James Franco was cast as Fidel Castro & Latino actors are justifiably mad about it
We haven’t talked or written about James Franco in nearly two and a half years. I would have happily ignored him for the rest of my life, but here we are. In January 2018, Franco was finally exposed for his poor treatment of (often young) women. Former coworkers and the young female students at his “acting school” spoke about how he sexually exploited them and harassed them, and he was just overall a giant creep. Franco halfway disappeared for a few years, only popping up to whine about how the accusations “tarnished a decent man’s reputation.” Now that the Me Too movement has been maimed by misogynists and the Pick Me women, Franco is angling for a comeback. His comeback vehicle is apparently… playing Fidel Castro in a movie. So now the Latino actors are pissed off.
Oscar nominee and 2x Golden Globe winner James Franco will play Cuban leader Fidel Castro in Miguel Bardem’s Alina of Cuba with Imagen Award winner Mía Maestro set to play Natalia “Naty” Revuelta, the Cuban-born socialite he has a passionate love affair with.
They join previously announced actress Ana Villafañe who is portraying Alina Fernandez aka Castro’s Daughter. The screenplay from Oscar-nominated scribe Jose Rivera (The Motorcycle Diaries) and Pulitzer Prize winner Nilo Cruz, follows the true-life story of Cuban exile turned social advocate, Fernandez, whose birth was the result of the tryst between Revuelta and Castro. Revuelta sacrificed her and her physician husband’s personal belongings and finances to help fund the start of the communist revolution. Fernandez learned that she was Fidel Castro’s daughter at the age of 10 when after years of secret visits to her home, her mother finally revealed that “El Comandante” was her biological father. Alina grew to become one of Castro’s most outspoken critics, arrested on more than one occasion for trying to leave, and was classified as a dissident forbidden to travel outside of Cuba. Ultimately, she defected to Spain in 1993, an event that drew headlines from every major news network around the world, before she made Miami her permanent home.
Again, James Franco is not Cuban or Latino or Hispanic or even a fluent Spanish speaker. Franco is just going to turn up on set on August 15th and try to simper and vibe his way through playing…Fidel Castro…??? Arguably one of the most famous and recognizable Cubans in history? John Leguizamo had some thoughts:
John Leguizamo thinks the casting of James Franco as Cuban revolution leader Fidel Castro is no bueno. That’s “no good,” for those of you who aren’t Latino. Like Franco.
Deadline exclusively broke the news earlier this week that Franco, 44, will be playing Castro in the indie film Alina of Cuba. That spawned an Instagram eruption today from Leguizamo, who ranted against having a non-Latino actor in the role.
“How is this still going on? How is Hollywood excluding us but stealing our narratives as well? No more appropriation Hollywood and streamers! Boycott! This F’d up! Plus seriously difficult story to tell without aggrandizement which would b wrong!”
He added, “I don’t got a prob with Franco but he ain’t Latino!”
His comments struck a nerve, drawing 10,000 likes, including new The View cohost Ana Navarro, who said she would join a boycott of the film.
“I’d like to think no Latino actor worth their salt would sign up to play and aggrandize a murderous dictator who terrorized the people of Cuba for six decades,” Navarro wrote. “For both reasons you articulated, I join you in the boycott.”
I sort of disagree with Navarro simply because… that IS a meaty role for an actor. A Latino actor. A Cuban actor, or an actor of Cuban descent. Actors portray bad or evil men all the time. Actors are cast to play Adolf Hitler and various Nazis. They can dramatize a section of Castro’s life and make this movie, that’s not really my issue. My issue is what John said – it’s simply not Franco’s story to tell. Castro is not Franco’s character to play.
PS… Who should have been cast? Leguizamo would have been great. Benicio del Toro, no lie. Demian Bichir would have been perfect? They probably wouldn’t cast Oscar Isaac because then every woman would want to bang Castro.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
1996 FIDEL CASTRO VISITS IN ITALY,Image: 513222955, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Stefano Carofei / AGF Foto / Avalon 
actor James Franco attends the New York special screening of the 3rd and last season of HBO’s “The Deuce” on September 5, 2019 at Metrograph Theater in New York, New York, USA. photo by Robin Platzer/ Twin Images/ Avalon,Image: 530551901, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: Robin Platzer/Twin Images / Twin Images / Avalon 
A beefed up James Franco reprises his Martino brothers role while filming the final season of The Deuce in Times Square. New York City, New York – Saturday July 13, 2019.Photograph: © Darla Khazei/PacificCoastNews. Los Angeles Office (PCN): +1 310.822.0419 UK Office (Avalon): +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 sales@pacificcoastnews.com,Image: 536645858, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS – Los Angeles Office (PCN): +1 310.822.0419 UK Office (Avalon): +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 sales@pacificcoastnews.com, Model Release: no, Credit line: Darla Khazei/PacificCoastNews / Avalon
Fidel Castro begins a rebellion against G Batista 1953. The Cuban Communist politician, prime minister 1959-76 and president from 1976. He led two unsuccessful coups agains the right wing Batista regime and led the revolution that overthrew the dictator 1959. From 1979 he was also president of the nonaligned movement, although promoting the line of the USSR which subsidised his regime. Of wealthy parentage, Castro was educated at Jesuit schools and, after studying law at the University of Havana, he gained a reputation through his work for poor clients. He opposed the Batista dictatorship, and took part in an unsuccessful attack on the army barracks at Santiago de Cuba 1953. After some time in exile in the USA and Mexico, Castro attempted a secret landing in Cuba 1956 in which all but 11 of his supporters were killed. He eventually gathered an army of over 5000 which overthrew Batista 1959 and he became prime minister a few months later. His brother Raul was appointed minister of armed forces. The Castro regime introduced a centrally planned economy based on the production for export of sugar, tobacco, and nickel. Aid for development has been provided by the USSR while Cuba joined Comecon 1972 Castro gained the enmity of the USA, which came to a head in the Cuban missile crisis 1962. His regime became socialist and he epoused Marxism-Leninism until, in 1974, he rejected Marx’s formula from each according to his ability and to each according to his need and decreed that each Cuban should receive according to his work.,Image: 545034514, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: UPPA/Photoshot / Avalon 
John Leguizamo at the 25th Annual Critics’ Choice Awards at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica. Los Angeles, California – Monday January 12, 2020.Photograph: © Joe Sutter/PacificCoastNews. Los Angeles Office (PCN): +1 310.822.0419 UK Office (Avalon): +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 sales@pacificcoastnews.com,Image: 562968237, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS – Los Angeles Office (PCN): +1 310.822.0419 UK Office (Avalon): +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 sales@pacificcoastnews.com, Model Release: no, Credit line: Joe Sutter / Avalon 
John Leguizamo attends the 2022 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Hosted By Radhika Jones celebrating the 94th annual Academy Awards at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on March 27, 2022 in Beverly Hills, California,Image: 673570909, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: John Leguizamo, Credit line: – / JPI Studios / AvalonncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pLHLnpmirJOdxm%2BvzqZmcG9oaYNze8mapJ6rj5u%2ForrCqJawmaOUsKK%2F05iYrJeWnrGmuL6cmKysoqSsra3ToqWol5GYwbC%2B0piYq52Pn8K0wMifoJqanK6srq3DmJibp6WprKrAjg%3D%3D