A week after signing on to play Major Ben Daimio in the upcoming “Hellboy” film — and landing at the center of a storm over a white actor playing a part originally conceived as Asian-American — British star Ed Skrein has de
A week after signing on to play Major Ben Daimio in the upcoming “Hellboy” film — and landing at the center of a storm over a white actor playing a part originally conceived as Asian-American — British star Ed Skrein has decided to exit the project.
“I accepted the role unaware that the character in the original comics was of mixed Asian heritage, ” Skrein said in a lengthy statement Monday posted on Twitter. “It is clear that representing this character in a culturally accurate way holds significance for people, and that to neglect this responsibility would continue a worrying tendency to obscure ethnic minority stories and voice in the Arts.”
When news first emerged that Skrein would play Daimio, a Japanese-American ex-Marine in the original comic book series by writer-artist Mike Mignola, fans and critics accused Hollywood of insensitivity and once again “whitewashing” an Asian character.
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Among those taking aim at the producers of “Hellboy: Rise of the Blood Queen, ” and its distributor Lionsgate, were members of the Media Action Network for Asian Americans — a Los Angeles-based group that monitors and advocates for the sensitive and positive depiction Asian Americans in the media.
“There’s a cultural and racial tie-in to the Daimio character where his grandmother was supposed to be a Japanese Imperial assassin during World War II, ” Guy Aoki, MANAA’s founding president, said after learning that Skrein had been cast in the role. “It just doesn’ t make sense to lose that cultural context.”
Skrein said Monday, he feels it is important to respect the character’s heritage as originally written and for that reason, he is leaving the film.
“I have decided to step down so the role can be cast appropriately, ” he said. “Representation of ethnic diversity is important, especially to me as I have a mixed heritage family. It is our responsibility to make moral decisions in difficult times and to give voice to inclusivity. It is my hope that one day these discussions will become less necessary and that we can help make equal representation in the Arts a reality.”
