With renowned Hollywood stars facing criticism over nepotism and whitewashing, another wave of backlash arrived their way when they started taking away minority roles from lesser-known actors. Previously slamming Scarlett Johansson for whitewashing and stealing a transgender role, netizens went after Dwayne Johnson for his role as a disabled person in Skyscraper.
Following Dwayne Johnson’s $304M flop Skyscraper, Paralympian actress Katy Sullivan branded the actor hypocritical. As Johnson took away the role of a disabled person, despite previously calling for more actors with disability on-screen, Sullivan compared him to Scarlett Johansson, who was set to play a transgender man on screen.
Dwayne Johnson Gets Criticized For Stealing Minority Roles
In the sensitized climate hovering over Hollywood for nearly a decade, renowned actors are getting criticized for playing minority roles, that could have been someone else’s ticket to fame. Although the traditional belief of acting is founded on portraying someone you’re not, netizens are finding it toxic to witness superstars stealing minority roles from deserving candidates.
Following Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s 2018 movie Skyscraper, Paralympian actress Katy Sullivan publically slammed the actor via Deadline, for taking the role of a disabled person. With the WWE icon being a renowned face, and one of the most bankable stars in Hollywood, filmmakers turned towards him for the role of Will Ford in the 2018 movie. However, Katy Sullivan didn’t enjoy a bit of the $304M flop movie.
Sullivan criticized Dwayne Johnson for playing the role of the former FBI Hostage Rescue Team leader and U.S. war veteran. She further stated,
“Individuals with disabilities make up almost 20% of the world’s population. We are the largest minority and the most marginalized group in Hollywood.”
While feeling ashamed, Sullivan stated the truth of how “performers with disabilities being sidelined so that able-bodied actors can “play at” what it’s like to live life with a disability”.
Scarlett Johansson Was Forced Out Of Her Transgender Role
While calling out Dwayne Johnson, Katy Sullivan compared him to MCU actress Scarlett Johansson, who previously took the role of a transgender man, before being forced out of it. “Scarlett Johansson has been getting a lot of heat from the LGBTQ community for portraying a transgender character in Rub and Tug,” Sullivan stated. She further mentioned how Johansson’s fame almost stripped the “talented trans actors” from getting the role.
Thus, speaking about “TRUE inclusion” Katy Sullivan shifted back to Dwayne Johnson and stated how disabled people are sidelined because of a minor misconception, that they “wouldn’t be able to handle the grueling schedule of a feature film”. However, slamming the opinion with her personal experience, Sullivan stated, “Try navigating New York City in a wheelchair. Believe me, a movie set is a dream.”
Slamming the two famous Hollywood actors for eating up the opportunities that could have been a blessing to someone, Katy Sullivan pointed out how Johnson’s Skyscraper flopped with $304M revenue after being made on a $125M budget. Meanwhile, Scarlett Johansson was forced to exit Rub & Tug following the immediate backlash and outcry from the LGBTQ community.
Watch Skyscraper (2018) on Amazon Prime Video.
Source: Deadline
