Matt Damon criticised "outrageous" stories in the era of fake news as he responded on Tuesday to accusations his role in the new China-Hollywood co-production The Great Wall should have gone to an Asian actor.

近日，马特•达蒙在中国与好莱坞联合制作的电影《长城》中饰演的角色被指本应由亚洲演员出演。达蒙6日作出回应，他斥责了虚假新闻时代的“离谱故事”。

Some critics have said Damon's casting as the lead character amounted to "whitewashing," in which Caucasians are chosen for roles that should have gone to actors from other ethnicities.

一些批评者称，让达蒙担任主角是在“洗白”，意思就是选择白种人扮演本应属于其他种族演员的角色。

The American actor said he thought of whitewashing as applying to Caucasian actors who wore makeup to appear to be of another race, as was common in the early days of film and television, when racism was overt.

达蒙表示，他理解的“洗白”是指白种人通过化妆假扮成其他族裔。这种做法常见于早年的电影电视中，因为当时种族主义十分普遍。

"That whole idea of whitewashing, I take that very seriously," Damon said in an interview, using the example of the Irish-American actor Chuck Connors, who played the lead character in the 1962 film Geronimo, about the famed Apache chief.

达蒙在接受采访时说，“我对洗白这个说法持谨慎态度。”他以爱尔兰裔美国演员查克•康纳斯为例做了解释。康纳斯在1962年的电影《杰罗尼》中担任主角，饰演著名的阿帕切族酋长杰罗尼。

Damon, 46, plays a British mercenary in the upcoming $150 million adventure fantasy about a Chinese army battling monsters, helmed by acclaimed director Zhang Yimou.

即将上映的电影《长城》是一部关于中国军队对抗凶兽的奇幻冒险片，该片由著名导演张艺谋执导，斥资1.5亿美元。46岁的达蒙在片中饰演一名英国雇佣兵。

The movie's trailer sparked criticism in the US that a white man had been chosen to play the lead, who saves the day, in a film set in China meant to showcase Chinese culture.

电影预告片在美国遭到了抨击，有人批评这部电影以中国为背景，旨在展示中国文化，却选择白人担任扭转乾坤的主角。

The furor came amid other accusations of a lack of diversity and opportunities for Asian actors in Hollywood.

好莱坞也被指不够多元化、不给亚洲演员机会。

Damon and Zhang said that because of the demands of the story, Damon's role was always intended to be European.

达蒙和张艺谋称，这个角色设定一直就是欧洲人，这是出于情节需要。

Damon said the controversy would subside "once people see that it's a monster movie and it's a historical fantasy and I didn't take a role away from a Chinese actor ... it wasn't altered because of me in any way."

达蒙说，“一旦人们发现这是一部关于魔兽的虚构历史故事，而我没有抢走中国演员的角色，这个角色也没有因我发生任何改变后”，这场争论就会平息。

The film is the first Sino-Hollywood co-production and first English-language film for Zhang, the director of the romantic Kung Fu drama House of Flying Daggers and the opulent opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

《长城》是中国和好莱坞联合制作的首部电影，也是张艺谋的第一部英文电影。张艺谋曾执导功夫爱情片《十面埋伏》和场面宏大的2008年北京奥运会开幕式及闭幕式。

It also stars Pedro Pascal of "Game of Thrones" as Damon's sword-wielding partner in crime, Willem Dafoe and Andy Lau. Jing Tian plays the woman lead warrior. Also appearing are Eddie Peng of the boxing drama Unbeatable and Lu Han, a former boy band sensation.

参演《权力的游戏》的佩德罗•帕斯卡在《长城》中饰演达蒙的战友，其他主演还包括威廉•达福和刘德华。景甜在电影中扮演一位女将领。拳击电影《激战》中的彭于晏和前流行男团成员鹿晗也在电影中亮相。

张艺谋新片引“洗白”争议 主演马特•达蒙称未抢华裔角色

Most Chinese co-productions with the West have been box-office flops, but producers hope The Great Wall can show that big-budget Sino-Hollywood co-productions can work.

大多数中西联合制作的电影票房都不尽人意，但是《长城》的制片人希望这部影片可以证明，中国和好莱坞合作的大制作电影能够取得成功。

Hollywood is eager to work with Chinese actors and producers to appeal to the Chinese cinema-going market, expected to outgrow the current No 1 market, North America, within the next two or three years. The Chinese government has long sought to project cultural influence abroad and hopes that The Great Wall will be an international blockbuster.

中国观影市场有望在两三年内超过北美成为第一大观影市场。好莱坞急于与中国演员和制片人合作来吸引中国市场。中国政府长期以来都在寻求在海外塑造文化影响力，并希望《长城》成为全球卖座的电影。

The film debuts in Chinese cinemas on December 16 followed by other countries, including the United States in February.

《长城》将于12月16日在国内影院首映，之后将在其他国家上映，其中美国的上映时间为明年2月。