Charli D’Amelio: Stunt casting done right
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Stunt casting, a technique that involves using a celebrity to fill a role in a TV show, movie, or theater production, is often met with backlash from the general public. I can not blame others for their irritation; stunt-casting can weaken a story and undermine hard-working actors if the privileged, famous ones chosen for the publicity stunt are severely underqualified. But with the recent announcement of Charli D’Amelio’s debut appearance on Broadway in the musical & Juliet (2019), one should ask if there are exceptions to the malignant nature of stunt-casting.
Charli D’Amelio is most notable for being one of the most-followed creators on TikTok, a popular social media app. With her random endeavors: a podcast, nail polish collection, make-up line, and a starring role in her own Hulu reality series, The D’Amelio Show (2021-), many assume Charli D’Amelio’s only talent when it comes to her virality is luck. In last week's article, I claimed that TikTok influencers like Charli D’Amelio and Addison Rae became viral so fast that they did not know what to do with it, and how their attempts to insert themselves everywhere: voice acting roles, brand deals, Super Bowl Ads, etc., made the girls seem passionless and desperate to the public. I still think this remains true— many reading this article right now will only associate D’Amelio with the soulless behavior of mass-producing videos and selling material goods.
While it is all true that Charli D’Amelio is a part of some inauthentic brand deals, that does not mean she is underqualified for Broadway. The TikToker had been a competitive dancer for ten years before her TikTok debut in 2019 and has a true passion for it— something unseen in other facets of her career. To preface, I am not a huge D’Amelio fan, but as an appreciator of artists, I always want to see others follow their dreams. D’Amelio is a hardworking dancer like those who are training right now. She was just lost in maneuvering her future with her newfound fame. Since D’Amelio won the thirty-first season of a dance competition show, Dancing with the Stars (2005-), in 2022, I was hopeful she would find a way back into doing something she loved and was talented in.
Despite what a lot of others think, I find D’Amelio’s recent Broadway announcement to be exciting. & Juliet (2019), a reimagining of the famous love story that asks what would happen if Juliet did not die along with Romeo, has a pop-heavy soundtrack and incredible dancers for the ensemble. I think Charli D’Amelio’s dancing experience makes her perfectly qualified for the ensemble role, and her gratitude for it is evident. In a recent Instagram post, D’Amelio writes, “This has been my ultimate dream ever since I was a little girl, but it always felt like something I could only admire from a distance.”
Again, Charli D’Amelio is not going on stage to attempt to hit notes higher than her following count. She tried the singing thing— it did not work, to say the least. Dancing is where she shines bright enough to win a competitive dance show and attract millions of followers to her page in 2020. This may be stunt casting, but it is done right. Yes, she is a dancer with pounds of privilege from online fame, but she is no less talented because of it.
The ethicalities and nuances of nepotism and stunt casting are hard to discuss, but I feel D’Amelio’s situation can be paired with Ben Platt’s. The Broadway star is the son of Marc Platt, a famous theater producer. While I am sure you can use this background knowledge to infer how Ben Platt’s stardom came to be, none can deny that he belongs on the stage—his singing and acting talents are exceptional.
I understand the frustration behind stunt-casting; underqualified individuals will make the art look like a sleazy cash grab. But not only is Charli D’Amelio a talented dancer, she is uplifting Broadway. Because many of her followers are children, D’Amelio’s involvement may be their first introduction to the world of theater, and I think it is good for children to be exposed to different kinds of art. Charli D’Amelio was presented with an opportunity to make her dreams come true and support the Broadway community. It is an opportunity I do not think anyone can be mad at her for taking.