Boulder JCC: A Conversation About Casting in Movies and TV

The practice of casting non-Jewish actors in roles specifically written as Jewish has reached epidemic proportions in recent years, prompting comedian Sara Silverman to call Hollywood out for creating a heated controversy that continues to boil today. The glaring example of two recent, critically acclaimed childhood memoirs by famous directors– Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans and James Gray’s Armageddon Time – brought the issue of Jewish characters being played by non-Jews into sharp relief.

From The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel to The Patient or The Shrink Next Door, streaming services consistently turn to non-Jews to portray overtly Jewish characters. Kathryn Hahn, who played a rabbi in Transparent, was set to play Joan Rivers in a mini-series that was cancelled after much nasty pushback. Bradley Cooper, in a prosthetic nose, will soon be on screen as Leonard Bernstein. Helen Mirren will portray Golda Meir. Daisy Edgar-Jones has just been cast to play Carol King. The list is long, prompting questions that merit debate.

Join Kathryn Bernheimer, Founding Director of the Boulder Jewish Film Festival, for a discussion on this phenomenon. We invite film lovers to share their thoughts about a whole host of Jewish movies and streaming series, whether you are looking for recommendations of programs to watch or want to discuss what you’ve currently been watching. This program will cast light on a wide expanse of Jewish content.

Join us 12:30 – 1 pm for a pre-program social.