Arts & Entertainment
Tilda Swinton releases emails to Margaret Cho about ‘Dr. Strange’ whitewashing
the actress published the messages after the comedian said she felt like a ‘house Asian’
Margaret Cho (Photo by Mary Taylor)
Tilda Swinton has released the email exchange between herself and bisexual comedian Margaret Cho following Cho’s criticism over whitewashing in Marvel’s “Dr. Strange.”
Swinton plays the Ancient One, a guru who helps Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), cultivate his spiritual powers. In the Marvel comics, the Ancient One is an Asian man but was changed to a Celtic woman for the movie.
In an interview for the podcast TigerBelly, Cho explains that Swinton emailed her to discuss the issues with whitewashing canon Asian characters. Swinton asked for Cho’s point of view but insisted the emails stay private. For Cho, the email exchange was unsettling.
“It was weird because I felt like a house Asian, like I’m her servant,” Cho says. “Like the ones when they have in the raj, they would have the house servant who was your confidante… The servant that was close to you. That’s sort of what I felt like, like I was following her with an umbrella. I had a weird feeling about the entire exchange, especially the part of, ‘Don’t tell anybody.’”
In response, Swinton released the email exchange to Jezebel.
“The diversity debate – ALL STRENGTH to it – has come knocking at the door of Marvel’s new movie DR STRANGE,” Swinton writes in her initial email. “I would really love to hear your thoughts and have a – private – conversation about it. Are you up for this? Can we e-mail?” the message continues.
Cho responds saying that she is a “big fan” of Swinton and would explain her viewpoints.
“The character you played in Dr Strange was originally written as a Tibetan man and so there’s a frustrated population of Asian Americans who feel the role should have gone to a person of Asian descent,” Cho writes. “The larger part of the debate has to do with the ‘whitewashing’ of Asian and Asian Americans in film. Our stories are told by white actors over and over again and we feel at a loss to know how to cope with it.”
Swinton replied by saying Marvel made the decision to make the character a Celtic woman “in a conscious effort to shake up stereotypes” and “wanted to avoid tired cliché.” She continues that changing the gender of the character was an effort to include more diversity for women in the film.
Cho has since responded with a statement released to EW stating that she still thinks her argument is valid.
“Asian actors should play Asian roles. I believe my emails stand on their own and should be taken for the spirit in which they were intended. I am grateful that the debate has now entered the national discussion and remain a huge fan of Tilda’s,” Cho says in the statement.
The Freddie’s Follies drag show was held at Freddie’s Beach Bar in Arlington, Va. on Saturday, Jan. 3. Performers included Monet Dupree, Michelle Livigne, Shirley Naytch, Gigi Paris Couture and Shenandoah.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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Queer highlights of the 2026 Critics Choice Awards: Aunt Gladys, that ‘Heated Rivalry’ shoutout and more
Amy Madigan’s win in the supporting actress category puts her in serious contention to win the Oscar for ‘Weapons’
From Chelsea Handler shouting out Heated Rivalry in her opening monologue to Amy Madigan proving that horror performances can (and should) be taken seriously, the Critics Choice Awards provided plenty of iconic moments for queer movie fans to celebrate on the long road to Oscar night.
Handler kicked off the ceremony by recapping the biggest moments in pop culture last year, from Wicked: For Good to Sinners. She also made room to joke about the surprise hit TV sensation on everyone’s minds: “Shoutout to Heated Rivalry. Everyone loves it! Gay men love it, women love it, straight men who say they aren’t gay but work out at Equinox love it!”
The back-to-back wins for Jacob Elordi in Frankenstein and Amy Madigan in Weapons are notable, given the horror bias that awards voters typically have. Aunt Gladys instantly became a pop culture phenomenon within the LGBTQ+ community when Zach Cregger’s hit horror comedy released in August, but the thought that Madigan could be a serious awards contender for such a fun, out-there performance seemed improbable to most months ago. Now, considering the sheer amount of critics’ attention she’s received over the past month, there’s no denying she’s in the running for the Oscar.
“I really wasn’t expecting all of this because I thought people would like the movie, and I thought people would dig Gladys, but you love Gladys! I mean, it’s crazy,” Madigan said during her acceptance speech. “I get [sent] makeup tutorials and paintings. I even got one weird thing about how she’s a sex icon also, which I didn’t go too deep into that one.”
Over on the TV side, Rhea Seehorn won in the incredibly competitive best actress in a drama series category for her acclaimed performance as Carol in Pluribus, beating out the likes of Emmy winner Britt Lower for Severance, Carrie Coon for The White Lotus, and Bella Ramsey for The Last of Us. Pluribus, which was created by Breaking Bad’s showrunner Vince Gilligan, has been celebrated by audiences for its rich exploration of queer trauma and conversion therapy.
Jean Smart was Hack’s only win of the night, as Hannah Einbinder couldn’t repeat her Emmy victory in the supporting actress in a comedy series category against Janelle James, who nabbed a trophy for Abbott Elementary. Hacks lost the best comedy series award to The Studio, as it did at the Emmys in September. And in the limited series category, Erin Doherty repeated her Emmy success in supporting actress, joining in yet another Adolescence awards sweep.
As Oscar fans speculate on what these Critics Choice wins mean for future ceremonies, we have next week’s Golden Globes ceremony to look forward to on Jan. 11.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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