Cleopatra was one of the most famous and influential leaders of ancient Egypt. His relations with the Roman Empire, his love life and beauty left their mark on history. So, what kind of woman was Cleopatra? What race was she from? The answer to these questions has once again been the subject of discussion with Netflix’s new documentary series “Queen Cleopatra”.
The documentary series chronicles Cleopatra’s struggle to protect her throne, family and legacy. The show’s producer and narrator, Jada Pinkett Smith, says the show is an important opportunity to tell the stories of black women. However, the portrayal of Cleopatra by Adele James, a black actress in the lead role in the series, drew reactions in many countries, especially in Egypt and Greece. An Egyptian lawyer even sued Netflix.
Netflix’s casting of a black actress for Cleopatra sparked backlash on Twitter: There were despicable attacks as well as decent discussions
Especially Egyptian and Greek users on Twitter were not very pleased with Queen Cleopatra being played by a black character despite her Macedonian origin. People said they were fed up with the ‘blackening everything’ movement from companies like Netflix.
This is a neat discussion, but there were also comments made by inhuman creatures to the actress who played Cleopatra in Netflix’s documentary. Even the actress herself stated that she was tired of this situation:
Adele James: “FYI, this type of behavior will not be tolerated on my profile. You will be blocked without a second thought. If you don’t like the casting, don’t watch the show. Or watch and discuss with an expert opinion. Either way, I’m terribly gassy and will continue to be.”
First comment: “Who do you think you are? You’re just a few z**diens who believed their own lies and tried to ‘blacken’ things from our history by stealing them! So pathetic… Cleopatra? really? He wasn’t even Egyptian, she was from the Ptolemaic kingdom.”
Second comment: “But Cleopatra was a queen, not a slave. So why does a black person portray the white Greek Cleopatra? Why are you trying to steal the identities of other nations and countries? I pity you.”
An Egyptian lawyer sues Netflix
An Egyptian lawyer on Sunday filed a lawsuit accusing Netflix of “erasing her Egyptian identity” for portraying Cleopatra as a black woman. Mahmoud al-Semary has filed a legal complaint with the Egyptian prosecutor’s office after a recently released trailer for his documentary series, which will premiere on May 10. The file demands not only legal action be taken against the producers of the series, but also the closure of Netflix.
“Most of what the Netflix platform shows is not in line with Islamic and societal values and principles, especially those in Egypt,” Mahmoud al-Semary added to his complaint.
What is the ethnic origin of Cleopatra?
There are different opinions among historians regarding the origin of Cleopatra. Some argue that Cleopatra was from Macedonia and was fair-skinned. According to this view, Cleopatra is a descendant of Ptolemy I Soter, general of Alexander the Great, and a member of the Ptolemaic Dynasty. This dynasty ruled Egypt from 305-30 BC and spoke Greek.
However, some historians claim that Cleopatra’s origin may be different ethnic elements and her skin color may not be light. According to this view, Cleopatra’s mother may have been an unknown Egyptian or African. It is also stated that Cleopatra herself adopted Egyptian culture and worshiped Egyptian goddesses.
In short, Netflix’s “Queen Cleopatra” documentary series aims to tell one of the most interesting women in history, while the series’ starring a black actress has been criticized on the grounds that it contradicts historical facts.
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