Laverne Cox dubbed by male actor in Italian-language Promising Young Woman
“We are sorry for the pain caused," a Universal Pictures spokesperson said
Words: Jamie Tabberer; picture: Laverne Cox in Promising Young Woman (Universal Pictures)
Laverne Cox has been dubbed by male actors in some international versions of the movie Promising Young Woman, it has emerged.
Orange Is the New Black star Cox, who is trans, plays the supporting character of Gail in the Oscar-winning film but is voiced by actor Roberto Pedicini in the Italian version.
Concerns were first raised when Universal Pictures Italy posted a clip of Promising Young Woman (or Una Donna Promettente) on 6 May containing Pedicini’s voice.
According to the Guardian, a cis male actor was also cast to voice the Emmy-winning Cox in German and Spanish versions of the film.
“A bias that neither we nor many in our industry had recognised”
Responding to the news, a Universal Pictures International spokesperson told the outlet: “We are deeply grateful to Laverne and the transgender community for opening our eyes to a bias that neither we nor many in our industry had recognised. While there was no malicious intent behind this mistake, we are working diligently to fix it.
“We have begun redubbing Ms Cox’s voice with female actors in our international territories and are pushing back release dates to ensure the correct version is available.
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“We are sorry for the pain caused but are thankful that we can address the situation on this film and prevent similar mistakes from happening again on future projects.”
The Italian version of PYW was due to hit cinemas tomorrow (13 May 2021) but has been pushed back. The aforementioned Spanish version was released last month, and according to sources will be redubbed for home entertainment.
Promising Young Woman stars Carey Mulligan as Cassandra, a coffee shop worker who seeks justice against sexually problematic men in increasingly inventive ways. The movie won Best Original Screenplay at this year’s Oscars.
Cox and PYW director Emerald Fennell are yet to address the matter publicly. Attitude has approached a representative for Cox for comment.