Zoe Saldana has spoken out following criticism surrounding her lead role in the upcoming Nina Simone biopic.
According to The Grio, Saldana opened up about the significance of the role saying, “Nina was a true genius and an iconic artist. It was a dream job for me,” she told the magazine. “I loved the complexity of Nina and her beauty that she expressed with her music. I wanted to do right by her and knew it would be challenging.”
When it comes to acknowledging the negativity surrounding the project including questioning of whether she was the right skin tone to play the jazz legend; Saldana says she simply brushed it off,
“Just like everybody else, I feel very strongly about Nina Simone, and that was a story that needed to be told. I do believe that if everybody had more information about how this all came to be, it might help; but then again, I’m not here to get the acceptance of everyone,” she explained. “I’m here to be an artist first. Hopefully, people will enjoy the film and I helped shed some light on this amazing icon.”
Casting criticism isn’t the only drama surrounding the film. Cynthis Mort, director of the project has filed a lawsuit against the film’s producer stating that she was left out of key decisions. She is seeking monetary damages.
Although the project is moving forward, a release date for the film has not been set.