Is colour-blind casting the way of the future?

Sumyia Nasim and Carmeli Argana question the validity of Bridgerton’s colour-blind casting.

Out of all the events that have unfolded over the past few weeks, possibly the most heartbreaking was the news that Regé-Jean Page, the mark of beauty amongst men and the actor behind the swoon-worthy Simon Bassett, would not be returning for season two of Netflix’s Bridgerton. But apart from losing out on the chance to see more of Page on-screen (interpret that as you will), his departure also means that the show is losing a quarter of its Black, Indigenous and People Of Colour (BIPOC) representation from its main cast. And, for a show that heavily promoted its diverse casting, such a significant loss would surely have implications.

Netflix’s Bridgerton delivers immersion in the form of beautifully intricate and lavish gowns and fineries, passionate romance and captivating string covers of Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish and Taylor Swift hits. Set in Regency Era England, the period piece à la Gossip Girl came at a time when audiences were practically begging for a distraction from the impending doom that has seemed to follow us this past year, and what better way to do so than to enter the world of high society?

The record-breaking eight-episode season has received critical praise and inspired a cultural revolution. From musical adaptations to fashion trends, Bridgerton has undoubtedly left its mark.

Arguably one of the show’s most appealing features is its diverse cast within the context of a period piece drama, which is a generally white-dominated space (Greta Gerwig’s Little Women we are looking at you). With the principle of “colour-blind casting”, the show has set a new standard for representation in the media.

Colour-blind casting, also referred to as non-traditional casting (no, not you Scarlett Johansson in Ghost in the Shell), is a relatively new process of casting actors without regard to their race or ethnicity. However, at a time when the term ‘colour-blind’ itself is one rooted in privilege and performative activism, is it enough to simply feature actors from BIPOC backgrounds without acknowledging race and class-based struggles within the characters’ historical context?

Featuring BIPOC actors Golda Rosheuvel and Regé-Jean Page as Queen Charlotte and the Duke of Hastings respectively, the show portrays the British royal family in a way that we have not seen before, on-screen or otherwise, with people of colour in positions of nobility. However, despite this visual representation of diversity, the characters’ races are not at the forefront of the show’s subject matter, resulting in a superficial and performative handling of race and representation.

This presents somewhat of an alternate historical universe, utopic and inconsistent with the realities of colonialism and racism; harmony in 1813 that we still have not reached in 2021. The only time in the script when race is considered within the show is when Lady Danbury, another BIPOC character, explains that society was once “divided by colour until a king fell in love with one of us. Love… Conquers All.” This utilises a common performative trope used in media to explain away race. Basically: ‘This is why that character looks different from the others. Don’t be shocked, there’s a reason for it!’ 

At first glance, the idealised representation of race relations we see presents Bridgerton as a 'post-race' universe. However, the show-runners intentionally neglect the historical context which erases the importance of racial issues, thereby closing the space for important dialogue and further exploration of race in the show. This ‘post-race’ setting, seen in the BBC’s Merlin or Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella is premised on the idea that all people, regardless of racial differences, are essentially the same. On the surface, this approach advances an important agenda in increasing representation for BIPOC. But by ignoring the realities of race relations and the historical forces that led to the oppression of certain groups, a post-race universe allows creators (and audiences) to avoid the uncomfortable but necessary work of grappling with the lived experiences of BIPOC.. If love could solve all racial injustice and inequality, Meghan and Harry would not have stepped down from their Royal Family duties, been ruthlessly attacked by tabloid media, or had their son Archie’s skin tone questioned. This quick-fix solution makes Bridgerton a textbook case of performative representation. Basically, in trying to avoid the pitfalls of the post-race universe, they fall into another pitfall of historical revisionism.

So no, colour-blind casting is not the future. It is not enough to simply gloss over such an important part of people’s identities and life experiences. We need to examine our biases and the realities of systemic racism and translate this into the art we write and consume. Hopefully one day we can live in a world where BIPOC in positions of power aren’t questioned on their merit, where everyone can grow up seeing representations of themselves in entertainment, but we don’t think that will come from love conquering all.