Canadian actor Spencer Lofranco, who starred in the 2018 mobster biopic Gotti, has passed away at the age of 33. Before his role in the 2018 flick, Lofranco starred in the 2014 controversial Angelina Jolie film Unbroken. The true story of US Olympic runner and air force pilot Louis Zamperini was deemed racist and riddled with inaccuracies by Japanese conservatives.
Campaigners heavily lobbied against the WWII biopic, going so far as to get the film banned on change.org for contradictory facts, as the Guardian reports. Angelina Jolie was unfazed by the criticism, and the Guardian piece captured her statement to USA Today:
We were very conscious of showing all sides of the war, including the bombing of Tokyo. But this is Louis’ experience and he … had a very difficult time as a POW. So we want to pay respect and show that all people suffer in war.
The film was eventually allowed to screen in Japan after prominent film industry figures called on distributors and cinemas to defend free speech. The box office success led to a worldwide gross of $163 million (via The Numbers).
Unbroken: What Did Angelina Jolie’s “Anti-Japanese” Movie Do Wrong?
Based on Laura Hillenbrand’s bestselling 2010 book Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption, the Angelina Jolie film was condemned by conservatives in Japan as racist and “anti-Japanese” for its depictions of torture of Japanese prisoners of war. Here are important details of the film along with the themes portrayed.
Hiromichi Moteki, secretary general of the nationalist pressure group, the Society for the Dissemination of Historical Fact, told the Telegraph (via Guardian):
[Claims were] pure fabrication. If there is no verification of the things he said, then anyone can make such claims. This movie has no credibility and is immoral.
The right-wing activists who launched the Change.org petition asked for Jolie to be told she was no longer welcome in Japan. On the flipside, Tatsuya Mori, a Japanese documentary filmmaker, said during the preview event that Jolie’s drama was particularly vulnerable to nationalist ire (via Guardian):
The film drew much more of a backlash in Japan than it should have just because it was directed by a foreign film-maker. The situation casts a light on the essential problems of Japanese society.
Angelina Jolie’s Unbroken was intended as an Oscar contender, but did not get a nomination. Spencer Lofranco played the role of Harry Brooks in Unbroken, a close companion to lead character Louis Zamperini. Lofranco was excited to work with Jolie and claimed she was his dream girl growing up (via NY Post).
From Unbroken to Gotti: Spencer Lofranco’s Final Screen Appearance
Spencer Lofranco is best known for his roles in 2014’s Unbroken and 2018’s Gotti, the latter of which marked his final screen appearance. Despite a compact screen presence in the war biopic, Lofranco’s tendency to play characters who simmer under emotional pressure added the much-needed restraint the story needed.
RIP Spencer Lofranco
I loved his performance in Gotti. pic.twitter.com/UgMRFKG7ZT
In the years leading up to Gotti, Lofranco had established himself as a diverse actor who could adapt to major studio-backed projects and independent ones. Gotti is an example of the latter, where he starred as John Gotti Jr. alongside John Travolta.
Spencer Lofranco stepped away from the spotlight and pursued street art before his passing. His screen presence will be missed, and we still don’t know the cause of death.
What is your favourite Spencer Lofranco performance?
Unbroken is currently streaming on Netflix in the US.
