While some have criticized HBO Max’s removal of “Gone With the Wind” from its streaming service — including those who wonder if it hurts the legacy of Hattie McDaniel, the first African American woman to win an Academy Award — Oscar nominee Queen Latifah says good riddance.
“Let ‘Gone with the Wind’ be gone with the wind,” said the Emmy, Golden Globe and Grammy winner in an interview last week.
Latifah, who portrays McDaniel in Ryan Murphy’s Netflix “Hollywood” series, says the story behind McDaniel’s Oscar win is not as shiny as the golden trophy.
“They didn’t even let her in the theater until right before she got that award. Someone came outside and brought her into the auditorium. She wasn’t even allowed to sit in there. And then she had to read a speech that was written by a studio. You know that’s not what the hell she wanted to say,” she said.
“Then after that, all she could do was play the same kinds of roles … So the opportunities at that time and the way that those in power in that business were relegating us and marginalizing us and not allowing us to grow and thrive after that was just terrible. And a lot of that is still around today.”
Latifah spoke to The Associated Press while promoting her Queen Collective initiative, which seeks to highlight up-and-coming female filmmakers of color. She discussed George Floyd’s death, her feelings about her lyrics being chanted by protesters and more. ♦
