Amid criticism of his casting, James Franco’s upcoming role as Fidel Castro has the backing of the former Cuban leader’s daughter.
Last week it was announced that 127 Hours actor James return to acting four years after denying sexual assault charges, he will portray Castro in Cuba’s Alina.
The 44-year-old actor – who has Latin and Portuguese ancestry – will star opposite Mia Maestro as Castro’s former lover, socialite Natalia “Naty” Revuelta, and Ana Villafane as their daughter Alina Fernandez in the film, with the real-life Alina sharing her. believe the producers did a great job with casting.
She said Deadline: ‘[I am proud that] the project is almost entirely Latino, both in front of and behind the camera.
James Franco bears a clear physical resemblance to Fidel Castro, in addition to his skills and charisma.
“I love the selection of the cast.
“Ana Villafañe is extremely talented, and not only as an actress, because she is also a great singer, a very complete performer. I’m sure Mía Maestro, an actress I admire, will understand and interpret Naty, my mother, in a unique way and I can’t wait to see how she builds her character.”
Alina — who will be a biographical and historical advisor to the film — praised the rest of the cast, including Alanna de la Rosa, Maria Cecilia Botero, Harding Junior and Cuban-born actors Sian Chiong and Rafael Ernesto Hernandez.
She added: “The rest of the cast will be a great surprise for all audiences. The filmmakers have worked a lot and I couldn’t be more grateful to them for their overall inclusive roster.
“For me, the most important thing about this film is that the conversation about Cuba is alive.
“Personally, the experience so far has been too unexpected, but above all, humbling.”
The film’s producer recently defended the casting after James’ involvement was mentioned by John Leguizamo.
The Colombian-American actor claimed that Hollywood “excluded” the Latinx community after previously speaking out about the lack of Latinx representation in the film industry.
He said on Instagram: ‘How does Hollywood exclude us, but also steal our stories? No more appropriation of Hollywood and streamers! Boycott! This F’d up! Plus seriously hard story to tell without glorification, which would be wrong! I have no problem with Franco, but he’s not Latino!’
In response, John Martinez O’Felan said in a statement: The Hollywood Reporter that while he admires John “as a fellow underdog,” his comments were a “blind attack.”
He said in part, “A man like John Leguizamo has historically been looked up to by Hispanics as one of America’s earliest actors of Latin descent since the 1990s, and I’ve always admired him as a fellow underdog. But his comments are culturally uneducated and a blind attack with no substance related to this project.’
Written by Jose Rivera and Nilo Cruz, the film depicts the life story of Cuban exile and social campaigner Alina, who learned at the age of 10 that she was Castro’s daughter.
She became an anti-communism activist who was arrested multiple times for her attempts to flee Cuba and banned from traveling outside the country. She defected to Spain in 1993 and settled in Miami.
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