It's only been a week since Ed Skrein joined the reboot of Hellboy and he's already gone -- with applause and admiration.
Skrein was slated to play the character Major Ben Daimio, who in the comic books is mixed-Asian race. Once fans took to social media to complain about another movie whitewashing, he did his research and backed out of the movie.
The Deadpool villian made the announcement on Twitter, saying,
"I accepted the role unaware the character in the original comics was of mixed Asian heritage.... Representation of ethnic diversity is important, especially to me as I have a mixed heritage family...
I am sad to leave Hellboy, but if this decision brings us closer to that day, it is worth it. I hope it makes a difference."
The response has been overwhelming -
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Skrein leaving the project sets new precedent to standing up against whitewashing. Many actors, including Matt Damon (Great Wall), Rooney Mara (Pan), Scarlett Johansson (Ghost in the Shell) and Emma Stone (Aloha) have taken roles that were written for mixed race characters, particularly Asian characters, who have even less of a voice in Hollywood than other minority groups. In an interview with The Guardian Thai American actor, Pan Bandhu said, “We’re the information givers. We’re the geeks. We’re the prostitutes. We’re so sick and tired of seeing ourselves in those roles.”