Ridley Scott still defends casting white actors in his film 'Exodus'

Ridley Scott is doubling down on defending his decision to cast white actors in the film Exodus: Gods and Kings.

Sep 16, 2015

Ridley Scott is doubling down on defending his decision to cast white actors in the film Exodus: Gods and Kings.

When the movie came out last year, there was much criticism over Scott’s casting decisions. Specifically, the Egyptians and main characters were all white, with Christian Bale and Joel Edgerton playing Moses and Ramesses II. At the time, Scott said that the decision was a monetary one, claiming that the white actors generated more revenue because they were better known.

However, because of this controversial casting decision, there was overwhelming criticism of the film and even a movement to boycott Scott’s the movie. In response to this criticism, Scott told people who were upset to “get a life,” and it seems he hasn’t softened his stance at all.

When asked if he would have made different casting choices knowing what he knows now and looking back in hindsight, Scott answered, “Nah. Some have said, isn’t Christ black? He could have been. It depends on what part of North Africa he comes from, but how do we know? The short sharp crude answer is, I couldn’t get a film like that mounted for that kind of budget—we were $145 million, not $260 million, so that wasn’t bad– but to make Moses black and his wife Ethiopian? They never would have made the movie.”