Page 31 - ARUBA TODAY

PEOPLE & ARTS Wednesday 30 august 2017
A31

Glenn Close wins Ed Skrein pulls out of

award named for ‘Hellboy’ film after backlash

Katharine Hepburn By JAKE COYLE

AP Film Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — British
OLD SAYBROOK, Conn. and character.” Close actor Ed Skrein has with-
(AP) — Actress Glenn Close has earned six Oscar drawn from the upcoming
says she is humbled to nominations. She says she “Hellboy” reboot a week
receive an award named was inspired to become after his casting sparked
after Katharine Hepburn, an actress in college when outcries of whitewashing.
given what an inspiration she saw an interview with In a lengthy post on his so-
Hepburn was to her career. Hepburn. She told Hepburn cial media channels Mon-
The Day of New London the story when they finally day, Skrein said he accept-
reports Close received the met in 1990. In response, ed the role of Ben Daimio
Spirit of Katharine Hepburn Hepburn wrote a letter unaware of its Asian heri-
Award on Saturday in saying she was glad she tage. The character Skrein
Connecticut. persuaded Close “to join was to play,
The Katharine Hepburn this terrible profession” and Ben Daimio, is Japanese-
Cultural Arts Center presents “this delicious way to spend American in the “Hellboy”
the honor to someone your life.” comics the films are based In this April 9, 2016 file photo, Ed Skrein arrives at the MTV Movie
who embodies Hepburn’s Hepburn died in 2003 at on. Awards in Burbank, Calif. Associated Press
“spirit, independence 96.q Critics said Skrein’s casting
was just the latest instance ity stories and voices in the in Cameron Crowe’s “Alo-
Kevin Kwan: Americans of an Asian or Asian-Amer- arts,” wrote Skrein. ha” and Scarlett Johansson
ican role being handed to
as the cyborg protagonist
“I feel it is important to hon-
will embrace ‘Crazy Rich a white actor. or and respect that. There- in the Japanese anime re-
“It is clear that represent-
fore I have decided to step make “Ghost in the Shell.”
Asians’ movie ing this character in a cul- down so the role can be Last week’s Netflix release,
turally accurate way holds
cast appropriately.”
the Japanese manga ad-
significance for people The backlash followed pre- aptation “Death Note”
By ANGELA CHEN and that to neglect this vious controversies includ- also drew criticism for trans-
Associated Press responsibility would con- ing the castings of Emma ferring a Japanese story to
HONG KONG (AP) — Kevin tinue a worrying tendency Stone as a half-Hawaiian, Seattle without any Asian
Kwan believes that Ameri- to obscure ethnic minor- half-Chinese Air Force pilot actors. q
ca will embrace the “Crazy
Rich Asians” movie, which
is based on his best-selling ‘The Elephant Man’ playwright Bernard
novel of the same name.
The Singaporean novelist Pomerance dies at 76
was in Hong Kong recently
to promote “Rich People
Problems,” the third and By MARK KENNEDY
last book in his “Crazy Rich” AP Entertainment Writer
trilogy. His first book, “Cra- NEW YORK (AP) — Bernard
zy Rich Asians,” released In this Friday, Aug. 25, 2017, Pomerance, the play-
in 2013, is the story of an photo, Singaporean novelist wright best known for the
Kevin Kwan talks during an in-
Asian-American girl, Ra- terview in Hong Kong. Tony Award-winning play
chel, accompanying her Associated Press about a horribly deformed
boyfriend, Nick, to Singa- man that has lured some
pore for a wedding, only with an all-Asian cast. of Hollywood’s biggest
to learn about Nick’s fam- “I think it’s huge,” he said. names, such as Bradley
ily wealth and power after “It’s really the first time. Cooper and John Hurt, has
stepping off the plane. The ... I’m sorry it hasn’t hap- died. He was 76.
book provides a glimpse pened earlier.” Longtime agent Alan
into the decadent and “People are really eager Brodie said Tuesday that
opulent lives of Asia’s ultra- to see if Hollywood keeps Pomerance died Satur-
rich. Its popularity gave its promise and rolls out this day of complications from This 1979 image released by David LeShay shows Bernard
Pomerance, playwright of “The Elephant Man,” in New York.
birth to a sequel, “China movie the way we want it cancer at his home in Gali- Associated Press
Rich Girlfriends.” to,” he said. steo, New Mexico. “The El-
It didn’t take long for Hol- Hollywood came under ephant Man” was based
lywood to notice the suc- heavy criticism for so- on a true story and has ally followed the mesmeriz- the sensitive, almost saintly
cess of Kwan’s books and called “white-washing” last been frequently revived ing Philip Anglim in the title Merrick. He is a man who
buy the rights to make year when Tilda Swinton since its 1979 New York de- role. Billy Crudup starred in finds safe haven in a Lon-
“Crazy Rich Asians” into a was cast as a character but. It examines the life of a 2002 revival, and Cooper don hospital after spending
film. that was originally Tibetan John Merrick, an extremely led one in 2014 that earned much of his life in second-
Kwan served as an ex- in “Doctor Strange” and disfigured but indomitable four Tony nominations. Hurt rate carnivals as a freak at-
ecutive producer on the Scarlett Johansson played man who becomes a ce- starred in David Lynch’s traction — and then blos-
“Crazy Rich Asians” movie, the cyborg protagonist in lebrity in Victorian London. 1980 film adaptation. soms into the confidante
and said it was a long time the Japanese anime re- On Broadway, such diverse Pomerance’s tale show- of celebrated actresses,
coming for Hollywood to make “Ghost in the Shell.” performers as David Bowie cases the triumph of a very statesmen and even roy-
make a romantic comedy q and Mark Hamill eventu- human spirit, personified by alty. q