“Whit dae ye mean am no white enough tae be Scottish?”
“Yer no white enough to play a Scottish freedom fighter, simple as.”
“But ah am Scottish, ah’ve been Scottish since ah wis born.”
“Well, yer no peelie-wally enough. That’s aw there is tae it.”
“It’s probably the tan, ah’ve just had a fortnight in Lanzarote. Ah’ll be white as a bottle of milk again before ye know it.”
The casting director wavered.
“Show us yer arse.”
“Whit?”
“Did ye sunbathe in the scud?”
“Naw.”
“Then show us yer arse.”
Ah, I could see where he was going. I flashed a chunk of cheek.
“Naw, yer still no white enough, there’s a touch of olive tone there. Wis yer maw Italian?”
“Naw, but ma granpa wis fae Sicily; came over as a POW during the war.”
“Well, whitever the reason, yer no white enough to be in this movie, ye’ll stand oot like a sore thumb.”
“This isnae fair. It’s awright for Idris Elba tae be James Bond but ah cannae play a Scot in ‘Freedom – the Willie Wallace Story’ when ah am one.”
“James Bond is fictional, it disnae matter who plays him.”
“Yer wrong there, he might be fictional, but he’s got a back story. His da wis Scottish and his maw wis fae Switzerland.”
“So?”
“They’re no exactly known for their thriving black populations. The chances of a wee Idris popping oot isnae very likely. If ye ignore the back story, yer no showing any respect for the source material. It’s just no right if yer a lover of literature. What’s more, if there are any missions in Eastern Europe they cannea really send Idris undercover can they? He wudna get very far before he wis spotted.”
“Ye never know, they made Sean Connery Japanese in You Only Live Twice. Trying tae pass Idris off as a Russian isnae any different.”
“Aye, good point… but he couldnae go on a mission tae America.”
“And why’s that?”
“He’d never make it oot of JFK before the American polis gunned him doon.”
“Right, ah’ve had enough of yer nonsense. Get oot,” the casting director pointed towards the door.
There was nothing more tae be said.
Now I know how that Zoe Saldana feels.
The Pressure Valve 