With the high visibility of such cultural icons as baseball player Derek Jeter, singer Mariah Carey, and action hero Vin Diesel, it's not really a big surprise to learn that talent agents, casting directors, and talent management firms are now receiving requests for actors who are "ethnically ambiguous," of "mixed ethnicity," or have a "global look," especially for commercials, films, and television shows.
"Within the past three or four years, it has become a growing trend across the board," says Jessica Schoenholtz, a talent manager with the New York City-based J. Mitchell Management. "In theatre, the casting still tends to be a little more traditional, although the ethnically ambiguous actor may be cast when directors or producers want to do nontraditional casting.
"I believe producers, but especially advertisers—in fashion, phones, and fast food, for example—are getting wise to the fact that the world is changing," she continues. "It's a smaller place, with lots of intermarriage, and the diversity is only going to increase. A network like Nickelodeon often looks for ethnically ambiguous actors. Ensemble casting routinely includes the ethnically ambiguous."
Carole Russo of New York's Agents for the Arts agrees, adding, "There is more opportunity for actors who are ethnically mixed than ever before. I often get requests for actors who are biracial. Sometimes it's very specific, like African-American and Caucasian; other times, the request for biracial is broadly nonspecific, leaving it wide open. The breakdowns for many musicals now include 'all ethnicities, unless otherwise noted.' "
Back Stage talked with several actors who are indeed ethnically mixed for their spin on the new opportunities available to them and the concomitant obstacles. Most acknowledge more accessibility to roles.
Joanne HartsHorne, who is biracial (African-American and Caucasian), says, "I don't like labels. But being ethnically ambiguous has helped me. I certainly get a lot of calls, so I've come to accept terms like 'ethnically ambiguous.' I sometimes think the term means almost anything other than all white, which is also another way of saying there's a lot of competition for those roles."
She adds that she is often cast as a Latino. In fact, HartsHorne has had a recurring role as a woman of Brazilian descent on "As the World Turns" for more than a year. "They specifically asked for a light-skinned African-American to play a character who was half Brazilian."
Actress Alexea Lawson, who is of African-American, Native American, Hispanic, and British heritage, has had similar experiences. "I'm multiracial and have very little Spanish blood, but producers see a Spanish girl when they look at me. They also continue to have stereotypical notions of what an African-American looks like. They don't seem to accept the idea that a black person can have blue eyes or blond hair. But if the casting notice says 'ethnic,' that changes the picture. I then become 'culturally unique' and that character description has opened doors for me in casting."
However, within the parameters of "ethnic ambiguity," she hones her image depending on the specifics of the role. "If they want 'ethnic and funky,' I'll wear my hair curly. If they want 'ethnic and preppy,' I'll straighten it."
By contrast, HartsHorne refuses to "second-guess what producers are looking for, although they seem to have clear ideas of what a young black girl looks or sounds like. I just go to an audition as me. But when the character is African-American, I've been asked more than once, 'Can't you look and sound more street?' "
Filipino performers have traditionally faced casting problems in mainstream theatre, observes actress Ching Valdez-Aran. "We are of mixed blood—part Hispanic, part Asian—and when I started in the theatre in 1983, producers had no idea how to cast us. Many producers thought of Asians as being Chinese, Japanese, or Korean. I don't look like any of these and I don't look Hispanic either. I have never heard the term 'ethnically ambiguous' or the 'global look,' but I think it's great. And I do think there are more casting opportunities today."
South Asian actors Back Stage has interviewed in the past echo the viewpoint [See Back Stage, May 14, "The South Asians Are Coming…In Fact, They're Already Here"]. Undoubtedly, there are more roles today for South Asians: Consider "Bombay Dreams." But they are also being cast as characters from the Middle East. Actress Sarita Choudhury enjoyed a featured role in Betty Shamieh's "Roar," a play about Palestinians. Similarly, Bombay-born actor Aasif Mandvi took on the featured role of Ali Hakim, a Persian peddler, in Trevor Nunn's 2002 production of "Oklahoma!"
This was a groundbreaking bit of casting. For starters, Mandvi was among the first East Indians to be cast in a major part in a Broadway musical. But equally relevant, until this production Ali had been played as a Jewish vendor pretending to be Persian—feeding into notions of Mideastern exoticism—and speaking with a generic Mideastern accent. It was a Borsht Belt interpretation. Clearly, Nunn was dead set against that vision, determined to present in its stead a realistic portrayal of a Persian peddler, admittedly within a comic framework. Still, a Persian was not cast in the role but rather a South Asian who could "pass" for an Arab.
Interestingly, while producers and directors have become very concerned with accuracy in language, dialect, and accent, they may be a little less stringent in their casting. Stereotypes persist.
Actor Josh Levin-Soler—part Caucasian Jew, part Hispanic—says, "I have European features, but I'm olive-skinned with dark hair. I'm not exactly Latino looking, but I'm certainly not all-American looking either. I could probably be cast as an Italian-American, although so far I haven't.
"Recently I got cast in a TV ad for AT&T Wireless," Levin-Soler continues. "They were looking for four Hispanics, three from Latin America and one from Spain. [The latter] was me. I probably got that role because people from Spain may be more European looking than those from Latin America. I like the idea of ethnically ambiguous casting. I'm sure for some actors it has opened up opportunities. For me, it has been more limiting."
Nora Armani, a performer of Armenian-Egyptian-American heritage, has not been restricted by her mixed ethnicity, at least not for the most part. Still, she recounts one stunning episode: "A movie writer-director who wrote a character in a script based on me would not cast me in the role because, he said, 'You are not ethnic looking enough.' He wanted a more stereotypic Armenian look than I have. I've lived abroad and speak with a British accent, but I look Eastern European or Mediterranean."
Armani also talks about the intangible influences of milieu and culture. "I somehow look and sound different depending on where I am. When I'm in Hollywood, I become more California. When I'm in Europe, I'm more ethnic. I think that's because it's valued there. New York is the best place for me. I can be who I am and accepted for it."
In the byzantine world of casting, Armani feels that great strides have been made and she is optimistic about the future, as she is about the evolution of the species.
"There are so many mixes and matches today that we are now creating a new breed. I foresee a time when many white actors will not really be white."