You may have heard about the upcoming N.W.A. biopic, Straight Outta Compton, set to be released next year. Per usual, a casting call circulates media outlets and agencies but the descriptions on Universal Pictures‘ latest casting call raised a few eyebrows and caused quite a stir amongst social media, prompting an apology from Universal.
The racist casting call, posted by Sande Allesi Casting, obviously perpetuated racial stereotypes with its vivid offensive descriptions.
The call sheet shows the search for four different types of women, ranked from A to D, based on their level of attractiveness, body type and ethnicity:
“A GIRLS: These are the hottest of the hottest. Models. MUST have real hair – no extensions, very classy looking, great bodies. You can be black, white, asian, hispanic, mid eastern, or mixed race too. Age 18-30.
B GIRLS: These are fine girls, long natural hair, really nice bodies. Small waists, nice hips. You should be light-skinned. Beyonce is a prototype here. Age 18-30.
C GIRLS: These are African American girls, medium to light skinned with a weave. Age 18-30.
D GIRLS: These are African American girls. Poor, not in good shape. Medium to dark skin tone. Character types. Age 18-30.”
The post has been removed from Sande’s Facebook page after sparking controversy. Universal released a public apology, saying, “The filmmakers … did not approve and do not condone the information in this casting notice. We regret and sincerely apologize for being in any way associated with the descriptions it contained.”
F. Gary Gray is directing the biopic that follows the life of hardcore rap group N.W.A. — O’Shea Jackson Jr., Corey Hawkins, and Jason Mitchell are set to play the group’s members Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, and the late Eazy-E.
The movie is set for an August 15, 2015 release.