EXCLUSIVE: After receiving inquiries from Deadline, Warner Bros. has canceled plans to “paint down” a white stunt woman to double for a black actress on its hit Fox show Gotham. On Monday, dark makeup was applied to the face of a white stunt woman in a hair and makeup test in advance of two days of filming next week in New York. After receiving calls from Deadline, WB initially downplayed the significance of the story, but after looking into it said that it had made a “mistake” and would hire a black stunt woman instead.
“A mistake was made this week in casting a stunt woman for a guest star in a particular scene on the show,” the studio said in a statement. “The situation has been rectified, and we regret the error.”
“Painting down” white stunt performers so that they can pass for black has been going on for decades, even though SAG-AFTRA calls the practice “unacceptable” and “improper.” Blackface went out in the 1930s, but “painting down” white stunt performers goes on to this day, and there is no language in the union’s contract that expressly prohibits it. The union’s contract only requires that stunt coordinators “endeavor” to find stunt performers of the same race and gender as the actors they are doubling. For many black cast and crew members, however, the practice is insulting and demeaning, a holdover from Hollywood’s openly racist past.
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A spokesperson for the union said that “thus far, no one working on this production has brought this to our attention so we have no comment on this specific allegation.” But Adam Moore, SAG-AFTRA’s National Director of EEO & Diversity, told Deadline that in general, the union opposes the practice.
“With respect to this issue in general,” Moore said, “the relevant SAG-AFTRA contract is clear: The practice known as ‘painting down’ is presumptively improper … particularly so in a production center like New York City with so many qualified stunt women of color trained for this type of work.”
Technically, stunt coordinators — who also are SAG-AFTRA members — don’t hire stunt performers but only recommend them to the producers. In fact, they really do hire them. The contract’s vague language, however, makes it difficult for the union to bring charges. The contract states, “When the stunt performer doubles for a role which is identifiable as female and/or black, Hispanic, Asian Pacific or Native American, and the race and/or sex of the double is also identifiable, stunt coordinator shall endeavor to cast qualified persons of the same sex and/or race involved…To achieve these objectives, stunt coordinator shall endeavor to identify and recruit qualified minority and female stunt persons…”
Just what constitutes “endeavor,” however, is left intentionally ambiguous.
In 1980, SAG got the industry to agree to add some tepid affirmative action language to its contract covering women and minority stunt performers. In that contract, producers agreed that “women and minorities shall be considered for doubling roles…on a non-discriminatory basis.” Today they have to “endeavor” to hire more women and minority stunt performers.
Moore said that “there is simply no excuse” for painting down stunt performers. “While this sort of thing doesn’t happen very often anymore, still, in 2014 there are apparently people who don’t seem to understand that there are qualified professionals ready to do this work and that, if you are foolish enough to engage in this offensive behavior, you will be called out for it. Performers and audiences alike won’t stand for it – they’ll speak out in ways like this and stand up by spurning the content itself in favor of on-screen experiences that are reflective of our collective stories and values.”
The first public protest of the practice of painting down white stunt performers occurred in 1971 when it was learned a white stuntman had been painted down to double for actor Lou Gossett Jr. on the Warner Bros film Skin Game. Elbert Hudson, president of the Los Angeles branch of the NAACP, protested the practice, sending angry letters to SAG president Charlton Heston and Warner Bros executive Paul Heller.
“When this incident came to light, African American stuntman Marvin Walters contacted the U.S. Justice Department and as a result, a movement began in Hollywood to help ensure fair employment opportunities for women and people of color in front of and behind the camera,” said Jadie David, a retired black stunt woman and former SAG business rep. “There were lawsuits filed and won by Marvin and The Coalition of Black Stuntmen and Women, and damages were paid to all stunt performers of color. Finally, it seemed as if the status quo of selective hiring had seen its day.
“Fast-forward to today, and we are again faced with a Caucasian stunt woman who was going to be painted down to double for an African-American actress, ironically again, in a Warner Bros. production. The excuse of the past that there are no qualified African-Americans to hire is gone; there is a huge pool of qualified African-American women to choose from and many were available for work. The studios all have fair employment policies in place, as does SAG-AFTRA. This blatant disrespect of African-American stunt women is beyond the pale. Will the lesson ever be learned?”
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MLK is rolling over in his grave. This is disgraceful.
Easier and cheaper CGI will soon put most stunt men/women out of work anyway.
Well said.
It is hard for me to believe that this is the first re-occurrence of “painting down” since 1971. I just wonder how many times since then this practice has slipped by unnoticed?
Let’s also only cast gay and straight performers in their respective roles.
Not too long ago I remember hearing that some gay actors were upset that too many straight actors were cast in the roles of homosexuals. I have also heard that “American” actors are upset that too many “foreign” actors (busy at perfecting that American accent) are taking their roles. It seems to be a war zone out there in competition for film and television roles!
And, yet, it’s called “acting”. What a strange business.
You would put a lot of gay actors out of work. They’ve been playing straight characters for years because they’re actors.
Mervin, your comment does nothing more than display the level of your intelligence. Although I don’t completely disagree with your suggestion of casting gays in their prospective roles, considering that they are also a minority group.
While it is disappointing when straight (or non-trans) actors are cast in gay (or trans) roles that could go to out gays and trans who don’t have as many opportunities, it’s really not the same as racial discrimination (or racial entitlement/ignorance/laziness). An actor is cast based on how they act and look, and their actual inner sexual identity is irrelevant to that (even though sometimes it correlates, it’s not a given that a person looks or acts like their orientation); also, there are a lot of gay actors who are not out. A stunt person’s appearance/coloring is self-evident, and is completely relevant to how they are cast as a stunt double. I think some leeway is given for height and weight, etc. with lifts or fatsuits, and by the same token i don’t think it would be such an uproar if it were, say, an dark-skinned indian or latina stuntwoman who maybe only needed a wig to double a black actress from far away–it’s more the fact that the decision-maker(s) in question was completely thoughtless/entitled and thought it would be okay to “blackface” a white girl for whatever reason (and I’m sure there was a reason, ranging somewhere from laziness to favoritism) when there were presumably qualified women of color to choose from. Kudos to the studio for rectifying the mistake when notified.
Exactly. Very well said. First of all, no one should ever compare stunt doubling to gays portraying gays in acting roles. That is super ignorant. Stunt double was a complete idiot to actually think thus was okay. I am a Stunt woman, and let me tell you, this is NOT the first occurrence since 1970. It has happened in several movies, like Avatar, and recently just happened two weeks ago on another project. Smh. The Stunt coordinators know this is wrong, but try to get away with it cuz so many Stunt people don’t stand for shit and don’t speak out against injustices.
Did Jada not have an issue with this????????? (Assuming it was her stuntwoman)
It’s even more embarrassing when they do it to writers.
Let me guess: there are no black women anywhere who want to be stunt performers. Or they wanted to hire a black stunt woman but no one applied so they just hired the most qualified person, right?
It didn’t occur to anyone until they actually painted a white person’s face black that they might be making a mistake. That’s terrific.
Thank you, Aaron. These comments are deplorable. But then again, they always are when any articles involving race are posted. That in itself should clue people in that the issues regarding race in this country are deep and wide. But, ignorance is bliss.
He’s being sarcastic.
Thank you for this informative piece. An eye opener for me. Hard to believe a production company would even consider doing this.
so is it wrong to fatten up a skinny stunt man to stand in for a fat actor?
not really the same thing. two reasons: 1) realistically, I’m guessing (but may be wrong) that there aren’t too many fat stunt men. 2) legally, when challenged, potential racial discrimination is held to a much stricter legal standard than weight discrimination.
This is not discrimination, unless the production purposefully refused to hire a black woman. If, however, they just asked for a stunt person for a particular stunt and didn’t mention the race, or if they tried to stick with their current team, then it’s not discrimination.
This is not akin to “black face.” Nobody is performing in front of a crowd as a white person pretending to be black — it is not racially charged or motivated.
Everyone trying to make it such, including Deadline, should be ashamed of themselves. Doing so trivializes REAL discrimination situation.
as a stuntman myself, I’ve doubled a women, I’ve doubled men 80 lbs larger then me, i see no issue here… if its a dangerous stunt that would require a specialty stuntwomen shouldn’t it be the girl with the experience doing the specific stunt?
Correct! Thank you! And you’re a stuntman, so that’s cool. I don’t know if I am more scared or amused for all of this racist hysteria with anything that involves a black person. That’s insane, just act normal, you people! It’s like the witch trials. witch! communist! racist!
My stunt double this afternoon had to put on a bald cap. This is an injustice! Someone needs to stand up for all the bald stunt people out there who got passed over!
Um, the actress in question is not even black as heard from her mouth!
She is a cape coloured from South Africa. But she generally looks black and has played black roles because of this. The issue still stands as she is a person of color.
Next, well refer to everyone as penguins — oh wait.
Actually, I looked that up on Snopes as soon as I heard about it, and the whole “purple penguins” thing is apparently a hoax. Thankfully.
I should be shock that the Hollywood are still doing blackface. I am glad that they see the light. I can’t wait to see the scene where they need a stuntwoman.
I’ll never understand americans. There’s only racism in the eyes of the people who want to see racism. That painting down nonsense would NEVER be an issue in Europe. Also the using of painting or a mask for a black character in Haloween, etc.
So, you can dress up as a white guy, but not as a black one because that’s racist. who’s more racist, the one that has no problem with it or the one who thinks that is a problem and makes the difference? That’s so stupid.
Also, black it’s not the same as african-american, as theres thousands of americans from african origin who are not black, as moroccans, egyptians, (Charlize Theron is african-american by the way). You’re black or you’re not, and there’s nothing racist about it, unless you think “being black” is not ok. You’ll never learn.
Its called a since of history. That’s what Americans have. We are now sensitive to races that we have enslaved. 😉
Yeah, I know that. And it’s good you try to to the opposite of what happened in the past, but measure is the answer.
I’m just trying to give you another point of view from the outside. We make so much fun about all this silly racism hysteria of american people.
Charlize Theron is South African with American citizenship. I don’t know that she would describe that as being African-American. I see people here who still believe that there are not qualified minorities out there to do the job. If they truly did a search and couldn’t find a match for the actress, then I understand. We’ll never know. As for people who don’t understand why painting a white person black is offensive in, yes-the United States of America, you don’t really care so why bother to explain the degrading history of blackface, and it’s role in denigrating black culture. I work in Hollywood. The stunt person/standin/photo double is meant to be a physical match. That does not mean a racial or ethnic match. I work on a show that uses black female doubles for an East Indian actress. The production made an extensive search for an actual East Indian double and found the best match to be African-American. You make the effort. Do not pretend these people even tried. I love the attempt to put this issue alongside the acting issue. There is no comparison. You are trying to match an actual person for camera with a qualified double (yes, there are minority stunt people in NY). This isn’t about playing a role. Perhaps large stunt people SHOULD speak up against the practice of padding and widen the inclusiveness of the industry.
STFU, there’s no intent to degrade anyone. They needed the stunt performer to be able to pass for the black actress in order to prorect the black actress from injury.
I don’t know if she would, but indeed she is a white african-american. there’s no argument about it. Africans can be of several races.
And I don’t think they tryed to degrade anyone, just maybe they didn’t do a big effort in finding her (too lazy of them) or they didn’t find a better match, but none of that is racist.
That’s because no one gives a single fuck about Europe.
Thanks for the laughs, Bright. I don’t want to say you’re clueless, but…
You’re welcome.
And do yourself a favour, and travel. Abroad.
That one was for free.
Was this simply the production team being lazy and/or cheap, or were they not able to find an African-American (or similar skin-toned ethnic stunt person) That matched the size-weight-height of the performer being doubled?
First of all I believe Marvin Walters was never recognized by many of his peers as a qualified stuntman. Kindly post a reel of “any stunts” he performed on camera. When I was starting out he got coordinating jobs at Universal because of government mandates to hire “minorities” . There were many brilliant black stunt men that did not file with the NAACP that were qualified i.e. Jophery Brown, Bennie Moore, Greg Elam, Alan Oliney, Bob Minor, Manny Perry, John Sherrod and many more. I believe the mandate did not specify “qualified minorities” just minorities. Semantics. If you are from Spain or Italy you are not a minority but if you are from Mexico 3 hours from Los Angeles you are…go figure. Everyone deserves an equal opportunity to be employed regardless of race, creed or color. The film business is nepotistic and rife with politics in regard to hiring practices. Has been for decades. In my opinion SAG AFTRA needs to do more in regard to standing behind and enforcing their own contracts.
The stunt community was completely over looked and disregarded by negotiators at SAG AFTRA and garnered no real gains nor increases in wages and working conditions in the recent ratification of the new sub par SAG AFTRA agreement. Stunt coordinators are grossly underpaid, especially on television. Adam Moore is incorrect. Technically Stunt coordinators always hire stunt performers unless they are doing parts and are approved by the director or producer in the case of TV as that venue is a producers medium. It is the stunt coordinator’s responsibility to hire the best qualified safe stunt performer to fill a position. There are many excellent black stunt woman. If this alleged ethical violation did happen why wasn’t the stunt coordinator filed against for actions unbecoming a member? This story is a bit vague and the facts need to be flushed out to make an informed decision in regard to appropriate actions to be taken if any…
Pete Antico/Stunt Coordinator/National Stunt and Safety Committee at SAG/AFTRA
Thank you. Well said.
It is easy to second guess any decision from only reading the headlines.
I also worked on a tv show where a black man was made to look white- no one cared then. He was the right size and right talent for the job so he got it
OMG that’s so racist. please boycott them and make them issue a public apology LOL
Gotham has stunts?
This racial thing is being taken to ridiculous extremes. People need to get over it. It was probably just more practical to put makeup on an available stunt woman than try to find a black stunt woman. The victim mentality has to end!
Did any white people complaint about Two White Chicks?
No because it’s only wrong when you do it relative to black, you know.
In their minds it makes sense, but don’t try to understand it because IT MAKES NO SENSE.
In “their” minds? But, this isn’t about racism…because: it’s only in “their” minds…okay, got it…right…
Called me naive but I thought that the day of blackface was over. I still wait to see the Gotham episode that cause the uproar.
I remember a huge uproar over a similar incident with Thandi Newton’s stunt double in “Mission: Impossible 2″. I HATE that this happens in the industry.
White Chicks was about two black male who was going undercover a white female. It was part of the plot but this is an white stuntwoman hiding the fact that she was double for a black woman.
Try to do the opposite movie, with two white guys undercovered as black guys/girls/grandmothers/whatever, and wait for the reactions, even if it’s part of the plot.
Please check out Soul Man, the 1980s movie starring C. Thomas Howell. He played a white student who posed as a black man. So, the opposite movie has been done (sans the undercover cop angle).
I remember Soul Man starring C. Thomas Howell. It was part of the film subplot and not some white woman stuntwoman double for a black woman. There is a big differ.
By far the stupidest and most contrived controversy of the year. Bravo, Deadline!
That’s the american way, pal! controversy where there’s any!
Americans arre really the descendats of all those puritans that left Europe LOL
Stupid and contrived? Said the man whose never faced racism or sexism and who probably “unknowingly” engages in offensive acts himself. Shawn P.O. Have a seat. Thank you for covering this, Deadline.
funny that people still dont see black face as offensive and racist
I think the vast majority of people recognize black face as extremely offensive. That is a white person putting on makeup to perform as a caricature of a black person. A stunt person having makeup applied to match a character is not the same thing. That doesn’t mean that the hiring practices of stunt people doesn’t have problems, it just means that this one example of a guest star having her stunt double made to match the actors skin tone with makeup is a bad example of this.