Adam Sandler says he wasn’t trying to offend Native Americans in Ridiculous Six

Home Top

'Drunk' driver who plowed into limo and killed four women outside Long Island vineyard was involved in a fatal accident last year which left his co-worker dead
'It's an unthinkable tragedy': Demi Moore reveals 'shock' at death of man, 21, found in her Beverly Hills pool after late night party
Six-month-pregnant mother and her two young children die after floods sweep their mobile home into Ohio creek
Seventy years after World War II, Mitsubishi finally apologizes for forcing 900 American POWs into horrific Japanese labor camps
The Gods have answered! Finally California gets some serious rain...which calms dangerous wildfires that crossed highway
Alex Rocco, who played mobster and casino owner Moe Green in The Godfather, dies at 79
Defiant Trump REFUSES to apologize after attack on McCain's war record as Meghan McCain says she's 'disgusted' at claims her father was not a hero because he was a POW
Prison-mate of El Chapo reveals that guards referred to him as 'Lord' and treated the drug kingpin with 'great respect'
Clearing up sex toys, welcoming hookers and witnessing drug deals... What life for staff on a billionaire's yacht is REALLY like
How I used fame and drugs to sleep with vulnerable women and hush money so my wife wouldn't find out: Bill Cosby details his pursuit of sex in never-before-seen deposition from 2005
'I was waiting for the teeth': The jaw-dropping moment world champion surfer was attacked by a SHARK during televised competition - and only survived by punching it in the back
Suicide, murder or a sex game gone wrong? Mystery remains as to why pregnant social worker, 40, was found dead with a plastic bag around her head in her new apartment
'It was a misunderstanding': Adam Sandler dismisses Native American actors who walked out claiming his new movie is racist
Landmark moment in the treatment of Alzheimer's as new drug that could stop disease in its tracks is set to be unveiled
'Treat your dog like someone you love': Cardinals player locks himself in a 90F car without air to show owners the effects it has on their pets
Scandal-plagued Josh Duggar becomes a father for the fourth time as wife Anna gives birth to daughter Meredith Grace
Tragic remains of Jews used for Nazi experiments during the Second World War found stored in a Strasbourg lab
Was American pioneer EATEN by his desperate colleagues? Family of Arctic explorer claim he was cannibalized during ill-fated scientific expedition
Texas residents condemn plan for Muslim cemetery in rural town 25 miles away from site of deadly Muhammad cartoon shooting
At least half a dozen inmates found unresponsive after 'drugs overdose' at upstate New York prison
Tech CEO worth $820million lives with his pet alpaca in a tiny Airstream caravan at Las Vegas trailer park called 'Llamapolis'
South Korean spy 'killed himself' and left suicide note denying the intelligence service was intercepting phone calls
Man, 30, arrested after his daughter and ex-girlfriend were found murdered alongside a woman and two other young children
America feels the HEAT: Suffocating temperatures near 100F across the U.S. in record warm blast - and there's more to come

Makeup crew on Adam Sandler's Ridiculous Six darkened actors' faces to make them look Native American - even though many of them were
Cell phone footage emerged in April of the disagreements on set
A dozen Native American extras and the cultural adviser walked out
The film is a spoof of The Magnificent Seven that is being made for Netflix
It included inaccurate costumes and referring to one woman as Beaver's Breath

By Daily Mail Reporter and Associated Press

Published: 08:19 EST, 19 July 2015 | Updated: 18:10 EST, 19 July 2015

215

View
comments

Adam Sandler feels that when audiences finally see his upcoming Netflix comedy, The Ridiculous Six, they will realize he wasn't trying to offend anyone.

The spoof takes its name from the western classic 'The Magnificent Seven' and pokes fun at the genre, but not everyone found it funny.

Earlier this year, a group of Native American actors walked off a New Mexico film set over complaints that content in the film was offensive to their culture.

'It was just a misunderstanding and once the movie is out will be cleared up,' Sandler told The Associated Press on Saturday.

Scroll down for video...

Speaking out: Adam Sandler feels that when audiences finally see his upcoming Netflix comedy, The Ridiculous Six, they will realize he wasn't trying to offend anyone

Shown the door: During one argument on set, a producer told a group of actors to leave if they were offended

There were reports of skin darkening in order to make actors appear more 'Native American'. Things got so bad that a group of Native American actors walked off 'Ridiculous Six' amid complaints

Sandler called 'The Ridiculous Six' 100 percent pro-American Indian.

Video emerged in April of disagreements on the set after a group of Native American extras became insulted over the film's jokes, and stormed off.

The actors objected over the vile names of some of the characters, as well as a Native American woman urinating while smoking a peace pipe.

The makeup department was even accused of darkening actors of different ethnicities to make them appear Native American.

The cultural insensitivities were so bad that the production's cultural adviser also ended up walking off the New Mexico set.

Adam Sandler addresses Native American controversy

'I'm full-blooded Navajo and they bronzed me. I was quite confused,' actress Allison Young told MSNBC. Artificially darkening skin is a taboo in Hollywood.

Further missteps were caught in video that was captured by one of the extras and released by Indian Country Today, an argument can be heard between the actors and shows production team.

'If you are overly sensitive about it, then you should leave. We don't want to offend anyone,' implored one of the film's producers.

Upset by one of the names for the Native American's featured in the film, Beaver Breath, the actors say they believe their people are being made fun of and ridiculed.

The Navajo natives also complained about another character called Wears No Bra

The producer responds: 'I understand completely but we're not going to change Beaver Breath,' referring to the character's name.

Other members of the film crew then jump into the brewing quarrel during which the actors begin to sound increasingly agitated and offended.

Earlier this year, leaked cellphone video caught a producer telling the disgruntled actors, that they 'shouldn't be in the movie' if they're 'overly sensitive' about the film's depiction of American Indians.

In April, about a dozen Native American actors walked off the set of the Netflix film claiming that their complaints about 'racist' jokes in the script were being met with indifference from producers

During the leaked video that was released in April a member of the production staff is heard attempting to ward off any conflict between the actors and producers.

'I think honestly think it says you guys are the good guys,' says a female member of staff. 'Adam Sandler is playing a person that loves you guys. He's the hero.'

The actors then mention that they are beginning to feel increasingly disrespected while working on the set and it emerges that a cultural consultant, named Bruce, was denied the opportunity to speak with Adam Sandler and also ended up walking out in protest.

'It's not meant to be disrespectful says a producer!' to which one of the actors replies, 'You're trying to tell a Native what's disrespectful?'

The argument continued with the Native American actors saying they felt that some of the tee-pee designs used in the film were also disrespectful.

A dozen Native American extras and the cultural adviser walked off the set of Adam Sandler's The Ridiculous 6 in April

The film stars Sandler (left), Taylor Lautner (right), Nick Nolte and Steve Buscemi

Loren Anthony (above with Nick Nolte in the background) was one of the extras who walked off set

Indian Country Today Media Network spoke to one of the actors who walked off, Navajo Nation tribal member Loren Anthony, about his issues with the script.

'I was asked a long time ago to do some work on this and I wasn't down for it. Then they told me it was going to be a comedy, but it would not be racist,' said Anthony.

'So I agreed to it but things started getting weird on the set.'

Among the many problems he cited were the costumes that were being used, the way the hair was being styled, and the film's treatment of women.

'We were supposed to be Apache, but it was really stereotypical and we did not look Apache at all. We looked more like Comanche,' he explained.

'One thing that really offended a lot of people was that there was a female character called Beaver's breath. One character says 'Hey, Beaver's Breath.' And the Native woman says, 'How did you know my name?''

In another scene, an Apache woman is seen squatting and urinating while smoking a pipe.

As for the dress, the Apache do not wear their hair in braids or chokers while that is common for Comache.

Anthony (on right with actor Saginaw Grant) said the film was offensive towards Native American women

Vanilla Ice (above as Mark Twain) with Sandler in the background in red bandanna during filming

Anthony said that though the film is about the Apache (traditionl dress on left) extras were dressed more like Comanche (traditional dress on right), with braids and chokers

Making matters worse said Anthony is that no one felt like they were being listened to by the production team.

'They just treated us as if we should just be on the side,' said Anthony.

'When we did speak with the main director, he was trying to say the disrespect was not intentional and this was a comedy.'

When extra, Goldie Tom, later complained, she was told; 'It's in the script and we are not going to change it.'

Tom later said on her Facebook; 'I've had some time to sit and think about everything that's been going on, on the set of this movie The Ridiculous Six.

'Something just didn't feel right, I had a heavy heart while being on set but still tried to make the best of it. But after finding out what was in the script and what some of the movie scenes portrayed, a group of us left the set upset and with our hearts pounding due to the disrespect of our Native people.

'It's been an emotional and upsetting time since we left the set but we have stood up for what we think is right and we are going to stand by our decision. Still and always will represent OUR PEOPLE!!!'

The film's director Frank Coraci (above) with Sandler on the set

Blake Shelton (above with Whitney Cummings) has a small role in the film

Netflix, who is producing the movie released a statement.

'The movie has ridiculous in the title for a reason: because it is ridiculous,' they said.

'It is a broad satire of Western movies and the stereotypes they popularized, featuring a diverse cast that is not only part of - but in on - the joke.'

That cast includes Taylor Lautner, Nick Nolte, Blake Shelton, David Spade and Steve Buscemi, among others.

Lautner has said before that he has distant Native American ancestry on his mother's side, specifically Ottawa and Potawatomi.

It premieres December 11 on Netflix.

Producer Heather Parry (second from right) shared this photo from set earlier this month with David vSpade, Cummings and Lautner

Steve Buscemi also has a role in the film (above with director Coraci)

Other stars in the film include Lavell Crawford (top left), Steve Zahn (top right), Nick Swardson (middle right), Will Forte (bottom left), and Paul Sado (bottom right)