Nico Parker is paying no attention to the How to Train Your Dragon backlash over her casting.
In a new interview, Parker addresses the negativity surrounding her appearance in the live-action remake of the DreamWorks animated film.
“There’s some people that really love the animated movies and really want to see an exact play-by-play of that film, and I hope that you can watch [the new version] and find something that you love about it, regardless,” she told The Times of London.
She continued, “But for the people that just hate inclusivity, hate change — when it comes to that side of things, I just don’t care. If I wouldn’t value your opinion on most things in life, I can’t value your opinion on my hair. If I did, I would go mad.”
The controversy surrounding Parker’s casting in the role of Astrid is that the actress does not have blonde hair and blue eyes like in the animated version.
“If I wouldn’t value your opinion on most things in life, I can’t value your opinion on my hair. If I did, I would go mad,” she added.
Nico Parker in ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ (L) and Astrid in the animated version (R)
DreamWorks / Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection /
Parker is the daughter of filmmaker Ol Parker and actress Thandiwe Newton. The How to Train Your Dragon Star thinks her casting is a win for representation in Hollywood, as she felt that growing up, the industry lacked “mixed race or Black icons.”
“There’s still a long way to go — for women in general, in terms of new parts, original material and female-led stories,” Parker said. “But I think that everything’s changing. I’d like to think that I could contribute to that change at some point.”
How to Train Your Dragon is directed and written by Dean DeBlois and set to open in theaters on June 13. The live-action adaptation also stars Mason Thames as Hiccup, Gerard Butler, Nick Frost, Julian Dennison, Gabriel Howell, Bronwyn James, Harry Trevaldwyn, Ruth Codd, and Peter Serafinowicz.
Content shared from deadline.com.