In the Heights actor-producer Lin-Manuel Miranda apologises for lack of Afro-Latino representation in film

Actor-singer Lin-Manuel Miranda was recently criticised over the lack of dark-skinned Afro-Latino actors in the Warner Bros musical In The Height. Following this, he issued an apology on social media addressing the controversy that began last week. Taking to his Twitter account, Miranda said, “I’m seeing the discussion around Afro-Latinx representation in our film this weekend and it is clear that many in our dark-skinned Afro-Latinx community don’t feel sufficiently represented within it, particularly among the leading roles”. He also accepted that without sufficient dark-skinned Afro-Latinx representation, the work is not complete. Based on New York City’s Washington Heights neighbourhood, the movie In The Height was initially appreciated for bringing up Latino stories and for also giving Afro-Latino culture a rare spotlight in Hollywood. Soon after the film premiered in theatres and on HBO Max, people criticised it over the lack of dark-skinned actors in pivotal roles. Miranda, who also has a cameo in the movie, further accepted the critics’ statements and said that he has heard the “hurt and frustration” over colourism. Further in his post, the film’s producer stated that he was trying to portray ‘a mosaic of this community’ but fell short. “I’m truly sorry,” he finally added. Check out Miranda statement below:

-LMM pic.twitter.com/CHfdLgFUz3

— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) June 14, 2021

The issue and controversy became big after director Jon Chu defended the movie by noting how many of the backup dancers were Afro-Latino. During her recent interview with The Root, Chu said it was a topic he needed to be “educated about". In her interaction, Chu claimed that when they were looking for the cast, they wanted to get people perfect for the role. “I think that’s a really good conversation to have and something we should be talking about,” Chu added. Meanwhile, critics accused the film of centring the story around light-skinned cast members. As per the movie, the sole Black lead is portrayed by Corey Hawkins, however, his character Benny is not identified as having Caribbean roots.