UK actor to play Mexican

"This is how racist and tasteless Hollywood still is. They have chosen a Brit to play a Mexican! With all of the great young Latin talent, they go with a Brit?"
This is why mexicans will always play mexicans.

I just see the teailer, and Alejandro is not Mexicain, he is Colombian. Besides who cares about the nationalty? as long as the actor looks and acts the part it is ok. Remember Andy García in the Godfather 3, he is from Cuba but he can look Italian. Caring about the nationality of the actors that is the real racism.
(By the way I'm mexican)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZotLakLzrz8 You must watch this!

Mmmm... I´m pretty sure the trailer says his mom is flying from Colombia, so I guess he's not really mexican...anyway you're right there are too many talented latin actors to play this roll.

I just want to make sure I understand your point. A role should only be filled by someone who is what they are "acting?" For example:

only Mexicans should play a Mexican character...
only heterosexuals should play heterosexuals...(sorry Neil Patrick Harris, Mathew Bomer, et al)
Only homosexuals should play homosexuals...
only Chinese should play Chinese...
Only Japanese should play Japanese...
Only Christians should play Christians...
Only Native Americans should play Native Americans...
Only Canadians should play Canadians...
Only Irish should play Irish...
Only Space Aliens should play Space Aliens?
etc.

Last time I checked, these were entertainment movies where actors were pretending to be characters and acting out their lines--not documentaries of real people being themselves. As long as the actor/actress playing the role does it well and in a respectful way and does not play the role to the stereotypes and the prejudice against the people the role represents, I don't care who or what person is chosen for this or any other role.

Now, if a person was not selected because of their ethnicity, religion, political views, etc. and it wasn't because they just plain didn't fit the role (i.e. Cuba Gooding, Jr. to play Andre the Giant in a biopic), that would be another discussion entirely...

Shan

"A Friend is one before whom I can think aloud." ~~Ralph Waldo Emmerson

So just because his name is Alejandro, means he is Mexican? So I guess that makes me French since my name is Nicole? I don't care what he is really. I love Ben Barnes. I'm so glad he has a new movie coming out.

The character is not Mexican, he's a Colombia-born American. Given the large variety of European settlers that have emigrated to South America over the last couple of centuries, and the large number of people that have emigrated to Great Britain since forever, there is no reason at all that he can't play this role.

I thought they said he was from Columbia? Isn't it racist to assume all Spanish people are Mexican? His mother is from South Africa and his father is English. Lots of people in South America are part, if not all, European. And maybe his biological father is European.