Othello

The 1965 version of Shakespeare’s classic is proof Lawrence Olivier wasn’t going to let anything stand in his way of playing every single one of the Bard’s leads. And sure, it was a different time. However, there is really no excuse for Larry casting himself other than vanity. Blackface wasn’t acceptable even then, after all the Civil Rights movement was in full swing by ‘65. The sixties was also the first decade where black actors were regularly cast as complicated, interesting lead and supporting characters on TV and in films. Sydney Poitier was at the top of his game. And perhaps most importantly, while an argument could be made that white men had previously been playing the role for centuries, since the 1930s the character of Othello was synonymous with one of the greatest African-American stage actors of all time: Paul Robeson. Still, the white-washing paid off for Olivier and he was nominated for an Oscar.