I was a big fan of Early Edition (tv show) and he was in it, so I looked up to see what else he was from, and the Indian guy from short circuit popped up, and I was like... "no google. You're wrong."
He did a good job, I felt like he was very respectful. I hear Asiz anasari say he really thought Fisher Stevens was Indian and I’ve heard many Indian I’ve known over the years refuse to believe he wasn’t really an Indian guy.
@caveman Versace More so the times no one should be blamed they had an actor they used the actor they had. Just like patting a woman on the rear back then was common place but now you just do not do it.
@@jimanderton9407 it's true, 30 years ago people did black face and brown face and it was really disrespectful. For this actor, young and starting out I can hardly blame him for not giving up the role
You people are so f'n stupid. Literally putting brown makeup on a man cause you wouldn't hire one of a billion indian people is effed up. STop defending it.
As a brown man, i have absolutely no problem with him doing the character again because it was so believable and it wasnt insulting or disrespectful cuz he nailed it so well with the accent and mannerisms etc and it was done in a tasteful way not in a way where he is making fun or humiliating indians
I am Indian and had no problem with him doing it. Even when I found out he was not Indian. Short Circuit 2 was his best. The first one too but he was not the lead in it.
Yeah. We're way too sensitive. Wokeness messed up Apu. Hollywood is the most Racist industry on earth, only today it's just shifted. I'm a Biological Straight White Man so I'm a Villain by default. Only way to be a Hero is to be part of a Victim class.
I have to say, as an Indian American born to two Indian immigrants, both my parents loved his character. They understood the humor of it and didn't take it too seriously. They actually thought Fisher stole the show.
I only found out he wasn't Indian today via Macaulay culkin. I watched the film countless times as a kid and am from a South Asian background myself. Fisher did such an excellent excellent job. He even looks naturally Indian. His acting could not be more perfect, and the role wasn't demeaning at all. It was realistic and actually progressive for an American blockbuster film of the 80s to not only feature an Indian character but have him as the central protagonist other than Johnny 5. And allow him to be involved in the mandatory romantic side story that all movies have. He was realistic representation of a "STEM" nerdy engineer type. Infinitely superior to the likes of big bang theory that would come twenty years later. Big bang theory is offensive and demeaning to Autistic people, women, Indians, nerdy types. Short circuit was not. the only "transgression" could be casting the white actor, but fisher literally did a better job than anyone else could have. And it actually pushed progress in racial equality. If we look at shows like lost in the 00s. Which featured two Asian characters, one Indian, one Korean. As star roles and framed as "hunks" . That shit would not have been possible without short circuit back in the 80s.
Yup have to agree with everything you said here. I have never understood the popularity of that show. Every role in it is a stereotyped version of a character. It's really sloppy writing and demeaning.
He literally became the character. Moving to India and learning all the swear words which made it into the film unknown btw. His gestures. He is an amazing actor.
he shouldn't feel ashamed, it was one hell of a performance and it was a good challenge for a young actor. I don't care what anyone says his portrayal of an Indian man was not raciest. it was done with respect and humor.
You can see more the effort in Short Circuit 2 - and after this interview it makes sense as he said he lived in India for while. He even says a few lines in Hindi in SC2.
Dear Fisher Stevens. I'm the biggest Short Circuit fan ever, since the movie first came out. I love Ben and I love what you did and I'm glad you cited Peter Sellers. I'm so sorry that this kind of acting is pretty much not allowed anymore. You did what you did with care and respect and you have nothing to be embarrassed about. Ben is the best!
I don't think most Irish people are offended by a non-Irish person doing an Irish accent. Same with Brits/Scots/etc. If a non-Indian/Chinese/Japanese/etc tells a joke with such an accent and the joke isn't derogatory toward the race portrayed, is it still wrong?
Back in the day when I first saw Short Circuit I thought Fisher Stevens really was Indian because he did such an amazing job playing Ben in that movie & in the sequel where he was the lead character.
Why must PC culture poison comedy? My mother is from India my father is from New Mexico, and I never once found this or Apu from The Simpsons to be racist. Come to think of it I never found Speedy Gonzales to be racist either. I'm sick of people telling me what's funny, how to think, how to feel, what I should be ashamed of.
It's a testament to how good he was in that role to keep getting nothing but Indian type roles offered afterward. As a kid I appreciated his part in both films greatly and as a 42 year old adult in cancel culture times perhaps the appreciation if even greater now than it was back then. A kind thank you for giving us Ben. And yes , I'm one of those that had no idea he was not Indian & a white actor until many years later.
Yeah he's completely correct with mentioning Peter Sellers "The Party" he played an Indian character impressively in that movie, because he was such a fantastic character actor. I hate that we live in such a outrage culture this day and age. Short Circuit 3 would be awesome but like he said people would lose their shit
Fisher eventually ended up apologizing for his role in the movie which is very sad. The only people who are really angry at him for brown face are über woke white people, and probably some gender fluid social justice indian chick out in California somewhere. Im an indian guy based out of Canada and absolutely loved his portryal in short circuit.
Wow - I’m 38. I just realized this man wasn’t Indian. And I’ve seen this actor in many things since Short Circuit. I loved this movie. But I was only like 5 when I was watching it and haven’t seen it in probably 30 years.
Idea for the sequel: "Benjamin" reveals that he was pretending to be Indian when he was really an undercover government spy or some shit. He can now stay in the movie and have his character's backstory be expanded and such. Plus, they can potentially get into why his pretending to be Indian was a really bad idea!
I don't think much of the ethnicity issue as Eddie Murphy played a convincing older white man in Coming to America. In any case, Short Circuit wouldn't have been the same without his character punching the sack sporting tremendous woody.
I respect him. Im indian. Times were different then. They didn't realize why it was stupid and offensive but I blame that on the writers. I appreciate the man for trying to capture an Indian person as much as possible through method acting. The problem isn't with him its with the higher ups.
Lol, I just found out George Minkowski from Lost was Ben in Short Circuit. I always loved this guy, my mind is blown. He might be the best actor of all time
I thought he did a great job! He was absolutely hilarious and had some of the best lines. "What if it goes out and melts down a bus load of nuns?! How would you like to write the headline on that one?!" "Nun soup?" "BEN!!!!" I didn't even know he wasn't Indian until years later.
His performance didn't mock Indian people. And like other commenters, I had zero clue (as a kid) that he was NOT Indian. It wasn't until years later I saw Fisher in something and said WAIT WHAT? Mind blown. I understand both sides of this, but hey letting actors become other people with other accents is part of the job. But yes, having a white guy do an Indian accent instead of hiring an Indian person....is not cool either. It's like you're trying to avoid hiring an Indian and would like to appear to mock them even if you're not.
He wouldn't be offered that role today. They'd clearly go for an actual Indian actor. The real question I have is would they still allow the character to speak in a thick accent and mangle a bunch of well known American phrases("I am standing here beside myself.")? That's the part that the woke crowd would bitch about even though it made Ben one of the funniest parts of the original film.
Funny he brought up Ben Kingsly's Gandhi because the first thing I thought at the start of this video is, "Fisher looks like he could play Gandhi" lol.
I grew up watching Short Circut so many times, then later absolutely LOVED hackers and also watched it many times, and I still had no idea they were the same person XD.
We’ve swung too far to the other extreme today. It’s cool that there are more actors of various ethnicities playing roles today instead of white actors in makeup, but saying that characters like Ben or Tuco Ramirez are “racist” and should be disavowed and apologized for is stupid. Fisher and Eli created amazing and lovable characters. Can we just appreciate their acting chops rather than sacrificing them on the altar of wokeness?
Fisher was great in the role but the character of Ben, particularly in the first movie was written as comic relief but most of those moments were based on cultural and linguistic misunderstandings and so the audience was being encouraged to 'laugh at the foreigner' which isn't okay. That's not Fisher's fault and in SC2 the character is a lot more sympathetic and played with equal sincerity and talent by Fisher.
He was great in that movie. No WAY that he'd be able to do that today. He'd get death threats from skin-color obsessed racists on the Left. Such a shame. Short Circuit wouldn't have been Short Circuit without Ben being Ben, and Fisher Stevens playing him. It worked. It was a ton of fun. Was it 'racist' for Sir Ben Kingsley (half British, Half Indian) to play Itzhak Stern in Schindler's LIst because he wasn't Jewish, nor Polish? The Left ONLY rants and raves about this kind of thing when it is in a certain direction. That makes THEM the racists.
The reason why people don’t get upset in “the other direction” is because white people haven’t been overlooked or forced out of roles or been historically played by (or made caricatures out of by) people of colour. Historically this has happened to people of colour in cinema and the wider media…Short Circuit is kind of a prime example of this - I’m sure there were plenty of Indian actors in Hollywood they could have auditioned but instead they chose to ask a white man to play Ben. He did a great job and he really did his best to play the role respectfully, don’t get me wrong, but the reason people do get quite upset about these things is because historically people of colour have not been given the same opportunities and the same respect in the media as white people have so people are quite passionate about putting their foot down and telling the media at large “it will not benefit you in any way to cast a white man in a non-white role”. It’s all about money at the end of the day, if the media thought they could get away with continuing to cast white actors as characters of colour (John Wayne as Genghis Khan, Katharine Hepburn as Jade, Mickey Rooney in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Laurence Olivier’s Othello to name only a handful as examples) they would do it. In fact they still do, often! Many times stories with originally ethnically diverse casts of characters when put on film have some of their characters whitewashed because producers think films with more diverse characters make less money - Avatar the last Airbender, Drive, 21, Ghost in the Shell and many more films all have white actors playing characters who were originally people of colour. This takes opportunities away from non-white actors and continues to push the idea to more studios that films with white people in make more money than films with people of colour in leading roles which just isn’t true. It isn’t “all about skin colour”, it’s about principles and trying to even out a historically extremely unfair playing field. That’s why people make noise about it and that’s why Fisher Stevens wouldn’t want to play an Indian character again.
Nice to see his take on it. Personally, imo "Ben" was such a lovable guy, and a scene stealer from everyone including Johnny 5, so... I think if you're portraying a character in a positive light, regardless of their culture, then that should be welcomed. Of course today you SHOULD cast the right person of the right culture for the character, but... regardless of who gets the job, if they do it right, and respectfully and you walk away feeling inspired by the character, then that's what you should take away from it.
Because they’re the same race. White people are getting employed. White people playing other races means those people aren’t getting employed. Also, white people playing nonwhites tend to play stereotypes instead of actual human beings.
@@dusk1234567890 You can judge them if they play a stereotype but why is it wrong if they DON'T play a stereotype? Most likely if Fisher couldn't do an Indian accent, they would've changed the ethnicity of the character. They liked Fisher as an actor. Selecting his accent was just something they did as a work in progress on developing the character after they cast him. So he wasn't replacing an Indian actor.
@@dusk1234567890 But race is just social construct, or haven't you been keeping up? Interesting that race becomes a thing when it suits a certain Leftist divisive agenda. When the Wayans Bros played "White Chicks" with whiteface, I don't recall all the faux outrage. Not a peep.
Really? He didn’t even do anything wrong, it’s not like he just picked the role up and made up how he acted, he really took a lot of steps to get into the role researching and taking the role seriously. I don’t see an issue with it.
This guy is Indian. He puts effort, homework, and hardwork as well talent. Not many Indians are willing to go back to India and eat the food or live with complete strangers like Fischer did. Not many Indians have the talent or timing to be an Indian guy. Well, done. I put blame on director John Badham for the continuous sexism of the Indian character of Ben. The Newton Crosby character was just as sexist but he got many chances to redeem himself to Stephanie while Ben got nil. That to me is racist.
Please don’t be ashamed. The character was my favorite who cares who played him. I knew he was a white guy playing an Indian. It doesn’t matter. We need to stop this woke identity politics stuff. If they do another short circuit, play the character out of spite.
His performance was so good I literally had no idea he wasn't Indian until about 20 years later. Short Circuit 2 is a fantastic film, loved it 👌
Ha I know spot on accent
I wonder if an Indian could do a Jewish accent
I didn't realise he wasn't Indian until last year when I watched a re run of a Columbo and he was in that.
@@v8cool231 yeah I saw that and realised too lol
I was a big fan of Early Edition (tv show) and he was in it, so I looked up to see what else he was from, and the Indian guy from short circuit popped up, and I was like... "no google. You're wrong."
He did a good job, I felt like he was very respectful. I hear Asiz anasari say he really thought Fisher Stevens was Indian and I’ve heard many Indian I’ve known over the years refuse to believe he wasn’t really an Indian guy.
@caveman Versace It can be but people would still say you can not put make up on a person because it is racist.
@caveman Versace More so the times no one should be blamed they had an actor they used the actor they had. Just like patting a woman on the rear back then was common place but now you just do not do it.
@@jimanderton9407 yhh Well duh haha
Haha that's awesome
@@jimanderton9407 it's true, 30 years ago people did black face and brown face and it was really disrespectful. For this actor, young and starting out I can hardly blame him for not giving up the role
It’s called ACTING! I wish people would grow up.
And you need to get educated 🤦
In Hackers, he really wasn't a believable Hacker .... LOL
Exactly
You people are so f'n stupid. Literally putting brown makeup on a man cause you wouldn't hire one of a billion indian people is effed up. STop defending it.
I was today's years old when I found out that the guy wasn't Indian. He pulled it off so well, but then again, I was 7 when the first movie came out.
Kinda mind-blowing to realize it , I'm with you there
I'm finding out right fucking now and my mind is blown
As a brown man, i have absolutely no problem with him doing the character again because it was so believable and it wasnt insulting or disrespectful cuz he nailed it so well with the accent and mannerisms etc and it was done in a tasteful way not in a way where he is making fun or humiliating indians
I am Indian and had no problem with him doing it. Even when I found out he was not Indian. Short Circuit 2 was his best. The first one too but he was not the lead in it.
❤️❤️❤️
Yeah. We're way too sensitive. Wokeness messed up Apu. Hollywood is the most Racist industry on earth, only today it's just shifted. I'm a Biological Straight White Man so I'm a Villain by default. Only way to be a Hero is to be part of a Victim class.
Alot of Indian people don't seem to mind. This Cancel Culture crap is out of hand.
you know we can see your profile picture right
That's understandable but many people would find it offensive because they often race swapped in order to hire white people.
I have to say, as an Indian American born to two Indian immigrants, both my parents loved his character. They understood the humor of it and didn't take it too seriously. They actually thought Fisher stole the show.
I didn't mind it at all.. we all loved his character in the films!
I only found out he wasn't Indian today via Macaulay culkin.
I watched the film countless times as a kid and am from a South Asian background myself.
Fisher did such an excellent excellent job. He even looks naturally Indian. His acting could not be more perfect, and the role wasn't demeaning at all. It was realistic and actually progressive for an American blockbuster film of the 80s to not only feature an Indian character but have him as the central protagonist other than Johnny 5. And allow him to be involved in the mandatory romantic side story that all movies have.
He was realistic representation of a "STEM" nerdy engineer type. Infinitely superior to the likes of big bang theory that would come twenty years later.
Big bang theory is offensive and demeaning to Autistic people, women, Indians, nerdy types.
Short circuit was not.
the only "transgression" could be casting the white actor, but fisher literally did a better job than anyone else could have. And it actually pushed progress in racial equality.
If we look at shows like lost in the 00s. Which featured two Asian characters, one Indian, one Korean. As star roles and framed as "hunks" . That shit would not have been possible without short circuit back in the 80s.
Wow this comment is very insightful. I agree I f'n HATE The Big Bang Theory
Yup have to agree with everything you said here. I have never understood the popularity of that show. Every role in it is a stereotyped version of a character. It's really sloppy writing and demeaning.
Macaulay Culkin - that couldn't have been the RedLetterMedia media Re:View of Hackers, could it? 😁
He literally became the character. Moving to India and learning all the swear words which made it into the film unknown btw. His gestures. He is an amazing actor.
They did take the character more seriously in the second one. He gets the most moving moment in the film when he saves J5.
Totally man
He was absolutely incredible in short circuit!!! He was amazing!!!!!
"My mind isn't getting over that matter. That is for certain." Still remember that line from short circuit 2
Or what about "time is fun when youre having flies"
he shouldn't feel ashamed, it was one hell of a performance and it was a good challenge for a young actor. I don't care what anyone says his portrayal of an Indian man was not raciest. it was done with respect and humor.
He did such an awesome job playing Benjamin. I still say his lines to this day 😂. Lines from Short Circuit 2 of course.
Oh dude there's some gold that he says in the first one, too. Shit still makes me laugh.
“Warren G. Hard-on”
@@wisperingbeard "I am thinking she is a virgin...or at least she used to be."
I am sitting beside myself.
Me too!
Love Fisher Stevens! Awesome that you guys got him.
'almost died of food poisoning' putting his life on the line for Short Circuit 2 character that's dedication
subtly shitting on indian food lol
@@burnzy3210 I thought he was subtly referring to the fact that they wipe with their bare hands
You can see more the effort in Short Circuit 2 - and after this interview it makes sense as he said he lived in India for while. He even says a few lines in Hindi in SC2.
Dear Fisher Stevens. I'm the biggest Short Circuit fan ever, since the movie first came out. I love Ben and I love what you did and I'm glad you cited Peter Sellers. I'm so sorry that this kind of acting is pretty much not allowed anymore. You did what you did with care and respect and you have nothing to be embarrassed about. Ben is the best!
I don't think most Irish people are offended by a non-Irish person doing an Irish accent. Same with Brits/Scots/etc. If a non-Indian/Chinese/Japanese/etc tells a joke with such an accent and the joke isn't derogatory toward the race portrayed, is it still wrong?
“Then I couldn’t get cast as a white guy” 😂👏
Isn't that what actors do.... He played an awesome part.
Don't great Actor play Hackers and Koopalings
Back in the day when I first saw Short Circuit I thought Fisher Stevens really was Indian because he did such an amazing job playing Ben in that movie & in the sequel where he was the lead character.
I thought he was a Hacker because he was in Hackers
I remember thinking Fisher Stevens was really Indian and was surprised to see his actual face😂
Why must PC culture poison comedy? My mother is from India my father is from New Mexico, and I never once found this or Apu from The Simpsons to be racist. Come to think of it I never found Speedy Gonzales to be racist either. I'm sick of people telling me what's funny, how to think, how to feel, what I should be ashamed of.
There's a NEW Mexico?
Got news for ya friend, political correctness poison's _everything_ it touches.
It’s acting…his research was spot on for that role and nailed it
"I am sporting a tremendous woody right now!"
OMG! I almost forgot about that!
It's a testament to how good he was in that role to keep getting nothing but Indian type roles offered afterward. As a kid I appreciated his part in both films greatly and as a 42 year old adult in cancel culture times perhaps the appreciation if even greater now than it was back then. A kind thank you for giving us Ben.
And yes , I'm one of those that had no idea he was not Indian & a white actor until many years later.
Why not it’s the only character your remembered for you should be proud.
I gotta remember, this is a craft. Still cool that he immersed himself in the culture. Eezy ✌🏾
Just found out he wasnt an indian at all what a great performance by him loved the movie!
People who thinks this is offensive need to grow some nerve and some nuts.
I loved those movies! Only discovered a white man played Ben like 25 years later lol!! Shocked but not offended. He played it really well!
Mr. The Plague
"We're wasting valueless time!"
He will always be Vinny to me
One of my favorite characters in all of film.
I can't believe he was that character.
That's crazy.
I understand that it shouldn't have happened, but like, holy shit he crushed it.
To me, he will always be Chuck Fishman from "Early Edition". I loved that show.
Yeah he's completely correct with mentioning Peter Sellers "The Party" he played an Indian character impressively in that movie, because he was such a fantastic character actor. I hate that we live in such a outrage culture this day and age. Short Circuit 3 would be awesome but like he said people would lose their shit
Don’t watch the movie if you don’t like it…so tired of ignorant people getting offended on behalf of groups of people that don’t give a shit
Fisher eventually ended up apologizing for his role in the movie which is very sad. The only people who are really angry at him for brown face are über woke white people, and probably some gender fluid social justice indian chick out in California somewhere. Im an indian guy based out of Canada and absolutely loved his portryal in short circuit.
It is not offensive. If you are offended, seek counseling.
Duuude. You did an amazing job.
Wow - I’m 38. I just realized this man wasn’t Indian. And I’ve seen this actor in many things since Short Circuit. I loved this movie. But I was only like 5 when I was watching it and haven’t seen it in probably 30 years.
Idea for the sequel: "Benjamin" reveals that he was pretending to be Indian when he was really an undercover government spy or some shit. He can now stay in the movie and have his character's backstory be expanded and such. Plus, they can potentially get into why his pretending to be Indian was a really bad idea!
Martin Alexander Problem solved!
It would explain why he is from Bakersfield, originally, and his ancestors are from Pittsburgh.
He did say in the first movie that he was from Bakersfield and his ancestors were from Pittsburg.. sooo
I know some people think it's offensive but Fisher did a great job especially in the second movie and I loved his portrayal of Ben
The first movie which i saw this guy was in My Science Project and i loved him...
If they did Short Circuit today, cast an Indian for the role, but bring in Fisher as himself. Not even a cameo. The guy made the movie worth it.
I agree and if they made a remake I think Fisher should play Dr. Marner!
He did an excellent job!
I can’t believe it. My mind was blown
If (another) movie was made about Apple Computers and Steve Jobs, this guy could EASILY get the role. He looks and sounds so much like him. 🍎💻
He played a white guy on Friends.
I don't think much of the ethnicity issue as Eddie Murphy played a convincing older white man in Coming to America. In any case, Short Circuit wouldn't have been the same without his character punching the sack sporting tremendous woody.
He also played an old black man in coming to america and a old jewish guy " AhhhhhAAA"
Fisher played a Koopaling in Super Mario Bros. Good ole Iggy
Gd point
I respect him. Im indian. Times were different then. They didn't realize why it was stupid and offensive but I blame that on the writers. I appreciate the man for trying to capture an Indian person as much as possible through method acting. The problem isn't with him its with the higher ups.
It wasn't stupid or offensive then or now. You are just being told to be offended by it;.
Fisher Stevens should of went Method for Hackers.... He wasn't a Believable Hacker in that and I am offended
Im ready for a Short Circuit 3
Lol, I just found out George Minkowski from Lost was Ben in Short Circuit. I always loved this guy, my mind is blown. He might be the best actor of all time
I loved him on My science project
I didn’t know the Indian was Fisher Stevens until 2023 😂😅
I thought he did a great job! He was absolutely hilarious and had some of the best lines.
"What if it goes out and melts down a bus load of nuns?! How would you like to write the headline on that one?!"
"Nun soup?"
"BEN!!!!"
I didn't even know he wasn't Indian until years later.
His performance didn't mock Indian people. And like other commenters, I had zero clue (as a kid) that he was NOT Indian. It wasn't until years later I saw Fisher in something and said WAIT WHAT? Mind blown. I understand both sides of this, but hey letting actors become other people with other accents is part of the job. But yes, having a white guy do an Indian accent instead of hiring an Indian person....is not cool either. It's like you're trying to avoid hiring an Indian and would like to appear to mock them even if you're not.
He would have to be in it if they make a new short circuit film, otherwise there's no point if they do a silly reboot as they tend to do.
Fisher Stevens should be allowed to play one again.
Fisher Stevens Autobiography title
Fisher Stevens: The Last Mickey Rooney (Not including Rob Schneider)
I remember him in the show Early Edition
Ben is still one of my favorite 80's characters ❤
One of my favourite actors ever so talented...
I’m pissed that actors who play doctors are acting and aren’t real doctors. C’mon. They are acting. Roles for everyone.
His performance made me believe he was Indian. It's a sad world we live in when we cannot have actors portray a different culture.
P Ferreira when you could just get an actor today playing an Indian?
Yeah, there’s no excuse why you couldn’t have gotten an Indian actor to play that role.
@@kensuke0 But they got Fisher Stevens and it worked out great. 😉
@@dmusiq The performance matters and his performance was awesome. 😊
He wouldn't be offered that role today. They'd clearly go for an actual Indian actor. The real question I have is would they still allow the character to speak in a thick accent and mangle a bunch of well known American phrases("I am standing here beside myself.")? That's the part that the woke crowd would bitch about even though it made Ben one of the funniest parts of the original film.
It would be like what they did with Ravi from Jessie
Funny he brought up Ben Kingsly's Gandhi because the first thing I thought at the start of this video is, "Fisher looks like he could play Gandhi" lol.
I thought he was an Indian when watching that robot movie as a kid. 👶🏼
Lol same and I was surprised to see what the actor actually looked like in interviews 😂
I found out he wasn't Indian after I saw him in Hackers. Just shows how well he did it!
I grew up watching Short Circut so many times, then later absolutely LOVED hackers and also watched it many times, and I still had no idea they were the same person XD.
I literally just found out that the guy from hackers is the Indian guy from short circuit. I'm literally blown away. That is some serious acting.
So basically he's proving he doesn't get why he shouldn't do sn Indian guy.
Ironically, Stevens is a better Indian actor than every Indian actor on American television and film.
No wonder they don’t get much opportunities in media. That’s how they are viewed.
I loved him in short circuit and in Hackers.
No way did he just say he was getting into his method acting for Short Circuit
Wasn’t his character from Pittsburgh?
We’ve swung too far to the other extreme today. It’s cool that there are more actors of various ethnicities playing roles today instead of white actors in makeup, but saying that characters like Ben or Tuco Ramirez are “racist” and should be disavowed and apologized for is stupid. Fisher and Eli created amazing and lovable characters. Can we just appreciate their acting chops rather than sacrificing them on the altar of wokeness?
Fisher was great in the role but the character of Ben, particularly in the first movie was written as comic relief but most of those moments were based on cultural and linguistic misunderstandings and so the audience was being encouraged to 'laugh at the foreigner' which isn't okay.
That's not Fisher's fault and in SC2 the character is a lot more sympathetic and played with equal sincerity and talent by Fisher.
He was great in that movie. No WAY that he'd be able to do that today. He'd get death threats from skin-color obsessed racists on the Left. Such a shame. Short Circuit wouldn't have been Short Circuit without Ben being Ben, and Fisher Stevens playing him. It worked. It was a ton of fun. Was it 'racist' for Sir Ben Kingsley (half British, Half Indian) to play Itzhak Stern in Schindler's LIst because he wasn't Jewish, nor Polish? The Left ONLY rants and raves about this kind of thing when it is in a certain direction. That makes THEM the racists.
yeah but ben kingsly wasnt playing a stereotype he was playing an actual person
they couldnt just get an indian guy instead of putting a white guy in brown face playing a caricature
The reason why people don’t get upset in “the other direction” is because white people haven’t been overlooked or forced out of roles or been historically played by (or made caricatures out of by) people of colour. Historically this has happened to people of colour in cinema and the wider media…Short Circuit is kind of a prime example of this - I’m sure there were plenty of Indian actors in Hollywood they could have auditioned but instead they chose to ask a white man to play Ben. He did a great job and he really did his best to play the role respectfully, don’t get me wrong, but the reason people do get quite upset about these things is because historically people of colour have not been given the same opportunities and the same respect in the media as white people have so people are quite passionate about putting their foot down and telling the media at large “it will not benefit you in any way to cast a white man in a non-white role”. It’s all about money at the end of the day, if the media thought they could get away with continuing to cast white actors as characters of colour (John Wayne as Genghis Khan, Katharine Hepburn as Jade, Mickey Rooney in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Laurence Olivier’s Othello to name only a handful as examples) they would do it. In fact they still do, often! Many times stories with originally ethnically diverse casts of characters when put on film have some of their characters whitewashed because producers think films with more diverse characters make less money - Avatar the last Airbender, Drive, 21, Ghost in the Shell and many more films all have white actors playing characters who were originally people of colour. This takes opportunities away from non-white actors and continues to push the idea to more studios that films with white people in make more money than films with people of colour in leading roles which just isn’t true. It isn’t “all about skin colour”, it’s about principles and trying to even out a historically extremely unfair playing field. That’s why people make noise about it and that’s why Fisher Stevens wouldn’t want to play an Indian character again.
it's called "acting", if you're the best person for the job, do it
Nice to see his take on it.
Personally, imo "Ben" was such a lovable guy, and a scene stealer from everyone including Johnny 5, so... I think if you're portraying a character in a positive light, regardless of their culture, then that should be welcomed.
Of course today you SHOULD cast the right person of the right culture for the character, but... regardless of who gets the job, if they do it right, and respectfully and you walk away feeling inspired by the character, then that's what you should take away from it.
Dude looks like Preet Bharara _today,_ without _any_ makeup.
Why would it be offensive when for example they commonly have British actors with American accents etc
Because they’re the same race. White people are getting employed. White people playing other races means those people aren’t getting employed. Also, white people playing nonwhites tend to play stereotypes instead of actual human beings.
@@dusk1234567890 You can judge them if they play a stereotype but why is it wrong if they DON'T play a stereotype? Most likely if Fisher couldn't do an Indian accent, they would've changed the ethnicity of the character. They liked Fisher as an actor. Selecting his accent was just something they did as a work in progress on developing the character after they cast him. So he wasn't replacing an Indian actor.
@@dusk1234567890 But race is just social construct, or haven't you been keeping up? Interesting that race becomes a thing when it suits a certain Leftist divisive agenda. When the Wayans Bros played "White Chicks" with whiteface, I don't recall all the faux outrage. Not a peep.
Came here after watching Master if None. “ they got a real robot but a fake Indian!!”
Are you troubled by irregularity?
It takes a tough man to make a tender....chicken.
Short Circuit 2 had some great lines and a member from Spinal Tap....lol
@@briandoublebackdahlen7967 who could ask for anything more??
@@briandoublebackdahlen7967 I personally think Los Locos severely overstated their kicking ability.
Yo what about Vince latello from My science project
The once who they have to talk to about him playing an Indian are Indians who are living in The United States 🇺🇸!
Shit I jus found today watching short circuit 2 on TV now then looked up some things then pow I'm here n beetle juice on too
Isn't acting all about pretending to be something we're not? Damn this planet.
Really? He didn’t even do anything wrong, it’s not like he just picked the role up and made up how he acted, he really took a lot of steps to get into the role researching and taking the role seriously. I don’t see an issue with it.
I always thought ben was very funny in short circuit 1 and 2.
Short Circuit 3 confirmed
Its silly that its controversial to act as someone outside of your ethnic group.
ITS CALLED ACTING
Is it me or does the guy interviewing Fisher Stevens sort of sound like Ben Affleck
This guy is Indian. He puts effort, homework, and hardwork as well talent. Not many Indians are willing to go back to India and eat the food or live with complete strangers like Fischer did. Not many Indians have the talent or timing to be an Indian guy. Well, done. I put blame on director John Badham for the continuous sexism of the Indian character of Ben. The Newton Crosby character was just as sexist but he got many chances to redeem himself to Stephanie while Ben got nil. That to me is racist.
I like Ben more than this guy
Now they’d give the role to someone like Kal Penn or Aziz Ansari probably
Please don’t be ashamed. The character was my favorite who cares who played him. I knew he was a white guy playing an Indian. It doesn’t matter. We need to stop this woke identity politics stuff. If they do another short circuit, play the character out of spite.
The character was a Robotic Scientist. Funny character yeah - but not done in disrespect...