Actress Juliet Stevenson wades into row over Jews being played by non-Jews
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Actress Juliet Stevenson wades into row over Jews being played by non-Jews

'There really is a strong push in the culture now that you must tell your own story and only you have the right to tell your own story' the 63-year-old star said

Juliet Stevenson stars as American-Jewish playwright Lillian Hellman in Little Wars
Juliet Stevenson stars as American-Jewish playwright Lillian Hellman in Little Wars

Legendary British actress Juliet Stevenson has waded into the debate about actors playing identities other than their own, arguing that Jews can be played by non-Jews and vica versa.

In an interview with the Telegraph, the star, 63, said she had no wish to be picked for roles due to her race, religion or background being the same as the character’s, a phenomenon she said a “strong push in culture” was forcing on the industry.

“There really is a strong push in the culture now that you must tell your own story and only you have the right to tell your own story,” she said.

“Where does that leave Macbeth? Where does that leave almost any play? Do you mean you have to be a murderer to play a murderer? Do you have to be Jewish to play Jewish? Our job is transformation.”

 

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