The real life Dante "Tex" Gill
Posted on 07/13/2018 4:27:10 PM PDT by EdnaMode
Scarlett Johansson, who endured cries of whitewashing when she played the lead in last year’s Ghost in the Shell, this time has given in to public pressure. The actress today exited Rub & Tug, the Rupert Sanders-directed film in which she was to play the trans owner of a massage parlor.
Johansson’s role in the project was met with immediate backlash from the transgender community and others who objected to her casting. Following the initial uproar, the actress responded with a statement to Bustle.com which read, “Tell them that they can be directed to Jeffrey Tambor, Jared Leto, and Felicity Huffman’s reps for comment.”
Well, now it looks like Johannson has had a change of heart. In a statement to Out.com, Johannson said, “In light of recent ethical questions raised surrounding my casting as Dante Tex Gill, I have decided to respectfully withdraw my participation in the project.”
As Deadline broke exclusively on July 2, New Regency had won a fevered auction for the package which came with Johansson starring and Sanders directing. The production, which reportedly had a budget north of $30 million, had her set to play Pittsburgh massage parlor owner and crime kingpin Dante “Tex” Gill in the upcoming mob drama Rub & Tug. The real-life Gill was born as Lois Jean Gill but identified as a man — a detail which sparked the opposition.
Read the full statement published on Out.com below.
“In light of recent ethical questions raised surrounding my casting as Dante Tex Gill, I have decided to respectfully withdraw my participation in the project. Our cultural understanding of transgender people continues to advance, and I’ve learned a lot from the community since making my first statement about my casting and realize it was insensitive. I have great admiration and love for the trans community and am grateful that the conversation regarding inclusivity in Hollywood continues. According to GLAAD, LGBTQ+ characters dropped 40% in 2017 from the previous year, with no representation of trans characters in any major studio release. While I would have loved the opportunity to bring Dante’s story and transition to life, I understand why many feel he should be portrayed by a transgender person, and I am thankful that this casting debate, albeit controversial, has sparked a larger conversation about diversity and representation in film. I believe that all artists should be considered equally and fairly. My production company, These Pictures, actively pursues projects that both entertain and push boundaries. We look forward to working with every community to bring these most poignant and important stories to audiences worldwide.”
No one so far has commented on the movie title. Rub and Tug. Really.
I think you’re right.
And it’s okay for black, hispanic and Asian actors to play the founding fathers in Hamilton.
So, the tranny was a pimp? Why’d they want the movie made anyway?
She can't do it due to another commitment. She's playing the title role in a remake of "The Hindenburg."
Alexander Hamilton was a Creole.
cast Michelle Obama in the lead and put it on Netflix.
should a biological male get the role or biological woman as was the person the film is about?
so much for acting if you have to hire the actual thing to portray the role.
Hollywood controlled buy the first group to grab signs and cry.
I think they want a biological female who identifies as a man.
Now that’s funny. I was not expecting the Hindenburg,
before, during or after that gassy blast.
Chaz Bono.
I doubt that they shot themselves in the foot (other than when they decided to make such a stupid movie). No normal person wants to see a movie about a mentally ill woman who has mutilated her body. Their only potential audience wants this change, and they should listen to the rabid left - if they are going to make this money-loser at all.
Ouch my eyes! What has been seen cannot be unseen.
Yeah, Johansson would have to have a helluva lot of prosthetics and makeup... maybe Industrial Light and Magic, the company that did the Star Wars special effects...
Yeah good example.
She’s the spittin’ image of Scarlett Johansson.
yup, the only way it’ll make way money without ScarJo
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