I’m not talking about Bollywood, about ‘exposing’ about love scenes, about cheesy romantic movies. My question is about a Muslim actress in Hollywood who chooses high calibre roles. Acting as an art form. Can a Muslim actress ever truly be respectable? Or is she doomed to become someone’s ‘sex symbol’ or be followed by papparazzi and gossiped about?
For example I think it’s natural if you look like Catherine zeta Jones (even if your acting talent is tremendous) to be objectified. So wouldn’t a Muslim actress also have the same pressures?
Media doesnt make any difference in actors accroding to their background. If an actress is goodlooking the crowd will be crazy about her. And if the crowd is crazy about her, media will driver her crazy being after her and following her everywhere. They wont be differentiating wheter she is Muslim, hindu, sikrh or atheist.
The reason I ask this question is because I don't see any Muslim actresses in Hollywood. I see many other actresses who seem to sell out. They may start out with good roles and have integrity but little by little they begin to fear their popularity is sagging. At that point they do Maxim photoshoots, make public appearance scantily clad, do a film with a love scene or risque topic, etc. They do all this to stay 'on top' of their profession.
But there are actresses like Meryl Streep who are respectable and talented and don't need to stoop that low to stay hot. She cherishes her privacy and her relationships with family. She keeps her professional life and private life separate. So is Hollywood an environment in which a Muslim can remain true to their beliefs?
I'm not sure if she's Muslim but she's from Iran and starred in the House of Sand and Fog. Nominated for an Oscar a few years back too. She's quite respectable but the media aren't hungry for her. She's not 'young' though by Hollywood standards which may be the reason for this.
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*Originally posted by MehnazQ: *
Shohreh Aghdashloo
I'm not sure if she's Muslim but she's from Iran and starred in the House of Sand and Fog. Nominated for an Oscar a few years back too. She's quite respectable but the media aren't hungry for her. She's not 'young' though by Hollywood standards which may be the reason for this.
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I agree... but honestly, the way she presented her self post Oscar nomination was not in the best light. She was portrayed as this "free" Persian woman. Why was she considered a "free" woman. Mini skirts...crack whore makeup... etc. I guess thats liberty for you.
I agree... but honestly, the way she presented her self post Oscar nomination was not in the best light. She was portrayed as this "free" Persian woman. Why was she considered a "free" woman. Mini skirts...crack whore makeup... etc. I guess thats liberty for you.
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I think she looked gorgeous at the Oscars.
I think the one of the reasons she was presented as "free" is because during the 70s, after the revolution in Iran, she basically wasn't allowed to act and/or completely forbidden from acting due to the new laws. She was quite famous in Iran prior to the revolution and part of the reason why she left is cause she couldn't work anymore.
Anyway, I don't know if 'she' actually presented herself like this or if the media picked up on this and 'they' decided to present her this way.
No doubt what u said, Mehnaz. But I feel she propagated this, especially during the POST oscar buzz. Before, when the movie came out, she presented herself, very professionally (dress and speech). She would talk about the content of the movie etc. After the nomination, I agree with you somewhat. It was a chance to ring up the Irani diaspora, as well as Iranis, and I think her agent advised her to become more of this American poster child. She shortened her skirt length, plumped up her lips... etc... and began to talk about independence in the west.
Honestly.. let me reiterate... independence is about choice... not restriction to adhere to a certain image.
