Adding more to the Zoe Saldana as Nina Simone controversy, singer-actress Jill Scott recently addressed the debate in an interview. When asked on her thoughts regarding the casting decision, the "Steel Magnolias" actress offered a frank solution. "Well Zoe is an incredible actress–I think that she’s a fine actress," Scott told her interviewer. "I think that there should be some work done, like a prosthetic nose would be helpful and definitely some darker makeup.
She pointed out that this would not be the first time a Black actor has done so to resemble a non-fiction character more closely. "If Forest Whittaker can become darker in “The Last King Of Scotland” than I believe Nina should be treated with that respect," Scott reportedly added. "She was very adamant about her color about her nose about her shape and her self and there needs to be some homage paid to that."
Scott also spoke out about several changes she'd like to see made in Black Hollywood. "I’m hoping to see more diverse story lines and I’m hoping to see more intelligent films–more variety of stories," she said in the interview. "People we love pass away; people we love get married and divorced; they have children; we get jobs, we get lost, confused, heartbroken, broke, rich, gardeners–there’s millions of stories to be told about us. I’d just really like to see more stories."
