Afro-Latina actor, Gina Torres is in the news because of the debates over her ethnicity. Daughter of Cuban immigrants, who was born and brought up in America, Torres said she had to audition for a role multiple times early in her career because she didn't fit the producers' 'ideas of American beauty'. "The cross that we bear as people of color in this industry is that we have to be extraordinary," the actress said at the WrapWomen’s Power Women Summit on June 11.
Ginna Torres was part of an actors panel that included Diane Guerrero, Stephanie Beatriz, Sarah Shahi and Kelly McCreary. The actresses shared stories of how they were treated when they began their career in the entertainment industry. According to Torres, Afro-Latino performers like herself have been 'hiding in plain sight,' as Hollywood mostly casts them for Black roles because they 'don't look Latino.'
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Ginna Torres' almost 3 decades-long careers include her notable works in roles in shows like 'Suits,' 'Firefly,' '24,' 'Hannibal' and numerous other series. Torres noted she stopped 'sacrificing one part of her identity over the other' because she felt like she's had significant wins when it comes to representation on screen. Torres mentioned that she got a call from Tim Minear, the co-creator and showrunner of Fox's '9-1-1: Lone Star' for the show's female lead. The moment she got the call, she asked if her role could be an Afro-Latina, Minear agreed to it, but he wasn't sure what it would entail.
"I need to speak my language (Spanish) whenever possible. I need to let the audience know that this is also a face of Latinidad," Torres said. "That was incredibly important for me because so often marginalized people aren't really depicted as being fully human. They're not given the same attention, they're not given the same time, they're not given families," she added.
'Gina Torres doesn't look racially ambiguous'
The internet swarmed with reactions over the debate with tweets like, "Gina Torres doesn’t look racially ambiguous. She looks, Black and is an Afro-Latina. People need to give it up and STOP discrediting the Blackness of Afro-Latinos." One user wrote, "Gina Torres didn't survive working on two Joss Whedon series' just for a buncha clowns to call her "racially ambiguous"." Another commented, "Lol I’m tired of people not knowing the difference between lightskin, white passing, and racial ambiguity. Gina Torres is very phenotypically Black." One tweet read, "People calling Gina Torres racially ambiguous and people who think my skin tone counts as light skinned is a perfect circle of dipshittery."
Gina Torres doesn’t look racially ambiguous. She looks, Black and is an Afro-Latina. People need to give it up and STOP discrediting the Blackness of Afro-Latinos.
— 𝐵𝑒𝒸𝒸𝒶 (@MJFINESSELOVER) June 16, 2021
Gina Torres didn't survive working on two Joss Whedon series' just for a buncha clowns to call her "racially ambiguous"
— Matt! (@brightloud) June 16, 2021
Lol I’m tired of people not knowing the difference between lightskin, white passing, and racial ambiguity. 😭😭 Gina Torres is very phenotypically Black. https://t.co/seMx04deTb
— Think Piece Princess (@ViciousVibrato) June 16, 2021
People calling Gina Torres racially ambiguous and people who think my skin tone counts as light skinned is a perfect circle of dipshittery.
— Downtown Brandi Frown 😾 (@ItsTheBrandi) June 16, 2021
Previously, Torres reimagined her acclaimed role as Jessica Pearson on 'Suits' as an Afro-Latina for the spinoff series 'Pearson,' which Torres created and produced. The actress will continue starring in '9-1-1: Lone Star,' which is renewed for a third season and aims to continue shaping new, more robust characters of color through more producing projects.
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