Robin Hood’s Sheriff of Nottingham may not know what’s about to hit him. But actor David Harewood says it’s time to reshape English folk law, by appearing as the first ever black Friar Tuck.
He says he will reincarnate Sherwood Forrest’s bumbling monk into a hunky, fighting robed warrior who helps Robin Hood rob from the rich and feed the poor.
‘I laughed my head off. I said ‘You must be joking!” says Harewood, after his agent put the casting to him.
But actor David Harewood says it’s time to reshape English folk law, by appearing as the first ever black Friar Tuck.
He says he will reincarnate Sherwood Forrest’s bumbling monk into a hunky, fighting robed warrior who helps Robin Hood rob from the rich and feed the poor.
‘I laughed my head off. I said ‘You must be joking!” says Harewood, after his agent put the casting to him.
‘Then little bells started ringing in my head and I thought, well, that’s a real challenge. I’m going to think about that’ he told the Radio Times.
Complete with martial arts and the mysticism, the 43-year-old says Tuck is due for his overhaul.
‘I liked the idea of redefining the character,’ says Harewood.
And he says fans won’t be thrown by the historic change in Tuck origins, particularly after Obama’s US presidential win.
‘In my own lifetime, I’ve lived through apartheid and seen the election of a black President of the United States.’
‘Our generation of kids won’t bat an eyelid at the fact Friar Tuck is black, but it’s important for me to get to play a role model.’
‘It’s also the first thing my own kids will be able to watch me in — generally I’m playing some horrible criminal or chopping people’s hands off.’
The actor says his Little John Tuck will be a far cry from the Hood star Jonas Armstrong’s scruffy side-kick currently played by Scot actor Gordon Kennedy.
‘Traditionally, Tuck’s always been a good fighter. We’re not throwing the baby out with the bathwater — we’re just making him look very different’ says Harewood.
But while he’ll be allowed to pummel the Sheriff’s men with Robin, Harewood says he won’t be let near Robin’s band of merry women. ‘I have to sit back and watch Robin get all the action,’ sighs Harewood. ‘It’s been deeply frustrating, but I am, after all, a monk.’
April 3rd, 2009 at 10:32 pm
Once again the BBC re-writes English history to fit a politically
correct agenda.
I suppose the catholic church has been painting Jesus as white
and blond haired for centuries, BUT I’d love to know where
the BBC have the evidence to suggest that Friar tuck, or any member
of the English clergy at that time was of African Decent?
February 27th, 2010 at 10:49 am
[...] rightwing press spinning some bland utterances from historians into “fury”, and the inevitable online commenters railing against the BBC’s so-called “politically correct agenda”, which is supposedly to [...]