Actress Zoe Saldana apologized for playing the role of singer Nina Simone in the movie Nina in 2016 . In an interview on Instagram , Saldana says she should never have taken the role.
“I should never have played Nina. I should have done everything in my power to have a black woman cast in this role of exceptionally perfect black woman,” said the actress, best known for her roles on Guardians of the Galaxy. and Avatar .
Saldana says that she has grown since her decision back then and that it was a painful process. “I thought I had permission at the time because I am a black woman. But Nina Simone has lived a life that should be honored to the most specific detail.” In tears, the actress adds that she is sorry and Simone deserved better.
Saldana describes Simone as a “giant” and hopes that someone else will take on the task of telling her story honorably. About her own role, she says she knows better now and would never do anything similar again.
From the moment it became known that Saldana would play the role, she received a lot of criticism. In the movie, her skin was darkened and she wore a nose prosthesis. Simone’s relatives disagreed with the choices in the film. The work of the singer who died in 2003 revolved largely around her experience as a black woman in America.