than one percent of the population here.
View on Reddit #77485151

hrtofdrknss@reddit

TIL Billy Zane is Greek. I just thought he was a hammy actor.
View on Reddit #77488301

Garbanino@reddit

How is he one of the biggest comedians today? A rising star, sure, but it's not like he's an A-tier comedian
View on Reddit #77487197

Theoseaman@reddit

I'm a blue eyed Greek with brown hair and I've met Greeks who are blonde with blue eyes, it's not that uncommon. Greeks look way more like Matt Damon than Lupita N'gonyo
View on Reddit #77522956

InitiativeNo9102@reddit

Except there very much were blonde and blue eyed Greeks in history, so there is that…
View on Reddit #77508689

Mminas@reddit

They still cast a white Anglo-Saxon protestant as Odysseus so nothing has really changed besides trying to hit their diversity quota. The problem isn't Lupita, but exactly as you say, the US propaganda machine playing identity politics just as they have been doing for a century.
View on Reddit #77467513

Free-Raspberry-530@reddit

Greeks have a thick accent. Acting is also not that popular in Greece. Having said that, in a full-English production, they want all the actors on the same par. There have been exceptions like Gal Gadot who is from Israel but besides Wonder Woman and Fast & Furious, she hasn't done much. Also she is considered very attractive but her accent is also being laughed at.
View on Reddit #77493231

No-Scale5248@reddit

KAL EL NO 😰
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Takvuq@reddit

What do you mean by 'white Anglo-Saxon protestant'? The Anglo-Saxons were gone centuries before Protestants came about.
View on Reddit #77471450

JustSomeBloke5353@reddit

The only people who still use the term “Anglo-Saxon” are historians and people with weird views on race.
View on Reddit #77477524

Mminas@reddit

It's a genuine sociological term and one rather prevalent in political discourse in the US in the late 20th century. The social construct of American whiteness is something very real and with significant ramifications. You may not like the term but I'm not the one who came up with it and it's used to describe a very real social caste.
View on Reddit #77481746

JustSomeBloke5353@reddit

When normal people use the term Anglo-Saxon they are referring to Ecgberht and Æthelwulf. It is like using the term “Frank” now. There are no “Franks” and there are no “Anglo-Saxons”. There are French and there are English.
View on Reddit #77483491

Mminas@reddit

Yes there are but we're not talking about nationality here. The context dictates the meaning. You don't have to agree with the usage. The term WASP still exists without your approval.
View on Reddit #77483817

Takvuq@reddit

It's only odd when used for modern people. It's perfectly fine to use historically and has nothing to do with race, since the Angles and Saxons were the ones who came over to Britain and created England (though the Jutes came, they weren't a thing by the time England was founded). It is mildly inaccurate to use it before 886, the year when Alfred the Great declared himself King of the Anglo-Saxons.
View on Reddit #77478375

JustSomeBloke5353@reddit

That is exactly the point I wanted to make.
View on Reddit #77479436

Takvuq@reddit

>although I think there was a sense of the Anglo-Saxons as a distinct people before Alfred As in a unified group, not individual Angles, Saxons, and Jutes? You could argue Offa and Ecgberht came close, but the post-Great Heathen Army order was definitely different in how they viewed themselves.
View on Reddit #77480683

Mminas@reddit

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Anglo-Saxon_Protestants
View on Reddit #77471796

thesaddestpanda@reddit

Or you know its just capitalism. Certain stars are bankable. They get hired to maximize the profit for the producers. Americans want to see American stars they recognize.
View on Reddit #77490553

Savings_Dragonfly806@reddit

You know about that last part, using the "it's fiction" argument when it comes to race swaps in fiction is really just a bad argument. Especially when they are the ones to care enough to support the race swap in the first place.
View on Reddit #77481129

phinkz2@reddit

It's crazy how much they idolize the Roman empire and ancient Greece while seemingly knowing little about it. You hear American politicians saying they're like the Romans and... Wat.
View on Reddit #77470807

Savings_Dragonfly806@reddit

Romans? Well isn't that the most ridiculous statement.
View on Reddit #77480852

CharMakr90@reddit

It's really all about money. When white characters sold more tickets, Hollywood movies would have more of them. Now, more diverse characters sell more tickets, so Hollywood movies have become more "colourful". Same with television, video games, books, etc.
View on Reddit #77467679

EdrusTheSmall@reddit

Because it is a f movie ! If you don't like it, don't watch it. Matt Damon is not greek, Tom Holland is not greek, neither of the cast is greek. The ships look like a vking ship, the armor is nothing like the historical one, there is a real, living cyclops... and you all are "angry" because of a woman ? But it is a BLACK woman, that is why you are angry - your shallow racism But they are white, whole Lupita is black, it
View on Reddit #77479329

hihimorius@reddit

In that case, why doesn't Nolan just make a fantasy film based on ancient Greek myths, and without using the name Odysseus, with the entire cast being Afro-American? The racism is replacing white with black, without a need for that. And why he isn't making a movie based on African mythology? (obviously why, no one will watch such a movie).
View on Reddit #77538385

EdrusTheSmall@reddit

But he is making a fantasy movie, where it is said that the movie will be documentary?
View on Reddit #77556575

venusFarts@reddit

Yeah, we are not gonna watch it, that's for sure. Go woke, go broke!
View on Reddit #77505276

ADRzs@reddit

Listen, Hollywood is going through its "woke" phase. In order to get a role there it is best to be a black, a brown, a person with disabilities, etc. because Hollywood wants to design movies with built-in "diversity" for "the modern audience" which is multicolored. So, it is OK to have a black Achilles, lots of black gods, etc. We recently had a black Cleopatra, we will be having soon a black Hannibal and so on. On top of all that, it pays to have a great agent in Hollywood who has lots of connections in studios and with casting directors.
View on Reddit #77482229

Savings_Dragonfly806@reddit

What about a White Black Panther?
View on Reddit #77531249

ADRzs@reddit

Well, apparently this is not what "contemporary audiences" want!!!
View on Reddit #77555791

Armaggedon_1970_3@reddit

Idealna. Zna li da glumi?
View on Reddit #77554376

dinnerdigzthejeager@reddit

Because hollywood actors are more famous than these actors. This is an american film from a british director with the most famous actors in the entire world acting in it. Veteran Hollywood legends like Matt Damon to more recent rising talents like Zendaya it just makes more sense. This movie is hoping to make incredable amounts of money and has a huge budget and to make that money back and also make a huge profit you hire famous actors because in the entire history of cinema as a buisness people want to watch movies with people they know and there is a bigger proportion of the world that know Tom Holland (Spiderman) than some random Greek actor that will look the part more. It's a buisness and famous actors make people buy tickets.
View on Reddit #77472498

hihimorius@reddit

no one knows Lupita in my country
View on Reddit #77539356

dinnerdigzthejeager@reddit

Her fame mainly comes from Us and Black Pather which were both big hits domestically and internationaly so that's what movie producers look at. It's really al there is to it. Even if it's a controversial decision it gets people talking like the people in this thread are.
View on Reddit #77552694

Odd-Web-5509@reddit

Business and filmmaking doesn't go together, that's indeed the case here and that's why the industry is parasitic.A real director prioritise vision and not because it is American production has zero excuses to not knowledge actors from other nations and specifically from the nation acting is originated from because fact's on facts acting is Greek thing too.Just another industrial tool feeding the mega beast.There is no film here, nothing that needs to be seen at any point 
View on Reddit #77529912

dinnerdigzthejeager@reddit

I completely understand your frustration in regards to representation but it's just the way it is unfortunately. People go to movies where they know the actor's and people know famous actors that's the boring truth. Maybe for you famous actors don't really matter to you in regards to seeing a movie because but general audiences are not so easily swayed.
View on Reddit #77536403

Odd-Web-5509@reddit

But that's not normal that's absurd,all people have to do is to watch something they are interested in,the people working for that watch are people you don't personally know, you will never hangout with and so far many none Greeks expressed desire for Greek casting.Thats what films are, vision yeah complete loose vision and people all over the world devoted themselves to that profession should be knowledged, especially from an industry that celebrates filmmaking
View on Reddit #77536873

anasfkhan81@reddit

forget actual living Greeks why don't they just cast actual Greek mythical entities, I'm sure they could some how conjure them up with AI?
View on Reddit #77549560

biendeluxe@reddit

Left wing Americans: You shouldn’t whitewash history!! Right wing Americans: You shouldn’t blackwash history!! Me, a European: Why the fuck are all the Europeans played by Americans?
View on Reddit #77544318

Ich-Selbst@reddit

the answer is: wokeism
View on Reddit #77544240

Ok-Yak-4419@reddit

Hear me out : Helen is the daughter of Leda, Right ? Zeus took the form of a swan to seduce her, right ? There ARE black swans, right ? Check mate.
View on Reddit #77539810

Savings_Dragonfly806@reddit

Helen is a human, not a swan. RE-CHECKMATE.
View on Reddit #77544100

One-Chemistry-5784@reddit

Because it's Hollywood
View on Reddit #77542429

Hot-Exit-6495@reddit

Yes that is what we were missing, as if Klelia is not riding the stick high enough, they should offer her the role to depict the most beautiful mortal woman who ever lived. That should do it.
View on Reddit #77541044

Misticdrone@reddit

Do you want people to get baned :D ?
View on Reddit #77540196

Johnbaptist69@reddit

See looks more Slavic/Germanic than greek.
View on Reddit #77529346

ClothesZestyclose814@reddit (OP)

Then you don't really know Greeks.
View on Reddit #77540067

Ryokan76@reddit

Hire real Trojans!
View on Reddit #77524663

ClothesZestyclose814@reddit (OP)

Helen of Troy was actually from Sparta.
View on Reddit #77539978

Low_Flatworm3199@reddit

Because we're making the movies with our actors, our producers and our teams, and I'm a trained actor in London in any acting school 90% of actors are minorities in our teams the percentage may be even bigger. Then you get the producers who are used to work with specific production managers and specific casting managers and those are used to work with specific team, specific actors . That greek actress? Who is she? Just a random I don't know and my producers friends don't know either why would we invest so much money on a nobody? And then there's another aspect American makes movies for America the only other market America worries is China. England makes movies for America and the other market we worry about is the Uk. I'm happy to see something good made by your culture that tells a history that is something more than just propaganda ( seriously so many historic movies from countries who are not first tier are just terrible). And also if we put our white American or British actors there's another risk, wich is something some nationalist from our countries believe which is that when the Roman empire was great it was because they're leaders basically were British looking people and when they were lead by the now modern Italians it was when Rome declined and became a decadent and broken empire which you might think wtf, but yes white supremacist can and want to erase history so everything thats good was made by someone who looked like them or if it obviously wasn't it was aliens. Our history's can backfire quite hard when we're telling someone's else past we have the whitest jesus everywhere and I'm pretty sure that had a big influence on the creation of Mormonism, honestly I'm just glad this movie is not going to be Mormon propaganda. And now the actress you want for this role, the problem is that it's blonde, and heres the kick if you are a minority actor from a minority country is good that your aspect is distinctive enough so you can portray a role that will not go towards one of our white actors because Hollywood would rather cast Margot Robbie for a blonde Helena than cast a blonde from another ethnicity. The same reason people used to thirst for Antonio Banderas and despise Alvaro the fair skinned Spaniard who is pouring them beers. Or the same reason Jason Mantzoukas is loved everywhere and is doing so well but other less exotic Greek actors can't land a role. Is not racism it is just that there's too many actors and the niches are filled with ours. Also this particular history has been told many times, tweaking changing reinventing makes it another telling of the same history distinctive enough that is not just an attempt to recreate a movie from the previous century but a different enough version to be it's own history. If you want to see a Blonde Helena there's the 2004 movie.
View on Reddit #77478944

hihimorius@reddit

Yes, we now, England has many black kings and queens.
View on Reddit #77539051

BlackHawk2528@reddit

This is not a story with a fictional ethnicity from The Lord of the Rings that you can play with however you see fit, but it talks about GREEKS. And as far as I know, GREEKS don't look like Kenyans. Even when history is fictional, you need to stay true to the canon, not to butcher it as they did with casting black Severus Snape in the new upcoming HP serial, where having sallow-pale skin and long oily straight hair was the first thing that was described in the books, now I dont remember that the word pale is used to describe a black man and let alone having straight hair. Look below, its ridiculus how unnatural this black guy looks: https://preview.redd.it/70d3g75g46hg1.png?width=225&format=png&auto=webp&s=4fbd72518b50b03e75a10abae7cc7dd344b0d43e
View on Reddit #77487740

Juanandome@reddit

I guess because they sre going full fantasy and not "reality with gods". I lost interest when I saw the armors, that look from a Batman movie and not micenic bronze age PD: Not greek or balkan, just an Spanish guy that loves history and has a serbian friend.
View on Reddit #77470475

imladrikofloren@reddit

Well, the odyssey is 100% fantasy (contrast it with the illiad which is only 99.9% fantasy).
View on Reddit #77536200

Juanandome@reddit

And the Lord of the Rings is 100% fantasy but based in a medieval reality. It would be strange if you try to adapt Lord or the Rings and dress everyone like they are from the 1970s.
View on Reddit #77537749

dwartbg9@reddit

![gif](giphy|gjc0emtW4OGMMW29Vv)
View on Reddit #77478109

hihimorius@reddit

I think Greece should boycott this movie. Same stupidity as black Cleopatra on Netflix. I will not watch this movie.
View on Reddit #77537230

deleted_by_reddit@reddit

[removed]
View on Reddit #77536949

AskBalkans-ModTeam@reddit

Greetings, Your post/comment was removed because it breaks Rule 6 of r/AskBalkans "No trolling or baiting". Lighthearted questions and comments are allowed within reason*. Posts or comments that are more controversial and could be considered outright trolling (posting inflammatory and/or offensive content) or baiting (posting provocative messages aiming to elicit angry responses out of other users) will be removed, and repeat offenders banned. *Mod discretion applies (check wiki page)
View on Reddit #77536950

OppositeFingat@reddit

Because "The Message"
View on Reddit #77536872

Kaiser93@reddit

Many historical documents describe Orpheus as white. [This ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VXp0nyvzBw)is the American version of Orpheus. Hollywood is taking a piss at anyone's history because they don't have any.
View on Reddit #77535520

sabrinavd@reddit

maybe bc they don't care about the appearance of the actor but the talent? i don't want to be rude but if you truly watch other directors why they hire her it was because of her appearance and it didn't felt nice as a comment but i think she is talented enough i could see her maybe in european films
View on Reddit #77534836

katopatissiaswag@reddit

Yall can cast me I accept the part
View on Reddit #77467301

ClothesZestyclose814@reddit (OP)

Helen of Elbasan
View on Reddit #77470497

katopatissiaswag@reddit

Berat*
View on Reddit #77470614

Own-Prior-4510@reddit

I had an affair with a Beratian prostitute 16-17 years ago. Some of the best sex of my life. And i am not even trying to take the piss. True story. Thanks Berat for your magnificent gift...
View on Reddit #77534021

katopatissiaswag@reddit

I wish I died instead of having to read that
View on Reddit #77534431

Own-Prior-4510@reddit

https://i.redd.it/7fdgs1resahg1.gif Sorry i guess...
View on Reddit #77534819

True-Poem8673@reddit

Bro, it’s literally about some fictional characters. Yes, representation is important, but going on about some fictional character is so unnecessary at this point bcs nothing can change it. Don’t waste your precious energy everyone, life’s too short for bs.
View on Reddit #77491255

Savings_Dragonfly806@reddit

You would say otherwise if non-white characters were played by white people.
View on Reddit #77531112

ClothesZestyclose814@reddit (OP)

It's an ancient Greek legend, not a MARVEL fiction.
View on Reddit #77504379

Special-Transition77@reddit

So Helen of Troy is Slavic? Peloponnesian Greeks have 30% Slavic in them according to studies such as  Olalde, Iñigo; et al. (7 December 2023). ["A genetic history of the Balkans from Roman frontier to Slavic migrations"](https://reich.hms.harvard.edu/sites/reich.hms.harvard.edu/files/inline-files/1-s2.0-S0092867423011352-main.pdf) (PDF). [*Cell*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cell_(journal)). **186** (25). p. 5480; [Figure 4B](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10752003/figure/F4/); [Data S2, Table 8](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10752003/#SD6). [doi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1016/j.cell.2023.10.018](https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.cell.2023.10.018). [PMC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PMC_(identifier)) [10752003](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10752003). [PMID](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PMID_(identifier)) [38065079](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38065079). ["Ancient DNA analysis reveals how the rise and fall of the Roman Empire shifted populations in the Balkans"](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/12/231207161343.htm). [*ScienceDaily*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ScienceDaily). 7 December 2023. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
View on Reddit #77500781

Savings_Dragonfly806@reddit

You Slavic Balkaners have a weird obession with genetics.
View on Reddit #77531045

Original-Resolve2748@reddit

movies are not real. If Bob Brown is cast as a bucket. he is not really a bucket in real life but a guy from London.
View on Reddit #77467401

ClothesZestyclose814@reddit (OP)

The Odyssey is very real though, it's the pillar of Western literature.
View on Reddit #77468102

Odd-Web-5509@reddit

You try away too much, don't you see you are dealing with an uncultured child 
View on Reddit #77529378

Original-Resolve2748@reddit

man dont worry, the greeks started everything, anyone that knows knows, the roman empire and everything in europe after was based on geek values and thinking. the greeks the the true OG.
View on Reddit #77468840

ClothesZestyclose814@reddit (OP)

It's giving inferiority complex, not a good look
View on Reddit #77469630

Jollywonnochka@reddit

Omg. Modern Greeks have nothing to do with Greeks in metrology, grow up
View on Reddit #77477017

Odd-Web-5509@reddit

Go get basic knowledge when you become mature enough to handle it
View on Reddit #77529239

casual_philosopher02@reddit

says who?
View on Reddit #77521983

Jollywonnochka@reddit

Says osmanisation and hundred other immigrations that have changed the genome from the 7 century anno domini. No current nation is a direct follower of the ancient nation. I just request to stop this nationalistic bullshit. Too many problems emerging from that kind of consumption that are negated as soon as individual understands the historical process and the uselessness of taking people apart in nations in general. Culture is one, nation and everything related is something else that has no place in the future world
View on Reddit #77522418

casual_philosopher02@reddit

Ottoman rule was administrative, not demographic, DNA studies consistently show **strong** continuity in from antiquity through Byzantium to modern Greeks, with admixture (as literally every European population has). Cultural layers do not equate genetic erasure .Ironically, the idea that modern Greeks are ‘'unrelated'’ to ancient ones comes from 19th-century racial, far right, nazi pseudoscience. Contemporary historians and geneticists abandoned that view decades ago, neither did a language stay consistent for 3000 years out of pure luck. So yes history happened and admixtures but the Greek genome did not magically dissapear and get replaced by other nations
View on Reddit #77523006

Elias_Sideris@reddit

I thought the same when I was younger, but it turns out we do. Our dna hasn't changed that much.
View on Reddit #77485114

ClothesZestyclose814@reddit (OP)

Sure Jan
View on Reddit #77481358

Sufficient-View5009@reddit

Just imagine that.., No one in US doesn't give af about Greek actresses and etc ....
View on Reddit #77468634

Odd-Web-5509@reddit

Because they have no dignity, caring about Filmmaking as art.All they care about is profitability and that's why nobody takes Hollywood seriously,at best to watch movie made by it if you have nothing else to do
View on Reddit #77529135

seriouslysrs121@reddit

Cos Hollywood is a joke which shouldn’t be taken seriously
View on Reddit #77493885

Odd-Web-5509@reddit

Say it
View on Reddit #77528882

TXDobber@reddit

If we’re talking about Nolan’s Odyssey… because Nolan only casts high level actors and actresses that have big name recognition, almost all of whom are English speaking first. He’s done this almost his entire career. It works when you do historical films about English speaking people (Oppenheimer, Dunkirk), but the casting choices start to look a bit off when you start doing non-English based historical work.
View on Reddit #77466647

Odd-Web-5509@reddit

Yeah that's not filmmaking, profitability as priority over respect and individuality kills Filmmaking.Nolan isn't a director he is an industrial poppet 
View on Reddit #77528413

cosmicdicer@reddit

Travis Scott? What's going on with this movie
View on Reddit #77473894

starlordbg@reddit

In other words, the casting is purely for driving as much sales as possible based on an all-stars type of cast not to mention Zendaya (nothing against her personally) to drive the younger audiences in.
View on Reddit #77468183

Odd-Web-5509@reddit

Because apparently Hollywood doesn't know for respect and after all the industry itself turned filmmaking from art to a production line following certain Prototypes in order to carry profitability which is something only real artists don't care so much about compared to making art(Films) and Nolan isn't one of them so he will go in line with whatever feeds the disgusting industry... Where is Robert Eggers when you need him
View on Reddit #77527609

casual_philosopher02@reddit

YOU STOLE MY KLELIA RECOMMENDATION? 🤣🤣
View on Reddit #77469069

Sinefiasmenos22@reddit

She looks typical Peloponnesian , you too btw.
View on Reddit #77469172

casual_philosopher02@reddit

I know, the lower forehead and cheekbones are a dead giveaway 🤣🤣
View on Reddit #77469388

Sinefiasmenos22@reddit

The light colour hair and the green eyes are a giveaway.
View on Reddit #77471282

hellgate13@reddit

in what universe is that the giveaway for someone being Peloponnesian ?
View on Reddit #77491686

Your___mom_@reddit

Ngl, I'm a girl from Peloponnese with dark blonde hair and greenish/greyish eyes  I actually didn't know there was a link😭
View on Reddit #77526435

masterdeleon@reddit

Because he has to have black actors and other type of races - no one at holywood said anything about balkan actors and authenticity
View on Reddit #77524479

lilac2481@reddit

Because woke bullshit has taken over Hollywood that's why.
View on Reddit #77523795

ninzun@reddit

”Tom Hanks, is the last N on earth” Hollywood is Hollywood, they cast based on statistics.
View on Reddit #77522538

NoNitroDifficult@reddit

You should be grateful that Helen is not played by a transgender African-American woman.
View on Reddit #77521270

hans_erlend@reddit

Cuz dey ugly ? xD xP
View on Reddit #77521051

DurustveIlkeli@reddit

Because she is not black.
View on Reddit #77520762

shogunlazo@reddit

It's just slop for the masses
View on Reddit #77470245

Ill_Squirrel_6108@reddit

Such films aren´t watched by masses though.
View on Reddit #77479987

shogunlazo@reddit

Ofc they are what do you mean 🤣
View on Reddit #77516987

Ill_Squirrel_6108@reddit

Check the stats in cinemas, the numbers keep falling everywhere. When it comes to streaming, the viewership of those boxticking films isn´t either. Some like Bridgertons are popular, but most like new Star Wars or Startreck spinoffs, that Cleopatra or Mozart nonsense and similar definitely aren´t.
View on Reddit #77518452

Full-Friendship1@reddit

>Homer's description for Helen of Troy We were never given a physical description of Helen by Homer. >Apart from that, she is a Peloponnesian Greek like Helen herself. Helen wasn't even partly Peloponnesian. Her dad was Zeus and her mom was Lyda from Aetolia.
View on Reddit #77518315

StukaJi86@reddit

A greek playing a greek? Where is the acting in that. Hire a greek to play a mexican ..
View on Reddit #77467153

Salmacis81@reddit

>Hire a greek to play a mexican There was recently a bit of a controversey where a Jewish actress was cast as a half-Jew half-Latina, and after all the online hate she decided to step down from the role. The same shitstorm would almost definitely happen if a Greek was cast as a Mexican. It only works one way. Yeah some white people will complain about Lupita being cast as a Greek woman but all of Hollywood and the left will come to her defense and say "Who cares its a fictional character!!" and accuse all the critics of being racists, and the project will go on as planned.
View on Reddit #77516928

Baoooba@reddit

or a Mexican to play a Greek? Why does that ring a bell.........
View on Reddit #77484781

StukaJi86@reddit

The point was isnt the entire thing about acting to act like something you are not?
View on Reddit #77484893

Baoooba@reddit

I was just pointing out Anthony Quinn (who is Mexican) played Zorba the Greek.
View on Reddit #77485630

BudgetTutor3085@reddit

Hollywood often prioritizes star power and marketability over authenticity in casting choices. This trend reflects broader industry patterns where financial considerations outweigh cultural representation. It is frustrating to see talented actors overlooked for roles that should authentically represent their heritage.
View on Reddit #77516677

FirstIdChoiceWasPaul@reddit

Because she’s black. She certainly wasn’t hired for being a good actor.
View on Reddit #77515396

antonis013@reddit

The only indication that says that Homer portrayed Helen as white, is the phrase "white-armed". And Homer never wrote anything in a literal way. Greece is multicultural people. Not white, blonde and with blue eyes like your incel nazi mind think of. Make sense also, because of Greece's geographic location, and the fact that it was the biggest port besides Shanghai.
View on Reddit #77514948

Only-Salamander4052@reddit

The process of casting doesn't work like that in general. You need to have agent, that needs to have connections, that will bring attention to you. In general, only case were they search for something specific is if director of the movie says he wants something specific I guess.
View on Reddit #77467597

Free-Raspberry-530@reddit

This. Seems like many here don't understand how American casting is working. Also, they don't like very thick accents. Go to any casting director workshop and they will mention it. There are some exceptions like Gal Gadot but that's an exception and definitely had a good agent. And even her, she hasn't done anything significant past Wonder Woman.
View on Reddit #77494445

Only-Salamander4052@reddit

I mean yeah, but if you think of WW you need an actress with an odd accent due to her background and mithology so it's quite intentional.
View on Reddit #77514338

Howdhell@reddit

Nice try Klélia
View on Reddit #77513959

Tomorr3@reddit

Because it's not necessarily meant to be visually accurate. Otherwise they would also have to speak ancient greek Greek film industry can produce their own movie with their own actors if they want.
View on Reddit #77466720

Exotic_Cantaloupe_96@reddit

I d love to see a Skanderberg movie with an Indian Skanderbeg. You re right it doesnt have to be visually accurate.
View on Reddit #77467461

Tomorr3@reddit

As long as they portray Skanderbeg as being Albanian is ok for me. 
View on Reddit #77469996

Ok_Novel_699@reddit

It doesn't have to be visually accurate again, Skanderbeg should be depicted as some random asian
View on Reddit #77498072

Tomorr3@reddit

If all the other actors are not Albanians either, why would it matter?
View on Reddit #77513197

Ujemegaz@reddit

Skanderbeg is acted by a Georgian in the movie.
View on Reddit #77474694

GimmeFuel6@reddit

Would you say the same if it was an Albanian story?
View on Reddit #77467393

Tomorr3@reddit

Kinda.... (As long as slavs aren't portraying us 😬 /j)
View on Reddit #77470087

Which-Woodpecker-134@reddit

Skanderbeg played by Will Smith would get me to watch.
View on Reddit #77473349

Tomorr3@reddit

Ewwww... you should never be allowed to cast!
View on Reddit #77473836

TheETERNAL20@reddit

Yes
View on Reddit #77467447

bubulika@reddit

You know she didnt exist right? It's all mythology. And the upcoming movie is not a documentary.
View on Reddit #77477215

ClothesZestyclose814@reddit (OP)

Oh she's one of the most famous characters in Greek civilization. She's not an American novel character from the 90s.
View on Reddit #77481455

bubulika@reddit

Yup still a character. Really dont care about who plays her. This is an artistic movie so the director can choose to caat anyone. If you dont like it, then make your own movie
View on Reddit #77511489

Fast-Vegetable-1234@reddit

So should we expect a black Tarzan anytime soon?
View on Reddit #77510685

bubulika@reddit

Who cares
View on Reddit #77510946

Fast-Vegetable-1234@reddit

ok, american with a 78 iq.
View on Reddit #77511083

Tsukee@reddit

Because they see cultural separation as binary: white and "non-white" 
View on Reddit #77510979

DanTheApothecary@reddit

I agree! Let’s keep acting traditional and true to the source material. All roles should be cast to males, as the Gods of Olympus intended!
View on Reddit #77510799

SparkGri@reddit

There is a vast gap of acting skills between many Greek actors and American actors. Also, you expect a mid social media person who happened to act in a Greek production to be cast in a big production? I dont think she's ever make it through the casting. On what acting skills?
View on Reddit #77510081

ernestbonanza@reddit

have you ever heard greek accent in english?
View on Reddit #77510075

No-Heart3432@reddit

Hollywood casts Africans for Caucasian roles and you are asking this question?
View on Reddit #77509996

kredokathariko@reddit

The whole movie honestly feels historically inaccurate in the worst way. The outfits look cheap and the ship is *Norse* of all things.
View on Reddit #77509644

Lairuth@reddit

Because ethnicity doesn’t automatically qualify someone for acting. This gal has same facial expression in 2 of the 3 pictures. Not a good sign for acting.
View on Reddit #77466172

mtheofilos@reddit

So out of three pictures if people show the same face twice, that means they are bad actors, got it.
View on Reddit #77509611

LaurestineHUN@reddit

Like Hollywood actresses are more expressive
View on Reddit #77466466

Hackeringerinho@reddit

I mean, Lupita is a good actress.
View on Reddit #77467706

TiredPandastic@reddit

Overrated, in my view. I've seen her in several movies, she's nothing special.
View on Reddit #77472119

casual_philosopher02@reddit

Botox face got them all
View on Reddit #77469285

LtxalskHuskwob49@reddit

There are so many mediterranean and mediterranean-looking actresses, surely at least one of them could act. If they really wanted an obviously nilotic-looking kenyan actress they should just make a movie about Lwanda Magere, Lupita can play Maryan
View on Reddit #77469738

Mother_Awareness_154@reddit

So Helen was blonde with blue eyes?
View on Reddit #77467918

ClothesZestyclose814@reddit (OP)

Helen was definitely blonde, she is described as such by ancient authors like Sappho.
View on Reddit #77468297

Mother_Awareness_154@reddit

I see she is described as lighter colour and not necessarily blonde or blue-eyed. So you clearly have an agenda here
View on Reddit #77468665

ClothesZestyclose814@reddit (OP)

From Sappho's Athenaeus:  “Some god-like desire seizes me among humans… … and you would see Helen, fair-haired, among mortals.” In the original Greek text she is described as "xanthé", that literally means blond in both ancient and modern Greek. Now, are you having an agenda?
View on Reddit #77470069

Mother_Awareness_154@reddit

You wrote Homer description in headline. I don’t speak Greek, but hair and eye colour seem to be open to interpretation, so you are clearly weird here
View on Reddit #77470442

MasterpieceVirtual66@reddit

He is saying the truth. "Xanthé" literally means blonde.
View on Reddit #77471620

Mother_Awareness_154@reddit

So definitely blonde hair with blue eyes? Not let’s say light brown hair with brown eyes? Brown hair with dark blue eyes? Blonde with brown eyes? It is explicitly a Diane Kruger type of blonde?
View on Reddit #77473792

MasterpieceVirtual66@reddit

In the Catalogue of Women by (pseudo-) Hesiod, her eyes are described as blue. So definitely blonde with blue eyes according to most ancient Greek writers from the Archaic period.
View on Reddit #77476655

Mother_Awareness_154@reddit

I mean if the evidence is overwhelming that she is definitely blue-eyed blonde and certainly not by any chance light brown, definitely and explicitly not dark brown eyed, not even hazel there I say, then we for sure need to fix this, but if there is a chance she is not, you my friend here are as much as white washing this as much as diversity hire the Nolan cast is.
View on Reddit #77477178

Elias_Sideris@reddit

What the f are we even arguing about? Does it matters really that much if she was blond or light brunette? Let's go do something useful with our lives.
View on Reddit #77509465

ClothesZestyclose814@reddit (OP)

Ξανθή means blond, Google is free.
View on Reddit #77470929

Mother_Awareness_154@reddit

Yes and she had that bleached highlights
View on Reddit #77471553

Elias_Sideris@reddit

Homer described her as pale skinned.
View on Reddit #77485342

Mother_Awareness_154@reddit

Pale skinned, white armed is not synonymous to blonde with blue eyes. https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistory/s/9DyX2GWSSk
View on Reddit #77497192

Legal-Stranger-4890@reddit

yeah, but was she hatched from an egg? I demand absolute authenticity!
View on Reddit #77509368

AlanderKohenel@reddit

A deliberate attack on our identity. They hate us and they are trying to erase us.
View on Reddit #77470582

Embarrassed-Wolf-609@reddit

us? you're tag is romanian
View on Reddit #77500293

AlanderKohenel@reddit

Us Europeans.
View on Reddit #77508620

bleta_punetore@reddit

...like Helen herself...you're really reaching here.
View on Reddit #77507993

strekkingur@reddit

Why would Nolan cast her in his movie about Batman in Troy?
View on Reddit #77507206

CheesecakeTurtle@reddit

Because Greek actors are aweful actors. That's why.
View on Reddit #77506835

OldSkoolHunter@reddit

Propaganda.
View on Reddit #77505219

LaFleur90@reddit

Marketing reasons. If you put well known mainstream actors, chances are people who know them would be more inclined to watch your movie. If you put actors that nobody knows you lose that marketing advantage.
View on Reddit #77504675

Defiant-Dare1223@reddit

I don't think casting needs to go as "zoomed in" on precise ethnicity as Greek. I'm perfectly relaxed if a Greek with the right complexion acts as a Brit. As a Mediterranean looking Brit I feel I could absolutely pass off being Greek. I wouldn't feel happy acting as a historical Chinese or African figure as I don't look the part.
View on Reddit #77477998

Hikaru960@reddit

Do you think Liam Neeson could play Castro in a movie?
View on Reddit #77504552

flame2bits@reddit

Yeah! Greek film parts to Greeks! Casting is important
View on Reddit #77503776

Nekrah_@reddit

She’s not a good actress that’s why
View on Reddit #77503705

PascalG16@reddit

How is modern day "Peloponnesian Greek" even relevant to ancient times? Anyway, I agree.
View on Reddit #77503410

Me_no_good_hombre@reddit

They talked alot, they have unmatched egos, etc.
View on Reddit #77501358

Turbulent-Ad1123@reddit

She looks Albanian though
View on Reddit #77493387

Special-Transition77@reddit

Slavic genes are strong in her
View on Reddit #77500667

Demmetje@reddit

You're only asking this questions because she is black. You could ask the same about all the white actors who aren't Greek in that film. Perhaps consider why.
View on Reddit #77467361

CheezDustTurdFart@reddit

Precisely.
View on Reddit #77495054

ClothesZestyclose814@reddit (OP)

Wrong, I didn't like Brad Pitt as Achilles either. He looks very Nordic, he lacks Mediterranean features.  But a black person is another level of absurdity.
View on Reddit #77470726

Demmetje@reddit

She has the same amount of Greek in her as any of the other cast members, but somehow you singled out Lupita.
View on Reddit #77484583

ClothesZestyclose814@reddit (OP)

Who?
View on Reddit #77485614

LtxalskHuskwob49@reddit

You know that a lot of non-mediterranean white people can pass as greek, right? Well, i'm sure there are some black people who also look greek out there, but definitely not lupita
View on Reddit #77470818

Demmetje@reddit

Oh, so it's not about being Greek, but rather about 'passing as Greek'. That's not what I read in the OP.
View on Reddit #77484666

atzitzi@reddit

You are wrong. People are wondering why there were no Greek actors in Odyssey. Still, why depict a character that is famous for a certain look so different is puzzling.
View on Reddit #77472774

CheezDustTurdFart@reddit

I hope you keep the same energy for all the other non-Greek actors in “Greek roles” Hollywood has cast in the past.
View on Reddit #77495013

civodar@reddit

Because there aren’t enough Greeks for them to care. The uproar for not casting Greek actors and instead casting some Scandinavian would be tiny and wouldn’t even make the rounds on social media, but look at the uproar from casting a black woman instead of a white one. Just look at other Hollywood movies that recreate Ancient Greek Mythology, they cast Brad Pitt instead of people like John Stamos and Jason Mantzoukas, they won’t even cast Greeks as side characters. This way they get to have people arguing and talking about their movie which tbh I hadn’t even heard about until everyone started talking about them casting a black woman as Helen of Troy. Not to mention they also have a wide variety of big name black celebs to pick from with the “right” voice and accent whereas there’s a smaller population of Greek actresses that fit that bill(I’m assuming they don’t actually want a Greek accent and instead want an American or Australian putting on a slight British accent in the style of Thor from the avengers), they don’t actually want someone who sounds like your aunt Vasiliki who was born in Thessaloniki because that’s not cool and regal enough for their idea of Ancient Greece.
View on Reddit #77468901

Free-Raspberry-530@reddit

Being someone with an accent, I have seen how it is to audition. Unless you are someone extremely attractive, agents and casting directors won't care. Yeah there is Gal Gadot and Ana de Armas but these are exceptions. Greeks are known to have a thick accent and would distract a lot in a production that is made up by native English speakers. A casting director once told me that having a neutral English accent is the best, because you can easily blend with everyone. Like, imagine casting that Greek actress as Helen... Small part but when she starts talking, she sounds extremely different. The audience will want to know why. But the focus is not Helen in this movie so her screen time is minimum. No time to explain that. Lanthimos too, he mainly casts American actors.
View on Reddit #77494797

whaaazzzaaa@reddit

I've been to greece recently. Most women look nothing like her. She looks Slavic, not Greek.
View on Reddit #77467676

ClothesZestyclose814@reddit (OP)

I live in Greece, and you're 100% wrong.
View on Reddit #77468029

whaaazzzaaa@reddit

Well I've been to Greece many times. There are women like her, but most are brunettes.
View on Reddit #77468776

ClothesZestyclose814@reddit (OP)

And that is why she is Helen of Troy and not another Greek woman. She didn't have common beauty.
View on Reddit #77469715

whaaazzzaaa@reddit

I'm just pointing her features are not stereotypical of a Greek women. I don't find the actress that incredibly beautiful either, but she is definitely good looking.
View on Reddit #77470476

Free-Raspberry-530@reddit

Most women in Greece dye their hair blonde.
View on Reddit #77493856

Elias_Sideris@reddit

You were close to finding common ground with my fellow Greek commenters, but you said that you don't find Klelia beautiful. Now you lost us forever.
View on Reddit #77485040

whaaazzzaaa@reddit

The posted photos did not make her justice. I looked her up and find her beautiful.
View on Reddit #77485372

Elias_Sideris@reddit

🤝
View on Reddit #77485692

havingfungr@reddit

Indeed. It was the same in ancient times. The attributes that would make the ancient Helen of Troy pretty in antiquity (white skin, blond hair, blue eyes) were rare. Blond people were considered very beautiful or touched by gods, partly because these characteristics were so unusual. When poets described a blond semi god or a great warrior, they made sure to point out their blond hair as something unusual and divine. Helen of Troy was not a typical ancient Greek woman.
View on Reddit #77481917

Elias_Sideris@reddit

Blonde hair/blue eyes isn't super common in Greece, but you'll see a few with these characteristics if you go for a walk in any crowded area. Klelia could absolutely represent Greek women in a foreign film industry.
View on Reddit #77484663

Elias_Sideris@reddit

You probably have never seen a slavic woman in your life then.
View on Reddit #77484307

FantasticQuartet@reddit

Well, in contrast with the other Greek guys, I as a Greek agree with you. Klelia doesn't look like a typical Greek, someone like Danae Skiadi is more typical here. https://preview.redd.it/daidxdf2w4hg1.jpeg?width=333&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6a7a99852fb1d94483ca735b38831c4010fc40aa With that said though, I'm not sure I agree that Klelia looks Slavic just because she's blonde with blue eyes.
View on Reddit #77469167

atzitzi@reddit

Yeah. No. Don't do this. I'm tired of this cliche of the brunette Mediterranean beauty. Yes, most are brunettes , but there are so many blue-eyed greek women, and with the help of a hair salon, even more blondes and red-haired women. I mean Zeta Makripoulia, Doukissa Nomikou, Sia Kosioni, Eva Antonopoulou, Eleni Menegaki, Vicky Kayia, Katia Zygouli and so many others only among famous ones
View on Reddit #77473785

FantasticQuartet@reddit

Most blonde Greek women you see are fake blondes who dye their hair. Otherwise, we would have lots of blonde Greek men. Example, Zeta Makripoulia that you mentioned https://preview.redd.it/v3gzumrt75hg1.jpeg?width=779&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=417f4a0f50c70d149fc73c9a6cc36a064b907398 Klelia is rare, period.
View on Reddit #77474242

whaaazzzaaa@reddit

Yeah that was my point. It wasn't an insult - there are many hot looking greek women.
View on Reddit #77469421

abki12c@reddit

Helen of Troy was not a typical Greek woman she is described as the face that launched a thousand ships.
View on Reddit #77470682

fuckingmacedonian@reddit

The thing is, beauty standards have changed so much over time, that it's impossible to know what was considered outstandingly beautiful back then.
View on Reddit #77473972

atzitzi@reddit

Really? Because I have been in Greece all my life and there are plenty of blond and blue-eyed women. Also, she doesn't look Slavic she looks typical greek. Typical Slavic look, has a different bone structure.
View on Reddit #77473091

Jaded-Ad-4675@reddit

AskBalkans tiny penis jealous-of-Greece dudes never disappoint. You never went to Greece my dude, you are just sad Greece is mentioned again. Rent free….
View on Reddit #77467883

whaaazzzaaa@reddit

Bruh. I am from Bulgaria dude. I've been to Greece many times. Most women I've seen have dark hair and eyes, tan skin and big bum.
View on Reddit #77468060

Jaded-Ad-4675@reddit

Most women you have seen, Greece has 5+ million women. Nonetheless your comment is weird because you seem to imply non-brunette=slavic. I mean you can be blondish and Greek too, like for real this effort to pretend that Greeks appeared out of a ginni bottle (when they do not descend from albania, bulgaria, and whatever else pipe dream people have on their brain) is getting ridiculous…
View on Reddit #77469788

whaaazzzaaa@reddit

I mean it is not uncommon for Greek women in 21st century to have some slavic genes. I am not saying there are no blondes, just that they are not a stereotypical Greek women.
View on Reddit #77470141

Jaded-Ad-4675@reddit

I am just saying it depends on the areas you have gone, plenty of variety to the point I could not say a Greek woman for sure except for her nose or her skin—Klelia looks plenty Greek to me.
View on Reddit #77470800

whaaazzzaaa@reddit

Fair point
View on Reddit #77471006

FantasticQuartet@reddit

I mean, he's kind of right and I'm Greek too. Most of these actors are above average looking which is partly the reason they land protagonist roles in soap operas.
View on Reddit #77468111

Capital-Company-3132@reddit

They probably don't show up for the casting and then they have to find an alternative.
View on Reddit #77492845

Dull_Cucumber_3908@reddit

>Why Hollywood isn't casting Greek actors for Greek characters, in films that are entirely based on Greek culture? Because if they choose "controversial" characters, people like Elon Musk will advertise the film for free.
View on Reddit #77491609

Vanko_Babanko@reddit

because those people want to destroy anything sacred..
View on Reddit #77490998

AlexCampy89@reddit

This way of thinking is dumb. I am italian, but I want to play a danish, a New Yorker, a Londoner, a French, etc. Of course I have to work on my accent, but as long as I represent the proper ethnicity (and nationalities aren't) and gender, I feel nothing wrong in actors having different nationalities than their characters. Yes, Lupita is not the right casting choice for Helen of Troy, but you may find hundreds of blonde, pale, green-eyed actresses from all around the world, not necessarily Greece, considering how modern day Greece has nothing to do with archaic Acaja and Troy in particular.
View on Reddit #77488739

ClothesZestyclose814@reddit (OP)

What do you mean Greece has nothing to do with Achaea?
View on Reddit #77490394

AlexCampy89@reddit

Modern Day Greec is very different now than what was before. Also, Troy is technically in Turkey, not Greece
View on Reddit #77490748

ClothesZestyclose814@reddit (OP)

In what sense it is different? Helen of Troy was from Sparta, not Troy..
View on Reddit #77490842

AlexCampy89@reddit

In the same sense the Roman Empire is different to modern day Italy. And I know that Helen was born in Sparta, but the war was held...in Troy.
View on Reddit #77490943

Normal-Locksmith8141@reddit

All that waxing would put them over budget.
View on Reddit #77490598

very_bad_random@reddit

She's beautiful...
View on Reddit #77490519

Gabito991@reddit

Agenda. Next question.
View on Reddit #77489872

Immediate_Safety_131@reddit

Its called black washing, the same thing happened in vikings: Valhalla, they portrayed King Jarl hakon as a black woman😭😭🤦🤦
View on Reddit #77489782

Agron7000@reddit

I wonder where the cast was from in the "Planet of apes".
View on Reddit #77488864

NumerousManager3600@reddit

Large noses dont film well. 
View on Reddit #77488587

Kaito__1412@reddit

Probably because it's a work of fiction and the artistic expression of an individual. It's not a documentary.
View on Reddit #77488133

rough0perator@reddit

Everyone knows perfectly well Lupita is a worse choice Everyone also knows why she would be cast It's a moot question
View on Reddit #77487980

Maguncia@reddit

Isn't the movie in English?
View on Reddit #77484056

mentally_stable1092@reddit

So we implying that if we casted greek people,the movie would be in greek?They know English dude
View on Reddit #77484448

Maguncia@reddit

It would be weird if she spoke in a foreign accent. I have no idea who she is, so maybe her English is perfect.
View on Reddit #77487836

Necessary-Document13@reddit

Because it’s not a documentary?
View on Reddit #77487445

vasjpan002@reddit

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnie_%28TV_series%29
View on Reddit #77487245

GayOver@reddit

Because your mythology and history are wrong, she was obviously blacker than night.
View on Reddit #77486422

WorldOfTech@reddit

Let's not be irrational here, she didn't have to be Greek, she just needed to be white.
View on Reddit #77465974

Elias_Sideris@reddit

I mean... even though some of us might have a little a bit of a darker skin, we're still considered white.
View on Reddit #77485270

WorldOfTech@reddit

Of course but the book clearly states PALE, that's not darker skinned.
View on Reddit #77485374

Elias_Sideris@reddit

Well, even though it isn't the most common skin type, you can absolutely find Greek women with a very light skin.
View on Reddit #77485853

Dieselface@reddit

Lots of white people don't pass well as Greeks. For example, the German actress from Troy 2004 that everyone is comparing to Lupita Nyong'o right now. On the flip side, lots of people in the Mediterranean parts of North Africa and the Middle East would easily pass as Greek (and of course people from Southern Europe). Hollywood never casts from these regions for films set in these regions.
View on Reddit #77467318

WorldOfTech@reddit

We have an African girl cast for the role....ANY Caucasian girl would be better fit for the role, that's my point.
View on Reddit #77467602

Dieselface@reddit

That's a pretty low bar, though. I don't think the 2004 Troy actress looks much more Greek than Nyong'o, frankly. If you're willing to concede that a German actress who doesn't look Greek at all is okay to be cast, then we're already at a point where authenticity in casting doesn't matter. Also, we don't even know if she's cast as Helen of Troy. There've been rumors about her being cast as Athena and know about her being cast as Helen, but it's all based on internet speculation.
View on Reddit #77468280

WorldOfTech@reddit

Doesn't look Greek at all? Did you even check the above pictures? And there are Greek women with even paler skin than this one. So yeah, she looked great.
View on Reddit #77468474

Dieselface@reddit

It's not about paleness. You can be blonde, blue eyed, pale skin, etc. and look Greek. But looking Greek to me is about facial features. If you really can't tell the difference in facial features of the Greek actress above and the German actress from Troy, you may just have face blindness.
View on Reddit #77469057

WorldOfTech@reddit

There are Greek women that look Russian or Bulgarian, so what? They aren't Greek? That there needs to be a specific face complexion for someone to look Greek is new to me.
View on Reddit #77469344

Dieselface@reddit

You're being deliberately obtuse. First off, I said nothing about complexion. I'm talking about facial features, particularly eyes, nose, brows, etc. Not every Greek looks the same, of course, but if you've been around a large number of Greeks and you aggregate their appearance you will absolutely see features that are very common and look "stereotypically" Greek. You'll find those features to be pretty common in the Balkans, Italy, Turkey, parts of the Middle East, etc. Hence many of those people could easily pass as Greek. You don't find those features as commonly in Northern Europe, hence its hit or miss whether those people pass as ethnically Greek.
View on Reddit #77470459

WorldOfTech@reddit

I am Greek, I live in Greece, I've been to almost the entire Europe and no matter what to me an Irish or a German woman will look a lot more Greek than a Kenyan.
View on Reddit #77471089

Dieselface@reddit

Okay, well I'm glad to know you're okay with movies never casting anyone who looks like you to play a Greek because of the very attitude you're expressing. Personally, I'm not okay with that. You seen to be looking at this situation as "Well gee, it sucks that Hollywood cast a black woman instead of a Greek. It was so much better when they were casting exclusively northern Europeans to play us!" I'm looking at this as "Both of those things are fucked up. Not every actor or even most actors need to be Greek, but they should try to typecast at least."
View on Reddit #77472181

WorldOfTech@reddit

If I can't have a Greek woman in the movie I am fine with ANY Caucasian since Helen is described in the book as PALE SKINNED. You know PALE as opposed to BLACK?
View on Reddit #77475140

Dieselface@reddit

It's so funny that I can basically say "not all 'white' ethnicities look alike" and some triggered people come into my replies with "OH SO YOU THINK GREEK PEOPLE LOOK BLACK?" And no matter how much I reiterate my actual point, no matter how much I simplify it for you, you just refuse to understand and instead put words in my mouth. I don't think you're actually incapable of understanding, I think you're just being intentionally obtuse because of an inferiority complex activated by me saying that southern Europeans don't look like northern Europeans and vice-versa. There's lots of pale Greeks. But pale Greeks still usually have southern European/Mediterranean facial features, not German or Nordic features. You know who knows this? Germans. That's why Fallmerayer famously claimed modern Greeks have nothing to do with ancient Greeks, because he imagined the ancient Greeks as looking Nordic like Germans, while modern Greeks generally do not. That was a popular position in northern Europe and the United States until after World War 2, when the whole racial pseudoscience was rightly stigmatized. In reality, ancient Greeks looked like modern Greeks and Mediterranean people in general. They didn't look like Germans. They also, of course, didn't look like black Africans. But my point is that you saying "well of course any white actress passes better for Greek than a black actress" is an *incredibly* low bar. Just because someone passes better for Greek than someone else, doesn't mean they actually pass well. And if they don't pass well, they probably shouldn't be cast in my humble opinion.
View on Reddit #77484530

WorldOfTech@reddit

They cast an African girl, at this point how can you say if it's not a Greek woman or doesn't look Greek she shouldn't be cast? Yes, the bar is VERY LOW at this point, any caucasian woman would be better.
View on Reddit #77484698

Dieselface@reddit

Because if they're casting Nordic-looking people as Greeks then it's not authentic casting anyway. At that point, they can cast purple people for all I give a shit.
View on Reddit #77484788

gothfangsx@reddit

If you're claiming a German actress doesn't look much more Greek than an Kenyan one no way you're real
View on Reddit #77468872

Dieselface@reddit

I'm saying that if I saw both of them in a room, there's no universe in which I'd think either one was Greek. The former being white doesn't mean I'd ever think she looked Greek. There are ethnic Germans who can pass as Greeks of course, she's just a particular example of one who ironically doesn't.
View on Reddit #77469175

gothfangsx@reddit

If you can't distinguish them then it might be you not other people, it's obvious but I would say you're trolling
View on Reddit #77469333

Dieselface@reddit

Its obvious that you're not capable of understanding what I'm saying. I'll say it in super simple terms that a child could understand. Just because two people are the same race doesn't mean they look ethnically similar. Hope that helps.
View on Reddit #77469862

gothfangsx@reddit

Funny how you're trying to lecture me about ethnicities while you think a woman from Kenya can pass as a Greek one, you don't know how Greeks look like. They are white just like all of the Southern Europeans and yes they can be pale and blonde.
View on Reddit #77472894

Dieselface@reddit

Funny how everyone who disagrees with me purposefully misinterprets what I'm saying. I really agree with the other commenter who said that some people have an inferiority complex about their ethnic appearance.
View on Reddit #77473314

gothfangsx@reddit

What does inferiority complex have to do with you seriously saying an Kenyan actress can pass as a Greek woman? Don't change the subject. I don't care about anything else we are talking about a movie casting
View on Reddit #77473537

Dieselface@reddit

I can't change the subject away from something that was never even the subject. It's not my fault you can't read and are imagining words I never said.
View on Reddit #77473676

gothfangsx@reddit

At least I can tell the difference between Greek and Kenyan women
View on Reddit #77476970

Dieselface@reddit

Too bad you can't read, then you would know that I can too!
View on Reddit #77483466

gothfangsx@reddit

What does an inferiority complex have to do with you seriously saying an Kenyan actress can pass as an Greek woman? Don't change the subject. I don't care about anything else we are talking about a movie casting
View on Reddit #77473485

atzitzi@reddit

You are mistaken. There can be Scandinavian looking Greeks. Minority, but they exist. But no black ethnic Greeks. Yes, Middle Eastern are Mediterranean. Of course, they could pass for Greeks, too.
View on Reddit #77474359

Dieselface@reddit

It really heartens me to know that every single person who's gotten mad at me apparently can't read. At no point did I say black people look Greek. But a small minority of Greeks who could pass as Nordic is just an exception that proves the rule. Most Greeks don't look like that. Neither did the ancient Greeks. The ancient Greeks famously considered northern Europeans as exotic and barbaric specifically because of their Nordic features.
View on Reddit #77474748

atzitzi@reddit

No. Greeks who can pass as Nordic or German or whatever aren't the small minority that proves the rule. We aren't that rare. It is really unfair because we are quite a lot. Also, Greeks admired blond hair, not as exotic but as rare.
View on Reddit #77475089

ClothesZestyclose814@reddit (OP)

"White" is American terminology, that doesn't make sense in Europe. A Greek person does not look the same as an Irish person.
View on Reddit #77466687

atzitzi@reddit

The thing is, there can be Greeks who do look like Irish. But there aren't ethnic Greeks who are black.
View on Reddit #77474027

WorldOfTech@reddit

I'd rather have an Irish girl instead of the one they cast, easy.
View on Reddit #77467496

LaurestineHUN@reddit

In some systems Greeks are not even white.
View on Reddit #77466506

ClothesZestyclose814@reddit (OP)

Only in the KKK system where White Anglo-Saxon Protestants (WASPs) are only considered white. That excludes almost the entirely of Europe, but a fraction.
View on Reddit #77466799

Mminas@reddit

That's still what "white" means in the anglosphere, they just make affordances to the periphery when it suits them.
View on Reddit #77467930

WorldOfTech@reddit

We are more or less like the girl in the photo, I'd call that Caucasian, thus white.
View on Reddit #77467186

Mminas@reddit

No thanks. It's better she's black than another anglo wasp trying to claim Hellenistic antiquity for orphans of the Commonwealth.
View on Reddit #77467733

WorldOfTech@reddit

Africans trying to do the same are better? Yeah, ok.
View on Reddit #77467928

-Passenger-@reddit

Being Greek would be the ideal cast, if not greek, then white would be the next best choice
View on Reddit #77466362

WorldOfTech@reddit

I am Greek but I don't expect Hollywood to just magically find a nice looking Greek woman in their midsts.....So to me, at least being white would be fine.
View on Reddit #77467020

BlKaiser@reddit

She just needed to look like a Greek.
View on Reddit #77466310

Unfair-Frame9096@reddit

Honestly, provided they don't pick an Indian, an Asian or an African, I am quite OK. Current Greeks have nothing to do with the Greeks back then, so I will settle for the image I made on Peneloppe when as a kid I read the classics.
View on Reddit #77470755

Elias_Sideris@reddit

Our dna hasn't changed much over the years. Modern Greeks are directly related to ancient Greeks.
View on Reddit #77485561

577564842@reddit

The watch is a dead giveaway she ain't no Helen of Troy.
View on Reddit #77466956

Elias_Sideris@reddit

Good point.
View on Reddit #77485396

Trix_Are_4_90Kids@reddit

Why Lupita being singled out? None of the cast is Greek. It’s Greek mythology. Man people sure can get twisted up about fake stories.
View on Reddit #77485158

Telleh@reddit

Why is Lupita a better choice? Because she's a known actress that happens to tick the box that makes you a "diversity" hire, same goes for Zendaya.
View on Reddit #77469591

Low_Flatworm3199@reddit

A Greek actress would have been a diversity hire.
View on Reddit #77479557

JbVision@reddit

Every white person who isn’t Greek is a diversity hire in a Greek story.
View on Reddit #77481404

Elias_Sideris@reddit

I was going to argue with you, but damn, you're right. Well played sir!
View on Reddit #77484063

Low_Flatworm3199@reddit

It's not Greek history it's a Hollywood story. There's a huge difference on this and a comment here highlights the why extremely well. https://www.reddit.com/r/AskBalkans/s/M9ZNTbMufi And since is our money, our directors and we're doing the hiring yes Greeks would be diversity hires, well not diversity hires more like Pity hires to pay a favour like letting us take another statue to our museums or something.
View on Reddit #77481703

JbVision@reddit

You’re not doing the hiring. Those Hollywood executives do not look at like a decision. You can’t even sit in an executive office with them and be taken seriously. It’s their money and their money, not your entire population; just like every other company or top ten percent. The film industry doesn’t work like that, unless you specifically are picking up a camera and funding your own film. That’s the been process since Hollywood’s classical era. Also, every population outside of Europe doesn’t function like this. South America, Asia, and Africa do not treat their entire continent’s worth of ethnicities like they’re synonymous. You cannot replace Mulan with a Korean woman without Chinese backlash, even Hollywood executives aren’t stupid enough to pull that move. It just sounds like, when comes to white people specifically, that there is an unassimilated margin who are constantly told they shouldn’t represent their own stories. A Greek in a Greek story is not a diversity hire. You are the diverse element making a story in their world, not the other way around.
View on Reddit #77483737

Telleh@reddit

Not in this case.
View on Reddit #77480912

dankdogeonface@reddit

Can't wait for these movies to come to the big screen too! https://preview.redd.it/at368ogds5hg1.jpeg?width=700&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=70e197e0e8eae21f94793df0f17ac3387c867f5c
View on Reddit #77483199

TheGGspot@reddit

Because of woke propaganda
View on Reddit #77467642

GreenEmployee9756@reddit

It's nothing Hollywood was always a tool of propaganda before white characters they replaced brown black and even asian figures by white American actors
View on Reddit #77482677

Whole_Obligation_776@reddit

Because Greeks are the real karaboğa. Honestly it is kinda funny, this is like what, 5th or 6th times?.
View on Reddit #77465935

Savings_Dragonfly806@reddit

What does that word even mean?
View on Reddit #77480709

Whole_Obligation_776@reddit

It is an old Turkish meme and means black bull in Turkish, it is known enough internationally too. It is basically a play on Turks not being white and uses the 'Black Bull' stereotype on pornography and especially in partner sharing genres. It started on 4Chan as many such things does and used as a counter to white supremacist movements on the internet. Some examples below: https://preview.redd.it/kb9cfsphq5hg1.jpeg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b697f245a121f5ce65de33ec8eb47ef1d28a64ea
View on Reddit #77482470

Savings_Dragonfly806@reddit

My god I get it now
View on Reddit #77482600

HoldenStupid@reddit

Nice profile picture
View on Reddit #77467308

Whole_Obligation_776@reddit

So is yours good sir.
View on Reddit #77468485

Character-Pirate1297@reddit

TBF, Klelia looks more like her French half than her Greek one, but still much closer to Helen of Troy than Lupita, lol. EXCEPT if Nolan does another of his usual crazy twists, like they’re all playing actors in a fictional Odyssey production inside the movie.
View on Reddit #77479168

ClothesZestyclose814@reddit (OP)

What French half?
View on Reddit #77481193

Character-Pirate1297@reddit

I mixed her up with Exarchopoulos, my bad.
View on Reddit #77482575

JbVision@reddit

I’m not surprised, but then again the same people saying this was okay with Andromeda being a white Anglo Saxon even though Homer wrote her as an Athiopia—a term used to describe Africans. “The Ancient Greek term Aithiopia (Αἰθιοπία) roughly translates to "burnt-face" ((aithō) = I burn, (ōps) = face) and was used to describe dark-skinned people, primarily in Nubia and regions south of Egypt. While often a vague term for African peoples, it was sometimes applied more broadly to dark-skinned populations from India.” If you’re going to go for accuracy, do it all the way. China would never let any other Asian population represent Mulan just because they’re Asian or barely share a skin tone. They would lose their shit if the actress was Japanese. There is no, “just because we kinda look the same, so it’s okay to appropriate my culture,” nonsense. Ancient Greeks used to call everyone who wasn’t Greek a “barbarian.” They never looked at every other European population like they were the same. Even the Macedonians had to fight to prove their Greek identity. https://preview.redd.it/pwtmka80p5hg1.jpeg?width=298&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5188f671b57bb6aaf48e5db6f244c1e333dbcf0b
View on Reddit #77482410

Unfair-Potential6923@reddit

are you ever hiring African actors for Othello or Egyptian actors for Aida? seriously. if you can be painted black. then they can be painted white
View on Reddit #77481725

StevenAdamsInDallas@reddit

No can do, all you get is an African-American kween. We wuz Helen of Troy.
View on Reddit #77466741

JbVision@reddit

She’s a Mexican, and white Americans are not synonymous to Greeks.
View on Reddit #77481290

Successful-Singer-27@reddit

See the issue is that people are in this business to make money and that's how they choose some familiar or well known faces. They use loosely the idea and make a movie. Greece can make a movie too with all Greek characters. Check the old movie Asparuh from Bulgaria, bulgarians tried to make their own historical movie with local talent.
View on Reddit #77481267

Irisblve@reddit

Lupita is not a better choice, I personally find it offensive and shameful to be completely honest. And at this point I believe it isn't only the production's fault, but it's also the actor's that accepts the role fault.
View on Reddit #77480879

matreku@reddit

Greeks are bad at english
View on Reddit #77480868

Traditional_Bus_4830@reddit

You know Hamilton, the musical? They cast a black actor as George Washington. London in 2021. And am not sure how the actors themselves feel about this. I would like to hear their perspective. Perhaps not many opportunities as we don’t see many adaptations of African mythology. It is either movies about the slavers or non at all.
View on Reddit #77480794

Perversion_Prophet@reddit

Ah yes, the Hellenic Aryan Race https://preview.redd.it/xm1jyi0445hg1.jpeg?width=3300&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9ee1d07fcb81b1f1713fba62c8ef430280951d35
View on Reddit #77472658

Disguised2K@reddit

https://preview.redd.it/jkyiqh7j55hg1.png?width=866&format=png&auto=webp&s=be1108311a3c9f2706a9be74e66aae853b4ac183
View on Reddit #77473208

Savings_Dragonfly806@reddit

This feels like a comment on Twitter 
View on Reddit #77480507

Utstein@reddit

As a Scandinavian,  I could say the same with the plethora of "Viking movies/series" we've had. 
View on Reddit #77480122

Lizard_Of_Roz@reddit

Haluk Bilginer (Turkish actor) was cast as Aristotle Onassis in “Maria.” I thought that was interesting, haven’t researched the rationale though.
View on Reddit #77471422

ClothesZestyclose814@reddit (OP)

Aristotle Onassis was born in Smyrna, Haluk Bilginer was born in İzmir. They were literally born in the same city.
View on Reddit #77471668

Lizard_Of_Roz@reddit

Neat coincidence, but so what? The question was about why non-Greek actors were cast to play Greek individuals,
View on Reddit #77479979

Optimal-Medium491@reddit

They dont even speak our language, well most of them, born and raised at states
View on Reddit #77479969

El_chaplo@reddit

I think the better question would be. Why don't our own not make a movie or a series about ancient Greece or greek mythology?
View on Reddit #77479966

dimiteddy@reddit

I would also prefer maestro Chris Papakaliatis as Odysseus, he's charming and looks more Greek than Matt Damon. Orini Melissa could play Telemachus
View on Reddit #77479812

TakeMeCountryRoads@reddit

This woman is smooooookin hot, just sayin.
View on Reddit #77479676

JustSomeBloke5353@reddit

While the Homeric epics are undeniably Greek at their core, they have become so popular that they now belong to the common heritage of the world. It is a massive credit to Greece that the Iliad and Odyssey serve as the foundational "operating system" for Western literature, but there is a bittersweet loss in that global success. This shift is very similar to the globalisation of the English language; what began as the tongue of a small island has exploded into a worldwide phenomenon. Just as the English have lost an "exclusive" claim to their own language because everyone now uses it, Greece must share Homer with the globe. By becoming universal, these cultural treasures lose a bit of the unique, homegrown identity that once belonged solely to the people who created them.
View on Reddit #77479149

Useful_Secret4895@reddit

There's no description of the physical appearance of Helen of Troy in the Iliad, on the contrary Homer lets our imagination free. "She is dreadfully like the immortal goddesses to look upon" is the only description of her in the poem.
View on Reddit #77479145

ReadTheManualBro@reddit

Because they have to sell to every possible group target of people.
View on Reddit #77479109

MaddAnt@reddit

He's making the movie, his version let's call it, so he can cast whoever he likes. With that being said, i don't agree at all with those types of casting situations but we had many examples and it will only get worse.
View on Reddit #77478980

ThickCaterpillar9867@reddit

https://preview.redd.it/r6g4rzorh5hg1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=271cdb00fca35a786ce3991146acc9d1494c4c08 The one and only
View on Reddit #77478835

Gefunkz@reddit

Maybe because she cannot keep her head straight
View on Reddit #77478417

despacito6456@reddit

As a greek I think anyone from the Mediterranean would be an ok casting, asking for a greek cast for an American movie seems unlikely
View on Reddit #77478264

Candid_Company_3289@reddit

Helen was Turkish. End of story
View on Reddit #77477885

okcomputerock@reddit

Propaganda
View on Reddit #77477871

TurbulentWinters@reddit

It would be racist to use a Greek person for a Greek role
View on Reddit #77477703

WildOne5303@reddit

What movie? Thank you.
View on Reddit #77476289

Sad-Assistance-8039@reddit

She was my first choice for Helen too!
View on Reddit #77476049

pan7h-@reddit

because racism is totally fine if it is directed at white people try doing a movie about MLK and make him white
View on Reddit #77476033

quebexer@reddit

You should ask this on r/AskHollywood
View on Reddit #77475606

Washed_up_Vanski@reddit

Have you considered that the drama created by the casting choice could be a marketing strategy for the movie?
View on Reddit #77471876

ClothesZestyclose814@reddit (OP)

It's the Odyssey and Nolan, you already have all the publicity you want.
View on Reddit #77472216

fuckingmacedonian@reddit

Your opinions are almost always bullshit but I finally agree with you on something. This movie would have the publicity it needs because Nolan is the director. They didn't have to cast every famous actor out there. A one or two Hollywood stars would've made the perfect balance.
View on Reddit #77475367

Washed_up_Vanski@reddit

That is a fair point.
View on Reddit #77472446

GrkRambo@reddit

DEI
View on Reddit #77475351

BurebistaDacian@reddit

Considering that Helen was the alleged reason for starting a war that spanned 10 years, culminating with the destruction of a prominent ancient city, they could've chosen a beautiful woman, not some fucking ape. It's not just historically inaccurate, it's not believable. >This is the woman we're going to war for! Yes, she looks like a fucking monkey but we have to pretend she's gorgeous! To war my brave soldiers!
View on Reddit #77466751

No_Challenge8358@reddit

>fucking ape ??? Not the gypsy talking, please.
View on Reddit #77475133

Golddustofawoman@reddit

This is exactly why they say Europeans are somehow more racist than Americans. Jesus. I totally understand the criticism of not casting a Greek woman but ape? Really?
View on Reddit #77467591

BurebistaDacian@reddit

>This is exactly why they say Europeans are somehow more racist than Americans Thank you for noticing. >but ape? Really? Yes.
View on Reddit #77467651

pink_is_dead@reddit

You'd wish to have at least the intelligence of an ape, but you are only comparable to one-cell organisms.
View on Reddit #77469737

BurebistaDacian@reddit

I doubt that, but you do you
View on Reddit #77470051

Golddustofawoman@reddit

I'd love for you to find out what that gets you outside of Romania.
View on Reddit #77467818

BurebistaDacian@reddit

Are you threatening me?
View on Reddit #77468019

Golddustofawoman@reddit

Nope. Absolutely not. I'm simply saying I would be wary of being so brazenly and openly racist outside of Romania because it is simply not tolerated in other places. That is all.
View on Reddit #77468157

BurebistaDacian@reddit

Damn, means I'm not packing my "proud racist" t-shirt on vacation this summer... In all seriousness, I just don't like the race swap of historical figures in movies and TV shows. That goes both ways, like, if I'm watching a movie about China, I will expect Chinese looking people. If I'm watching a movie about Nigeria, I'm going to expect Nigerian looking people. The constant political agenda injection in entertainment makes it less entertaining and more annoying.
View on Reddit #77468629

Golddustofawoman@reddit

And that is understandable. I also find it annoying. However, that does not mean calling a black woman an ape is okay. Do better. You can criticize bad casting choices without resorting to racism.
View on Reddit #77468834

BurebistaDacian@reddit

Maybe you're right. Maybe she's a sweet person who doesn't deserve getting bashed. But if I was an actor and someone wanted to cast me as Adonis, I'd laugh and ask if it's a prank, I mean how unaware can someone be to not realise they really don't look the part?
View on Reddit #77468998

Golddustofawoman@reddit

I think it's less about that and more about not wanting to squander landing a big role. This isn't her fault. It's whoever made the choice to cast her, historical accuracy be damned. It was probably her agent's idea to have her audition anyway. Maybe she will act her ass off even if she doesn't look the part. I mean, they already have plenty of other questionable casting choices going on here.
View on Reddit #77469253

BurebistaDacian@reddit

If it was the other way around, and some legendary black queen was portrayed by some Sydney sweeney looking white woman, I guarantee EVERYONE would've been outraged. I'm tired of pretending there's no agenda when it's literally being thrown in our faces in movies, TV shows, video games and any form of entertainment. If I'm coming off as racist today, it's because of the agenda that's been shoved down my throat. There are so few black people in my country, that I didn't see one in real life until I was already an adult, so I have zero historical grievances towards Africans. I love comedy movies with African Americans because it fits, it doesn't look forced, artificial, it's authentic and makes you laugh, that's it. When it's rewriting history through political agendas disguised as entertainment, that's when I walk away and refuse to watch it.
View on Reddit #77469797

MinimumArt8781@reddit

I believe the Americans think that Greece itself is something mythical and that it doesn't exist, so....
View on Reddit #77475067

QuietPositive2564@reddit

Yes but for Moses the hired Charleston Heston who is Jewish. Some roles are none negotiable!
View on Reddit #77474956

Ujemegaz@reddit

Shs looks like an actor in Turkish/Argentinian soap operas.
View on Reddit #77474823

petrogaz@reddit

[According to Euripides](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_(play)) the Helen in Troy is actually a phantom doppelganger. The real one was actually switched and taken to Egypt. In other words... https://preview.redd.it/enibvfsf85hg1.png?width=1024&format=png&auto=webp&s=78b3e02a20054891f0e0185361b6b062b8ba09ac So it checks out with *that* version of Helen's myth at least. (No, seriously, that's the plot of the "Helen" play. Euripides did the whole "subverting expectations" thing 3000 years before it became a not-so-cheap Hollywood fad.)
View on Reddit #77474562

Winter-Speech978@reddit

Blonde Greeks are slavs 
View on Reddit #77468050

abki12c@reddit

Alexander the Great was blonde long before Monkeydonians came
View on Reddit #77470255

Winter-Speech978@reddit

He was blonde because he wasn't African gypsy called greek in our days
View on Reddit #77471293

AskBalkans-ModTeam@reddit

Your post/comment was removed for violating Rule 1 of r/AskBalkans "Keep it civil". Depending on the severity of this violation, you may be banned. If not, try to refrain from using this type of language. Lively discussion is alright, but personal attacks, insults, hate, chauvinism and/or bigotry towards other users or their input will not be tolerated. Cheers.
View on Reddit #77474547

AskBalkans-ModTeam@reddit

Your post/comment was removed for violating Rule 1 of r/AskBalkans "Keep it civil". Depending on the severity of this violation, you may be banned. If not, try to refrain from using this type of language. Lively discussion is alright, but personal attacks, insults, hate, chauvinism and/or bigotry towards other users or their input will not be tolerated. Cheers.
View on Reddit #77471597

AskBalkans-ModTeam@reddit

Your post/comment was removed for violating Rule 3 of r/AskBalkans "No agenda pushing". We want this subreddit to be an inclusive space and no chauvinism, bigotry or insults towards national, ethnic, religious etc. group will be tolerated. Depending on the severity of this violation, you may be banned. In any case, refrain from posting or commenting in such a manner.
View on Reddit #77474540

ClothesZestyclose814@reddit (OP)

Funny because it's Crete that has the most blonde people in Greece, a land untouched by Slavs.
View on Reddit #77468381

Winter-Speech978@reddit

Lol, for sure. Coz me as a blonde "Slav" have the most relatives in Peloponnese and Crete
View on Reddit #77468624

casual_philosopher02@reddit

As a Peloponnesian did you see that in these ancestry DNA tests?
View on Reddit #77470692

Winter-Speech978@reddit

No, I have 3rd cousins there
View on Reddit #77471326

ClothesZestyclose814@reddit (OP)

Now try again in English 
View on Reddit #77469460

Winter-Speech978@reddit

Even if I speak Greek, you wont get it. Οι περισσότεροι Έλληνες συγγενείς μου είναι από την Πελοπόννησο και την Κρήτη
View on Reddit #77469885

ClothesZestyclose814@reddit (OP)

Συγχαρητήρια, και εμένα.
View on Reddit #77470825

SOHONEYSAME@reddit

like 5% of Greeks (probably being generous, lol) speak a Slavic language.
View on Reddit #77469648

Winter-Speech978@reddit

So it about the language, not the genetics 
View on Reddit #77469768

No_Challenge8358@reddit

I feel like the reason why Hollywood blockbuster movies have a Hollywood blockbuster cast instead of no-name actors from Greece or whatever country the screen-adapted story has its roots in is pretty self-explanatory.
View on Reddit #77474399

FatefulDonkey@reddit

Because Hollywood is about making money. Who cares about the actors or script.
View on Reddit #77474346

centrist-@reddit

Lupita Nyong'o looks more greek than this ''greek'' woman... she is probably asimilated slav and she is thinking that she is greek 😂 %5 maybe lol
View on Reddit #77467687

ClothesZestyclose814@reddit (OP)

🇦🇱🇹🇷 or 🇲🇰?
View on Reddit #77470221

centrist-@reddit

Neither. 🇩🇰 I'm a real white, not fake white as you. 😂
View on Reddit #77472653

ClothesZestyclose814@reddit (OP)

A swamp dweller then 👌
View on Reddit #77474112

AJ_Stangerson@reddit

Western Europe has been appropriating Greek culture for thousands of years. I don't think anyone notices at this point.
View on Reddit #77474008

cocteau88@reddit

She is not Peloponnesian, she is from Thessaloniki.
View on Reddit #77472953

ClothesZestyclose814@reddit (OP)

She was raised in Thessaloniki to Peloponnesian parents, from Katakolon.
View on Reddit #77473975

pollenpresser@reddit

> Klélia Andriolátou She's a horrendous actress tho
View on Reddit #77473824

Environmental-Pea-97@reddit

No one likes the Greek, they just like the idea of the Greek, that's why.
View on Reddit #77466228

tortoistor@reddit

i didn't even need to look at your flare to know what country you are from lmfao
View on Reddit #77466739

Environmental-Pea-97@reddit

I wasn't trying to talk shit about the Greek mate. I find the whole concept of historical rivalry or animosity to be extremely idiotic. Millions of people heating each other because of whatever transpired between their ancestors doesn't just make sense. I mean there is enough in the present time to worry about why the fuck should I be hostile to a random Greek who didn't do me any harm?
View on Reddit #77473291

ClothesZestyclose814@reddit (OP)

The problem is all Westerners see Greek civilization as their own civilization.
View on Reddit #77466891

Environmental-Pea-97@reddit

True. Stupid but true.
View on Reddit #77472895

narcisobaro@reddit

Because it is Hollywoke!
View on Reddit #77473258

Mixed_Signal@reddit

Because for a western US market, Lupita is a far more interesting choice.
View on Reddit #77473005

The_Booty_Spreader@reddit

Because she isn't part of the Hollywood Epstein baby eating raping trafficking elite
View on Reddit #77472891

MrKorakis@reddit

Andriolatou is good looking but she really can't act. I would rather have a better actress than cast someone just for being Greek. Also she was born and raised in Thessaloniki in Northern Greece not the Peloponnese
View on Reddit #77472644

Is_Actually_Sans@reddit

They don’t give a fuck about casting anymore, it’s all the same 50 or so actors being circled around from production to production
View on Reddit #77472385

lShoddy6185@reddit

Because Hollywood is trying to be so “ politically correct” and “inclusive “ it’s getting ridiculous.
View on Reddit #77472323

good_behavior_man@reddit

What did a Greek person look like 3000 years ago?
View on Reddit #77467007

atzitzi@reddit

https://preview.redd.it/1e196eq935hg1.jpeg?width=995&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3f757e792fccbb2d9d638fd9d524c0dcb10bfc97
View on Reddit #77472286

gothfangsx@reddit

Definitely not Kenyan like the actress they want to portray her
View on Reddit #77468522

ClothesZestyclose814@reddit (OP)

We have tons of statues, paintings, frescoes, mosaics, vases, and manuscripts that give a perfect answer to your question.
View on Reddit #77467811

DerLandmann@reddit

Because acting is pretending someone that you are not. I have seen dozens of Hamlet plays, not one actor was either danish or a prince.
View on Reddit #77471971

ClothesZestyclose814@reddit (OP)

Sure, let's put a male actor as Helen then.
View on Reddit #77472155

DerLandmann@reddit

In classical theatre, that was mostly the case.
View on Reddit #77472206

munchmills@reddit

Why do you fucking coneheads care so much....
View on Reddit #77472191

Fatalaros@reddit

Racist American employment quotas. That ironically were meant as a means to combat racism in employment.
View on Reddit #77472149

Discipline_Cautious1@reddit

I once saw a movie with Al Pachino where he played a blind guy. Woooha , he wasnt even blind
View on Reddit #77466390

Adventurous-Tap-6406@reddit

Why don't we cast white dudes playing the Masai? Why don't we cast sassy Latinos playing the Nazis? See I know they are actors and they are pretending to be smt that they are not but sometimes in movies you like some "accuracy". Next we will see beethoven the dog played by a short transgender woman barking. Why? What's wrong with that??
View on Reddit #77467348

Discipline_Cautious1@reddit

You should make your own hollywoodopolous and make your own movies.
View on Reddit #77472066

CamperKuzey@reddit

That's because Americans have inherited the self identification the English have with hellenics. That's why Greek myths are """"world"""" history first and greek history second. They could've at least found someone who looks greek, but no.
View on Reddit #77471792

S7AR4RGD@reddit

Because this isn't My Big Fat Greek Epic.
View on Reddit #77471565

the_Unruly_Sherden@reddit

She cannot fit Homer's description because Helen is not described in the Iliad.
View on Reddit #77471354

Austerlitz2310@reddit

The same reason in Percy Jackson the series Annabeth is played by a blonde gray eyed gir just like the book says The movie already looks like trash from the trailer.
View on Reddit #77471287

SpaceOdysseus23@reddit

Nolan has always struck me as an AI in human flesh, so nothing in the Odyssey surprises me. All of his movies are completely sterile and devoid of personality, I don't understand why he wants to adapt a story that's the opposite.
View on Reddit #77471079

MasterpieceVirtual66@reddit

This isn't the first nor the last time this happens. Just look at how the BBC portrayed Achilles: https://preview.redd.it/ere29ejvz4hg1.jpeg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e33b643e66edfb9677e426100bfb5fdad06ee9a7
View on Reddit #77470869

Repulsive_Work_226@reddit

Troy is in Anatolia and the highest Anatolian dna is carried by today's Turks. So most of them needs to be Turkish
View on Reddit #77468684

casual_philosopher02@reddit

Helen is from Sparta, she left to Troy for Paris , let's not misunderstand the basic premise of the story 
View on Reddit #77470531

Repulsive_Work_226@reddit

ok got confused and thought she was Turkish :) I assume she was as beautiful as you are!
View on Reddit #77470791

TransportationOk6990@reddit

Yes, but Helena wasn't from troy.
View on Reddit #77468820

Repulsive_Work_226@reddit

ok was she from Athens
View on Reddit #77468881

ClothesZestyclose814@reddit (OP)

She was from Sparta, actually. In Greek we never call her Helen of Troy, we call her Beautiful Helen instead.
View on Reddit #77469810

Repulsive_Work_226@reddit

she is beautiful for sure
View on Reddit #77470207

ClothesZestyclose814@reddit (OP)

She was the most beautiful woman in the world, it was Aphrodite's gift to Paris for gifting her the Apple of Discord.
View on Reddit #77470353

Repulsive_Work_226@reddit

define most beautiful: anyway Klélia Andriolátou is great too.
View on Reddit #77470659

TransportationOk6990@reddit

She grew up near Athens, but she was a daughter of Zeus, so it doesn't really matter.
View on Reddit #77469105

Repulsive_Work_226@reddit

thanks !
View on Reddit #77469179

trisul-108@reddit

Greek cinema also features films where Greek actors portray foreigners.
View on Reddit #77470596

Divisive_Ass@reddit

It's on people to reward or punish those practices with their money. That's all. Myself can't think of single example of an entertainment medium with questionable casting choices that wasn't garbage in many other ways.
View on Reddit #77470208

DeadgrounD@reddit

>Why Hollywood isn't casting Greek actors for Greek characters Because they're not black. Remember, it's 2026.
View on Reddit #77469848

AdrianGoMaksimilijan@reddit

Because Hollywood has a right to cast whatever actress they want and the point of Illiad isn't the color of the skin of Helen, but of pointlessness of war, the fatal consequences of fury and that destiny is inevitable for both mortal and god and those messages are universal.
View on Reddit #77469817

AgileAd1346@reddit

They usually hire shaniqua or laquisha for Greek mythology
View on Reddit #77469323

bobo6u89@reddit

Cuz they have infinite money glitch with the streaming services.
View on Reddit #77468864

Scary-Teaching-8536@reddit

Becaue the oscars have race quotas and movie directors want to win oscars
View on Reddit #77468784

SE_prof@reddit

Because they need to also hire Papakaliatis, but he prefers to direct Oedipus....
View on Reddit #77468541

vlastika33@reddit

Greeka suck at english
View on Reddit #77468490

tekedagreek@reddit

Is it possible that acting skills + English proficiency are an issue?
View on Reddit #77468380

Observe_Report_@reddit

Travis Scott is in the movie as well.
View on Reddit #77467970

Imperthus@reddit

My friend, i don't want to sound weird, Hollywood doesn't cast whites for white characters and you are asking this question, isn't it obvious?
View on Reddit #77467936

Hackeringerinho@reddit

Give it 10 years, she'll be half Japanese half white with a white dad.
View on Reddit #77467675

Pantolonun_Utulusu@reddit

Ow yeah, this is what Helen should look like.
View on Reddit #77467648

West_Bank3045@reddit

this question is very important in my life, I cant live without it.
View on Reddit #77467456

eduardkaiku@reddit

Artistic preferences & also the need for well known international actors to sell those tickets, just the talent of the director won’t finance and sell the movie. + it’s Hollywood so it’s mostly and American production and that’s their main market normally.
View on Reddit #77467237

jkastoras@reddit

Because of American cultural hegemony. Americans don't give a crap about the culture of other people. Their primary concern is to generate revenue, their secondary concern is to propagate their own ideologies and agendas. Every country would do the same I suppose.
View on Reddit #77467051

HahaImStillHere@reddit

she looks like the girl who played in magnificent century kosem
View on Reddit #77466996

Spare_Pea_9339@reddit

Just don't pay for anything american, pirate if you're curious. I studied history troy 2024 was a disaster but they at least got good costumes even my teacher recommended to watch only for details not for the story.
View on Reddit #77466483

sjedinjenoStanje@reddit

British Nolan (director), Thomas (producer), Syncopy (production company) all British.
View on Reddit #77466983

420_sex-master_69@reddit

You know exactly why
View on Reddit #77466716

BrilliantNumber6389@reddit

It’s Hollywood, they do what they want, when Greece makes a film about Greek mythology and culture they can cast Greeks
View on Reddit #77466278

-Passenger-@reddit

That would be the right choice. Not gonna spent one cent on Nolans Massacre of Greek Culture
View on Reddit #77466249

wolfy994@reddit

They don't type-cast. They cast stars and big names. Hollywood is an American thing so they'll be doing what's close to them. If you want authenticity, I suggest you look elsewhere, like domestic cinematography or other sources.
View on Reddit #77466100

Separate-Date-6518@reddit

That would have been a much better choice, indeed.
View on Reddit #77465760