Casting defended of
actor playing Kahanamoku
in Doris Duke movie

By Tim Ryan
Star-Bulletin

Casting directors will say that selecting actors for roles in film and television is mostly a matter of judging talent and experience, and rarely does political correctness or politics enter the picture.

"The most important factor is that the person is a good actor for any (major) part," said Anna Fishburn, owner of Anna Fishburn Casting in Honolulu.

"A network or production company spends a lot of money and must be sure there's enough experience there, someone who has spent a lot of time on a set acting."

The few local casting directors in Hawaii -- only one of whom would speak publicly -- are not surprised that a mainland actor was picked to portray Duke Kahanamoku, a Hawaiian, in the CBS mini-series "Too Rich: The Secret Life of Doris Duke" being filmed on Oahu.

Brian Stokes Mitchell, an award-winning actor who is African American, German and Native American, portrays Kahanamoku in what a "Duke" producer called a "very important part." Mitchell was cast on the mainland and not by local casting directors.

Mitchell portrayed the character Coalhouse Walker Jr. in the Broadway production of "Ragtime," for which he was nominated for a Tony Award.

He made his Broadway debut in "Mail," went on to star in David Merrick's "Oh, Kay!," "Jelly's Last Jam" -- replacing Gregory Hines -- and "Kiss of the Spider Woman."

His television credits include "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air," "In the House," "Trapper John, M.D." and "Roots: The Next Generations."

"There you have it," Fishburn said. "Here's an actor with a tremendous amount of experience."

Producers prefer to cast locally because it saves "a tremendous amount of money" on food and lodging, Fishburn said.

"They would have loved to have had a Hawaiian actor for the role, but there probably wasn't one who fit the required age the part called for. Most of our better actors are older (than what the part requires.)"

Lack of a sizable talent pool is "a common problem in Hawaii," Fishburn said.

Promoter and entrepreneur Kimo McVay, who became Kahanamoku's personal and business partner, coached Mitchell on Hawaii's favorite son.

"The concerns about Stokes' selection are both understandable and ridiculous," McVay said. "Most people don't understand that in film and television, when someone is depicting a historical figure it's inevitable that it can't be a clone. The first thing you look for is someone who can play the part ... not just some look-alike."

As for the ethnic issue, McVay dismissed it, saying, "Stokes is playing a role."

"Duke in all his years in films didn't play a Polynesian until 1948 when he played a village chief in 'Wake of the Red Witch' with John Wayne," he said. "But he played Arabs, Native Americans, anyone with dark skin."

McVay spent nearly a dozen hours with Mitchell after receiving a call from producer and Hawaii resident Al Masini, who had been asked to find "an authority" on Duke for Mitchell.

"(Mitchell) is an extraordinarily fine piece of casting because this man has the gentleness and spirit of Duke," McVay said.

Mitchell's father, George, was a civilian electronics engineer who worked for the Navy. The family traveled throughout Asia, living for several years in the Philippines and Guam before moving to San Diego when Mitchell ws 14.

Mitchell's father was of African American and German descent, one of the first black pilots to fly combat missions for the U.S. Air Force in World War II.

His mother, Lillian Stokes, became Seattle's first black policewoman.