Key Points
The View cohosts banded together to condemn conservative criticism of Lupita Nyong’o and Elliot Page’s casting in The Odyssey.
Unconfirmed rumors have swirled that Nyong’o will play Helen of Troy, and that Page will portray Achilles.
“People saying Helen of Troy could not possibly be played by a Black woman don’t know history,” Sunny Hostin said.
The View cohosts are firing back at conservative criticism regarding the cast of Christopher Nolan‘s upcoming Oscar-buzzed blockbuster The Odyssey.
Moderator Whoopi Goldberg — whom has long spoken out against racist criticism of movie stars, particularly after Halle Bailey was cast to lead Disney‘s live-action Little Mermaid — began the Hot Topics segment Thursday by asking, “Why don’t you just not go to the movie?” if you have issues with its cast.
The EGOT winner’s response came after some media figures (including Elon Musk) spoke out against Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o and Academy Award nominee Elliot Page. Some users have voiced racist concerns over Nyongo’s rumored role as Helen of Troy, and others have shared transphobic messaging about Page’s rumored part as Achilles. (Page came out as trans in 2020).
Cyclops, Matt Damon, Charlize Theron in ‘The Odyssey’
Credit: Universal Pictures
“I think racism rears its ugly head often, and more often now than ever, I think, in our country,” panelist Sunny Hostin said of the reactions, before noting that, while Homer’s original Odyssey text was a work a fiction, its authoring poet wrote the work amid a melting pot of different global influences. “If you are a student of history, you know that scholars have debated for decades the extent to which Greek mythology and civilization were influenced by Ancient Egypt and North Africa.”
Hostin added, on that note, that “people saying Helen of Troy could not possibly be played by a Black woman don’t know history.”
Conservative panelist and former Donald Trump staffer Alyssa Farah Griffin compared the pushback to similar responses to Bailey being cast as Ariel in The Little Mermaid, with the cohost pointing out that Musk runs “multiple companies” before asking, “How do you even have the time to worry about this?”
Cohost Sara Haines also suggested that, while artistic interpretations throughout history have often portrayed Helen of Troy as white, she can’t “even hold a candle to Lupita Nyong’o” in terms of beauty — a defining characteristic of the fictional character, as written into the text.
“Why this is what’s upsetting you?” Goldberg again asked, when “so much is going on in the world” to worry about.
Entertainment Weekly has reached out to representatives for Musk and Nolan for comment.
Musk previously said in February that “Chris Nolan has lost his integrity” with regard to Nyong’o’s casting, prompting an earlier condemnation from Goldberg on The View.
“I don’t know if you realize this, Lupita is also considered one of the world’s most beautiful women. So, I’m not sure what you’re trying to say. You don’t actually have to go to the movie,” Goldberg said at the time. “See, I don’t know why you feel the need to speak on this. I would suggest looking in a mirror if you have any concerns about people’s looks, if this is where we’re going.”
Page has also pushed back against anti-trans rhetoric and policies during his recent visits to The View, including in July 2024, when he said he was “sad and angry” over the “amount of misinformation” and “flat-out lies” amid anti-trans political agendas.
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“I think of, for example, the trans community, and how the vast majority of people don’t know or think they don’t know a trans person. The amount of misinformation and true, flat-out lies about our lives, who we are, our healthcare, spreads,” Page said at the time. “I really want to encourage people to educate yourselves, to listen to trans people, to listen to trans youth, to listen to the parents of trans youth, many of whom were in denial about a certain situation, and if they have the means, having to flee certain states, are terrified that their children are going to be taken away from them when they’ve ben doing everything they can to make sure that their child can feel loved and thrive in their lives.”
The Odyssey is in theaters July 17.
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