If you have something negative to say about the diverse cast of characters seen in Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and/or HBO’s House of the Dragon, Whoopi Goldberg doesn’t want to hear it. With both shows recently arriving at their respective homes, there has been a certain level of criticism on social media over the inclusion of Black characters. With The Rings of Power, some argue that the diverse casting doesn’t line up with how certain characters were described in the original books.
Speaking about the situation on The View (per Variety), Goldberg sounded off on everyone criticizing the Rings of Power casting. She says that because the mythical creatures in the fantasy series do not actually exist in real life, there’s no good reason why more Black actors can’t be featured in a new reimagining of the story. Going on to tell the online critics to “get a job,” Goldberg insinuates that these people must have too much time on their hands if they’re spending it complaining about Black people playing fictional characters.
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Goldberg’s co-host Sunny Hostin agreed, commenting that it’s “fascinating” that some viewers are okay with seeing fire-breathing dragons and people born with snow-white hair and violet eyes, but that featuring Black people is “a bridge too far for these folks.” That’s not too far off from what House of the Dragon actor Steve Toussaint said about the backlash, previously saying of his casting, “They’re happy with white hair and violet-colored eyes, but a rich Black guy? That’s beyond the pale.”
To stress the point further, Goldberg then pointed to an upcoming Disney movie remake that will likely ruffle the feathers of many of these same people criticizing diverse casting in other projects. Halle Bailey will debut as a Black incarnation of Ariel in a live-action remake of The Little Mermaid, which comes to theaters next year. Goldberg predicts a lot of people losing their minds when that movie is released.
You can watch The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power on Prime Video and House of the Dragon on HBO Max.