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Was Cleopatra Black? Gal Gadot slammed for movie role, but here's how trolls got it wrong: ‘She was pure Greek’

'Gal Gadot is going to play Cleopatra and 'anti-racist' Twitter is getting out its skin colour charts and nose-measuring calipers and completely failing to see the irony,' said a user

The ‘Wonder Woman’ star Gal Gadot and filmmaker Jenkins are coming together once again for a movie based on the historical figure, Cleopatra, according to reports. Paramount Pictures is said to have acquired rights for the movie. It has been tentatively titled ‘Cleopatra’.

The deal for the movie closed on October 10, according to Complex, following a Zoom call to pitch ideas for the film built around the historical figure. The reports also suggest that the movie was Gadot’s idea. The creators are planning on materializing the idea at the earliest as they are aiming for a “heavy-hitting theatrical release”. Previously, it was speculated that other top Hollywood stars such as Angelina Jolie and Lady Gaga were considered to play the part of the iconic Cleopatra in different projects. 

While now it seems like the role is Gadot’s, the same has sparked debate on the Internet which has left the majority of them divided over the decision to cast the Israeli actress as the lead in a movie which showcases the Queen of the Nile. 

Soon trolls took to Twitter to express their disappointment in the creators of the movie and Gadot, saying how the actress is a misfit for the role and someone close to Cleopatra’s origin must be considered. 

 Was Cleopatra Greek?

According to History.com, Cleopatra was born in Egypt but traced her family origins to Macedonian Greece and Ptolemy I Soter, one of Alexander the Great’s generals. Even though she wasn't originally an Egyptian, she was believed to have embraced many of her "country’s ancient customs and was the first member of the Ptolemaic line to learn the Egyptian language."

However, a few have claimed on Twitter that Cleopatra was of Black origin and labeled Gadot's casting in the forthcoming movie as "racist". And some have called on the actress for her "bland" looks and noted that an "Arab actress" should have been chosen for the role instead. 

Former Miss New Jersey USA and surrogate for Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign, Sameera Khan was one of the people to point out that Gadot wasn't the right choice for the movie. She tweeted, "Which Hollywood dumbass thought it would be a good idea to cast an Israeli actress as Cleopatra (a very bland looking one) instead of a stunning Arab actress like Nadine Njeim? And shame on you, Gal Gadot. Your country steals Arab land & you’re stealing their movie roles... smh."

Khan's tweet was soon met with criticism as the users corrected her by presenting the right facts about Cleopatra's origin while speaking in favor of Gadot. Iranian Australian opinion columnist Rota Panah wrote in response to Khan's tweet, "So, she didn’t know Cleopatra was Greek & she calls the stunning Gal Gadot “very bland looking”. Pathological hatred of Israel does strange things to people’s brains."

More and more people came forward to defend Gadot and slam trolls for attacking the actress. One wrote, "Gal Gadot is going to play Cleopatra and "anti-racist" Twitter is getting out its skin colour charts and nose-measuring calipers and completely failing to see the irony." Human Events' managing editor Ian MilesCheong added, "People are upset because Gal Gadot, who isn't Black, is playing Cleopatra, who wasn't Black either." One opined, "Dear Americans please read this before you go off calling Gal Gadot's Cleopatra not being "black" a crime. She was pure Greek. Get educated."