Italian American Actress Calls Out Hypocrisy
TORONTO – Hollywood’s “woke” lobby, who might also be referred to as the “do as I say not as I do” club, are once again furious with Hollywood’s Establishment – as if they’re not gold carrying members. Their wrath was channeled via a strongly worded open letter, aimed at Hollywood Studios and casting directors, and was signed by more than 100 Latin/American artists. Among them: Eva Longoria, John Leguizamo and Jessica Alba.
The issue stems from actress Odessa A’zion being cast as the Mexican/Jewish character (Zoe Gutierrez) in A24’s film Deep Cuts, a film adaptation of Holly Brickley’s 2025 novel. While not Mexican, A’zion’s maternal grandparents are Ashkenazi Jewish and European. But the backlash weighed heavy on the actress who has since dropped the role.
I had never take a role from someone else that’s meant to do it. That SHOULD do it! That’s not me,” A’zion wrote on her X account. But one Italian-American actress is calling a foul on the play. Jennifer Esposito, known for her roles in Crash and Summer of Sam, noted this: “I’ve seen a lot of the same names that are in that letter to Hollywood play a lot of Italian roles”.
Not only is Esposito correct, the hypocrisy is so glaring that one wonders if the outrage is really just opportunism. Perhaps they’re piggybacking off of the anti-ICE protest which has disproportionately affected the Latin American community.
Nonetheless, Esposito’s claim is inarguable. Take Eva Longoria, who in 2014 said this at the Taormina Film Festival: “When I first went to Hollywood…when they asked me: Are you Italian? I would always say yes because I wanted the role”.
Next is John Leguizamo, who in 1993 played Luigi in the live action Mario Bros film. “For me, playing an Italian was my revenge. If they’re going to steal roles from me, I’m going to steal from them too”, said the actor in a 2023 interview. Interestingly, Leguizamo is currently cast as a Greek (Eumaeus) in the upcoming blockbuster adaptation of Homer’s Odyssey.
More examples include Jennifer Lopez playing Mary Fiore in the 2001 megahit Romcom The Wedding Planner. It was a 9-million-dollar paycheck for the actress. Similarly, Salma Hayek made millions portraying Giuseppina Auriemma in the 2021 biographical crime drama House of Gucci.
Ricky Martin and Penelope Cruz both starred as Italians in The Assassination of Gianni Versace, with Cruz playing the “Queen of Versace” – Donatella. But for Cruz, that was the culmination of a career peppered with portrayals of Italians. She played Clara in L’Immensità (2022), Italia in Don’t Move (2004), and Gemma in Twice Born (2012).
Hypocrisy is derived from the Greek “Hypokrisis”, meaning “acting on the stage” or “playing a part”. Fitting that the word’s etymology is rooted in the behaviour of those who wear masks for a living. The grand irony is that it’s the Greek community who remains silent as a Kenyan-Mexican actress (Lupita Nyong’o) is set to portray Helen of Troy in this year’s blockbuster Odyssey.
In the pics: Jennifer Esposito (courtesy of Variety), Odessa A’zion and the cover of “Deep Cuts”
Massimo Volpe is a filmmaker and freelance writer from Toronto: he writes reviews of Italian films/content on Netflix
