How can Hollywood Improve Minority Representation?

When it comes to making the Hollywood landscape more inclusive, casting pulls a heavy weight. Of all the movie-making positions, audiences connect most directly with actors. They are the faces we see on screen. So, it’s up to casting directors to make thoughtful, imaginative, and authentic choices while sourcing talent.

“Casting is such a unique job because we’re helping creatives and storytellers in the genesis of their projects,” says casting director Candido Cornejo on the latest episode of Queer Questions. “We get to help make those characters come to life, and it takes a really particular eye to find those people.”

Cornejo—who’s found a niche within Latino, Indigenous, and queer talent circles—has made casting part of her mission to improve minority representation in the industry, especially in front of the camera.

Growing up queer in a small Oregon town, film and TV saved her life. Today, as an entertainment professional in Los Angeles, she works to expand and deepen the breadth of stories being told. And she’s not just fighting for the existence of Latino and Indigenous characters on screen; she’s reimagining how these characters are included in the narrative.

“We’re not telling these fake stories that trans women are men in [dresses], that Black people can only be robbers and thieves, that Latinos can only be selling tamales on the corner and making piñatas, you know?” she says. “We’re telling stories now through an authentic place. We have bigger stories. It’s not just that we exist. It’s that we’re not what you typically see on TV or film, and I think that’s the reason why it’s important.”

Back in the 50s, straight Caucasian actors dominated casting pools, even for roles that were outside their lived experiences. Thankfully, Hollywood is much more diverse today. More and more, filmmakers seek actors who share defining elements as the characters they are playing—especially along the lines of race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. As such, storytelling is made more authentic.

Not all actors agree with this casting movement. If it’s the job of the actor to become someone else entirely, then why should it matter—for example—if a straight man plays a gay man on screen?

Reported by Out Magazine, Stanley Tucci has said he’s flattered to play the many gay roles he’s famous for. Tom Hanks, who won an Oscar for playing a gay man with AIDS, has said he wouldn’t take that kind of role in today’s casting environment. For Cate Blanchett, acting includes playing roles beyond her own experience, which includes queer characters. For Paul Mescal, on the other hand, it’s more about who’s at the helm of telling the story.

For Cornejo, starting within the community is the most ethical first move.

“As a casting director, our expectation is for actors to be good. You can’t be a bad actor and be doing this. So that’s already a thing to demystify,” she says. “It’s our obligation to look within [minority] communities first, because they do have stories to tell through lived experiences, to show the world that they exist, [and] in today’s time there really is no excuse to not look within those communities—because we have actors!”

Every star who has come from the Latino, Indigenous, and queer communities, were given a shot. Someone in casting believed they could do the role right. From Salma Hayek to Wes Studi, Neil Patrick Harris to Lily Gladstone, the more authentically we cast actors, the more authentic the story will unfold on screen.

“If you look at a list of all American actors—Caucasian actors—the lists are endless of stars that have name-relevance,” Cornejo continues. “If you look at a Latino list, it’s significantly smaller. You look at a Native American list, it is twice as small as that. You look at people who are two-spirit or trans, even smaller than that. So, we need to continue creating those opportunities so those lists can become bigger, and we start seeing more stars of value within our communities.”

Check out the full interview with Candido Cornejo on the LatiNation app!