Michelle Rodriguez Shares the Secret to Snagging an Oscar Nomination: 'Be Trashy and Black'
When one reporter caught up with Michelle Rodriguez at Cannes, the Fast & Furious star waxed ecstatic about Lee Daniels' Southern potboiler The Paperboy — but she's not holding out hopes for a Nicole Kidman Oscar nod. And she's definitely not worried about making controversial statements explaining why. "I fucking loved it," she told Vulture. "One of my friends said, 'She’s going to get nominated for an Oscar for that.' I was like, 'Nah, man. She’s not black!' I laugh, but it’s also very sad. It makes me want to cry. But I really believe. You have to be trashy and black to get nominated. You can’t just be trashy." [Vulture]
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Wow...what an idiot. Because lord knows the only people winning Oscars these days are black. Ask Viola Davis! Oh wait! Ummm ask Halle Berry, she played trashy and black and won...ten years ago..And was the only one to do so....
Um...I guess there was that girl from Precious...Yeah..
Michelle Rodriguez, proving why her career will never get passed "Angry butch girl who dies in third act"
Well said!
Ballsy statement. If a white person said that the whole black community would be out in droves and the person would be tarred and feathered. But since Rodriguez is hispanic she can get away with it. Which kinda proves that black's only shout "racism" when a white person is involved. But she does make a point. There is, of course, a tremendous amount of politics involved in the Oscar's. Octavia Spencer was good in The Help but she was hardly Oscar worthy. Especially when you consider Janet McTeer's performance in Albert Nobbs, but I digress.
Yeah, no I think enough black people will be upset with her statement.
Really? Well, I look forward to the imminent outcry in the media. $10 says it doesn't happen...
... because media is 99% controlled by white upper class males. Don't be silly. It won't be televised. For the record, as a black man/a human being, I'm mad as hell at her ignorant statement.
You really shouldn't be upset at her....She is actually correct... and Yes. I'm a black man also....think about it... Denzel gets passed up for Malcolm X, a hero but gets one for Training day, a villain? The way she stated it was ignorant, but her context is spot on. Halle Berry, though a historic win and I am happy for her, shouldn't have got one for that role... Only Morgan Freeman and Louis Gosset, Jr. are the only oscar winners that wasn't a stereotypical role.
My thinking is that Black people consider Michelle Rodriguez a personality/character. You cannot take that idiot serious. She can act here and there but wouldn't miss her if she stopped. Didn't like the joke either.
Well your point of view is clearly laced with racism...but let me break this down for you.
ts sounds to me that she’s saying that Black women DON’T get recognized at the Oscars, except for when they are in “trashy” roles (particularly when sex related) or stereotypes. Trashy meaning like Halle Berry in Monsters Ball. Black women never receive Oscar’s or recognition when shown as beautiful, decent, or non-mammy/jezebel/oversexed-but-vulgar stereotypes. On the other hand, the only time Black women are recognized at the Oscar’s is for a more negative role. It’s like always casting Black women as prostitutes with no redeeming qualities, but making a white prostitute into a lovable, misguided woman, like in ‘Pretty Woman”. No redeeming qualities for Black actresses, just trashy.
On the other had, a white actress like Nicole Kidman may or may not win an Oscar for a trashy role, but even if she does, there are tons of other roles white actresses win Oscar’s for that are not “trashy”.
I think that Rodriguez is just saying that the only time a Black woman wins is if it’s trashy or mammy. They reserve the trashy spot for us, but give awarda for a wide variety of roles to white actresses.
THAT'S WHAT SHE MEANT,
Nicely said!
I think it's pretty damn racist!
Michelle Rodriguez sounds like an idiot but is not an idiot. First off, she is Dominican with 37% African blood as was highlighted when she took a DNA test. Secondly, the Oscars is the most whitess show on t.v. The few blacks that have won do not make up a percentage. Too bad Dominicans are not winning!!
Its because white people owned black slaves in the history of America. Not many "Hispanics" owned black slaves in the history of America. It ALL goes back to that if you're white.
I am just finding out about this. I know more will speak on it soon. Not sure where the rest of the interview is as it seems to bve nissing....
You sound like a racist itiot, just because she is hispanic & says that doesn't mean we like it & we should tar her with feathers (as you said we would do a white person), she should stop hating on black people & do something oscar worthy, talk about the lack of oscar noms amongst blacks & hispanics, instead of using blacks to make a big deal that she isn't getting one. Because so many blacks are getting oscars, right..........
I'm black so no not really. If you think about it most black actors who have won played the help or really jack up people. Actors the character were a con man, a crooked cop, a war lord and a recently deceased musical great who had all his dirty laundry exposed to the world. Women have it worse being most roles are either the help or someone ridiculously trashy. For once I hope for the Academy to award a someone of color an award for a performance that doesn't look belittling.
no, she would not get away with it either. This is my first time hearing about this comment and that was almost 7 months ago. I really get tired of white ppl accusing blacks of "shouting racism" and pulling the race card when white people are the biggest race card pullers in history. Futhermore, as far as Oscar is concerned, that whole award program lost me when The Color Purple was nominated for upteen Oscars and didnt win one but "Out of Africa virtually swept the show. This Rodriguez female means nothing to me and she is as misguided as they come. I think you may want to blame the media who seems to pick and chose what to broadcast. This comment was racist, ignorant, and trashy.......Hispanics are and can be just as racist as anyone and they dont get a pass
Natalie Portman and Marisa Tomei were both nominated for playing strippers. But they weren't especially trashy. Anyway, The Paperboy looks good.
I don't think she was saying that black people are trashy or that only black trashy characters get nominated for Oscars, I think she was saying that if you play a trashy white person that kind of role isn't what normally gets nominated. I think if you look at what white people (particularly women) normally get nominated for, they are for more "prestigious" roles (i.e. Meryl Streep in "Iron Lady", Meryl Streep in "The Devil Wears Prada", Meryl Streep in "Julie & Julia").
.....Rooney Mara in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Melissa McCarthy in Bridesmaids, Jennifer Lawrence in Winter's Bone, Melissa Leo in The Fighter, Jacki Weaver in Animal Kingdom, Maggie Gyllenhaal in Crazy Heart, Melissa Leo in Frozen River, Anne Hathaway in Rachel Getting Married, Marisa Tomei in The Wrestler, Ellen Page in Juno, Amy Ryan in Gone Baby Gone, Adriana Barraza in Babel, Charlize Theron in North Country, Amy Adams in Junebug...... hardly "prestigious" characters I would say.
Rooney Mara is an incredibly intelligent hacker, Jennifer Lawrence is the well-meaning and good character in Winter's Bone that doesn't get caught up in the white-trashiness and meth dealing in the film, Maggie Gyllenhaal is a media journalist in Crazy Heart, Anne Hathaway is an upper-middle class white girl with issues in Rachel Getting married, Ellen Page is a proto-hipster upper middle class white girl in Juno, Charlize Theron is a character that is "overcoming her situation" in North Country. I think that the strongest case you have in there is Amy Ryan in Gone Baby Gone, which sort of disproves my point. I think Michelle Rodriguez was specifically mentioning the history of Lee Daniels' films, because Monique won for her role in Precious. I was just hesitant to dismiss her comments as racist or baseless because it seems like there is a legitimate claim to be made about the type of role that black women get nominated for. They are always either for "classless black woman that society creates to exploit and be exploited" or "black woman with SOUL that manages to overcome her difficulties with grace." There aren't any black actresses nominated for roles like Anne Hathaway in 'Rachel Getting Married' for just being human beings with issues, they are always the ones with "social implications".
Well, my comment still stands because none of the female characters I mentioned would be considered "prestigious." "Intelligent" and "well-meaning" doesn't = prestigious.
Well said.
Whoa, whoa, whoa... Let's leave Jacki out of this.
What's with you and Jacki?
By now, if you have to ask, then you will never know.
I agree with Winnie.
Who is Michelle Rodriguez? That's my kid's nanny name..
You know what's funny... when I first read the comment I wondered what she was thinking but then reading Nicole's comment and then actually READING what the movie is about and the role she plays I can see what see said, although I will be the first to admit it did come out wrong.
However do your research it's true that black women only seem to win when it's negative portrayal of characters. I mean seriously.... Mo'Nique as a deadbeat stereotypical mom in Precious? Halle as a whore single mother cracked out? Octavia Spencer in the Help a 60's loud mouth stereotypical maid serves up crap in a pie? (which I find it funny they didn't give it to Viola Davis but to the "loud mouth stereotypical" portrayal). Even Whoopi was a con woman hustler. Before then you have to go back to Gone With The Wind to find another black actress who..... once again was a maid. Even Jennifer Hudson for Dreamgirls places her in poverty to stardom back to the ghetto only to get out the ghetto again. Black male actors really no better, Denzel wins as a thug in Training Day, seriously? All male actors who've won have won for either loud, stereotypical, down on their luck portrayals while other actors have won for meaningful roles.
Sure you get your bad oscar winners on the other side but when only one black actor wins once every 6 years then yeah you do have less bodywork to compare hence the dig from Michelle.
Michelle is way out of pocket and misinformed. Here are the actual stats on black actor Oscar nominations, and she's dead wrong.
More about Michelle you can find it here http://movieinfodb.com/en/people/17647/Michelle+Rodriguez