Nia Long auditioned for Charlie's Angels, but wasn't cast for a surprising reason! As People reports, Long opened up about why her agent told her she wasn't the right fit to play the leading role of "Alex Munday" in the movie.
Long's agent informed her that she "looked too old" for part
Long talked about the experience in a recent interview with Insider, revealing that her agent told her she "looked too old" to star opposite Drew Barrymore, who played "Dylan Sanders." "I was like, 'What?'" she told the outlet. However, Long has her suspicions that racial discrimination factored into the decision to not cast her.
"I love Drew Barrymore, I think she's amazing, but I think that was just a nice way to say you're a little too Black," she went on to say. "Personally, that's what I think. Because if you notice there were no brown skin [actors]. I mean, honestly, I would have been the blackest thing in the film."
Long says directors should "help create and curate a character"
Long's critique extended to not just her age, but the way she dressed for her audition. "The feedback that I received from my agent was, 'She just looked too old and sophisticated to be next to Drew Barrymore,'" she said. As People mentions, the role of "Alex Munday" ultimately ended up going to Lucy Liu, who happens to be two years older than Long.
"And I'm thinking to myself, it's an actor's choice to walk in the room how they want to look, but it's a director's vision to help create and curate a character," she continued. "So if you couldn't see beyond the fact that I had on a blazer and a pair of jeans then that was clearly not the job and opportunity for me. So, no problem, I'll keep it moving."
Long isn't the only actress who recalls feeling discriminated against in the casting process for Charlie's Angels. Thandie Newton almost starred in the film, but chose to pull out after uncomfortable conversations with the production team. Even though Long wasn't cast in Charlie's Angels, her career today is doing just fine, and she can be seen starring in the brand-new Netflix movie Fatal Affair!
Her incredible career
