In a little over a month, DC Studio’s The Flash will finally premiere in theaters. The superhero movie stars Ezra Miller as the Flash and Michael Keaton as Batman, among other high-profile names (including Ben Affleck). Barring all the controversy surrounding the movie and Miller, the film will also see Colombian actress Sasha Calle’s grand debut as Supergirl, Superman’s Kryptonian cousin. Calle is just one of many diverse young actresses sharing her talent with Hollywood, and according to She-Hulk: Attorney at Law actress Ginger Gonzaga, it’s leaving her feeling “bittersweet.”
Gonzaga did not specify what prompted her moment of reflection, but she took to Twitter to air her thoughts all the same. “It’s bittersweet watching young diverse actors getting major roles,” she said in her post. “My first instinct is ‘WOW that’s SO EXCITING!’ (currently stoked to see Sasha Calle as Supergirl!) Then I also get sad & go WOW, that was like NEVER an option for me when I started acting. It just didn’t exist.”
Gonzaga expressed a level of gratitude for the strides Hollywood has made toward creative representation, however slow that may be, reiterating that “tapping all the different colors and minds is what makes the most interesting art!”
Gonzaga, 39, is of both Filipina and Dutch origin. A look at her filmography will show that she’s been acting for over 15 years. Her first TV movie was the indie film With Friends Like These… in 2008 in which she starred alongside an all-white (or at least extremely pale) cast. Yes, she’s done quite well for herself, especially considering her lead role as Nikki Ramos in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. However, her progression in the industry is a far cry from the debut roles young diverse actors and actresses like Calle are receiving in this day and age. The Flash will be Calle’s feature film debut, one which apparently sees her steal the show. She is 27 years old.
Additional diverse actresses inhabiting the spotlight are Halle Bailey, 23 – who will star as Ariel in Disney’s live-action The Little Mermaid next month. This fall, Marvel actress Iman Vellani, 20, will also experience her feature film debut in The Marvels as the superhero Ms. Marvel – a role she landed last year in the Disney Plus show of the same name (her first acting role ever, at that). Furthermore, in just a couple of days, Yara Shahidi, 23, will sparkle as Tinker Bell in Disney’s reimagining of Peter Pan & Wendy, a role — like Bailey’s Ariel — that has previously only been afforded to white actresses.
These are quite literally just a few examples of the growing number of roles being offered to young, diverse talent in Hollywood (and within just Disney alone). It’s understandable then why Gonzaga would feel a sense of bittersweet pride at the progression the industry is seeing. But as Twitter user @WillieJonesssss said in response to Gonzaga’s tweet, “Yeah, it sucks to be the one to break down doors, but other people did it for us, and one day these kids will do it for the next generation.”