Lin-Manuel Miranda over insufficient Afro Latinx actors in 'In the Heights'
Playwright and actor Lin-Manuel Miranda has expressed regrets over lack of dark-skinned Afro-Latino actors in his musical 'In the Heights'. Directed by Jon M Chu of 'Crazy Rich Asians' fame, the Warner Bros film premiered in the US theatres on June 10.
Following the debut, the movie was criticised for showing dark-skinned Afro-Latinos in background and in dance scenes but not in main roles.
In response, Miranda posted a statement on Twitter and admitted that the film's team 'fell short' in meeting the expectations of the fans.
"I'm seeing the discussion around Afro-Latinx representation inside our film this weekend and it is clear that many in our dark-skinned Afro-Latinx community don't feel sufficiently represented within it, particularly among the leading roles," Miranda, who has produced the movie, wrote. The Tony-winning playwright pledged that he'll do better in representing Afro-Latinos in his future projects. "In trying to paint a mosaic of the community, we fell short. I'm truly sorry," Miranda said. He further said remember that he's "learning from the feedback" coming from the audiences.
"I'm learning from the feedback, I many thanks for raising it, and I'm listening. I'm trying to carry space for both incredible pride in the movie we made and become accountable for our shortcomings. I promise to accomplish better in my own future projects, and I'm focused on the training and evolving most of us have to do to make certain we are honoring our various and vibrant community," Miranda said.
