One of the many predictable tropes that run through James Bond movies has to be the evil villain (typically a white male) with the foreign accent and the unfortunate facial scar that ups the evil.
Even the latest instalment – No Time To Die – that premiered in London on Sunday has Oscar winning actor Rami Malek (right in main photo) playing the evil assassin Safin who hides his disfigured face under a mask.
However, a British charity group called Changing Faces is petitioning the producers of the James Bond franchise to reconsider the idea that only the bad guys have facial disfigurements.
Changing Faces has written to Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson, who jointly control Bond production company Eon, asking for a meeting to air their concerns.
The group has also debuted a social media campaign that shows people with visible facial differences playing the heroes in films for a change.
[🔊 Sound on] Today is the premiere of new Bond movie #NoTimeToDie and we’ve released our own film showing a future where people with visible differences are the hero, love interest or main character – not just the villain. #IAmNotYourVillain
Learn more: https://t.co/feUMfq1swm pic.twitter.com/Ye5sT0xV9X
— Changing Faces (@FaceEquality) September 28, 2021
A recent study by Changing Faces found that 74 per cent of the 1000 respondents agreed that popular culture is changing to be more inclusive, however people with visible differences are being left behind.
Catherine Deakin, deputy chief executive of Changing Faces, commented: “Living life with a disfigurement can be tough, with people reporting a daily grind of staring, comments and even abuse, just because of how they look.
“When you have a visible difference, you’re unlikely to see yourself represented in popular culture. That’s why we’re calling on the creative industries, from filmmakers to TV scriptwriters, as well as brands, to join our Pledge To Be Seen movement.
“It’s important we all see more diverse and inclusive images and representations of people, including those who have visible differences, whether that be in a film, our favourite TV shows or in a fashion brand campaign,” Deakin said.
