‘I’m truly sorry’: Lin-Manuel Miranda apologizes for lack of dark-skinned Afro-Latinx actors in musical movie In The Heights
- Miranda, 41, is a producer on the film adaptation of his Broadway hit
- The movie opened in theaters and started streaming on HBO Max this weekend
- ‘I can hear the hurt and frustration over colorism, of feeling still unseen,’ he tweeted Monday
- He added: ‘I’m truly sorry’
Lin-Manuel Miranda has issued an apology via Twitter after a colorism controversy surrounding his just released movie In The Heights.
Miranda, who is a producer on the film adaptation of his stage musical, tweeted Monday that he’s sorry for not including more dark-skinned Afro-Latinx actors in the cast.
‘I started writing In The Heights because I didn’t feel seen. And over the past 20 years all I wanted was for us-ALL of us-to feel seen,’ he wrote.
Lin-Manuel Miranda has issued an apology via Twitter after a colorism controversy surrounding his just released movie In The Heights. Pictured at the Tribeca Festival on June 9
‘I’m seeing the discussion around Afro-Latino representation in our film this weekend and it is clear that many in our dark-skinned Afro-Latino community don’t feel sufficiently represented within it, particularly among the leading roles.’
Miranda, 41, went on: ‘I can hear the hurt and frustration over colorism, of feeling still unseen in the feedback. I hear that without sufficient dark-skinned Afro-Latino representation, the work feels extractive of the community we wanted so much to represent with pride and joy.’
The actor, playwright and musician acknowledged that the movie ‘fell short’ and promised ‘to do better’.
‘I’m truly sorry,’ Miranda shared.
‘I’m truly sorry’, the actor, musician and playwright said in a statement. ‘I can hear the hurt and frustration over colorism, of feeling still unseen’
‘It is clear that many in our dark-skinned Afro-Latino community don’t feel sufficiently represented within it, particularly among the leading roles,’ he tweeted. ‘I promise to do better in my future projects’
‘I’m learning from the feedback, I thank you for raising it, and I’m listening,’ he added. ‘I’m trying to hold space for both the incredible pride in the movie we made and be accountable for our shortcomings.
‘I promise to do better in my future projects, and I’m dedicated to the learning and evolving we all have to do to make sure we are honoring our diverse and vibrant community.’
In The Heights tells the stories of several characters living in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Upper Manhattan in New York City.
Miranda, who was born in the neighborhood, wrote the original play while at university.
In The Heights tells the stories of several characters living in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Upper Manhattan in New York City. Miranda is a producer on the movie that he adapted from his successful stage musical
In 2004, he partnered with playwright and lyricist Quiara Alegría Hudes to turn it into a stage musical which premiered on Broadway in 2008.
It won four Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Original Score.
The film version starring Anthony Ramos, Melissa Barrera and Leslie Grace and directed by Jon M. Chu was released in the United States on June 10 in theaters and simultaneously streaming on HBO Max.
Last week, The Root’s Felice Léon had expressed concern about ‘the lack of Black Latinx people represented’ in the film, observing that the main cast ‘were light-skinned or white-passing Latinx people.’
Chu responded in an interview with Léon, explaining: ‘In the end, when we were looking at the cast, we were trying to get the people who were best for those roles.
‘But I hear you on trying to fill those cast members with darker-skinned [actors]. I think that’s a really good conversation to have, something that we should all be talking about.’
Asked last week about colorism, In The Heights director Jon M. Chu explained: ‘When we were looking at the cast, we were trying to get the people who were best for those roles’