Whoopi Goldberg denounces racist criticism of The Rings of Power and House of the Dragon over ‘woke’ casting

Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Whoopi Goldberg has hit out at racist critics who she says have “slammed” House of the Dragon and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power for their “woke” casting. “Are you telling me Black people can’t be fake people too?” While the original LOTR films featured no Black characters, both series have worked to feature more racially diverse casts. Co-host Sunny Hostin responded: “Well their argument is that it betrays the source material.” Steve Toussaint in ‘House of the Dragon' “They haven’t read the source material,” Goldberg interjected. Hostin went on to praise House of the Dragon’s Steve Toussaint, before adding: “What I think is fascinating is dragons are ok – fire breathing dragons – and people with white hair – that are born like that when they’re little – and violet eyes, but the Black people in it is just a bridge too far for these people.” Hostin’s sentiments echo earlier remarks made by The Rings of Power’s Lenny Henry, who addressed scrutinising fantasy fans in a recent interview, saying: “God bless them.