People With Albinism
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Albinism Albinism is the congenital absence of melanin in an animal or plant resulting in white hair, feathers, scales and skin and reddish pink or blue eyes. Individuals with the condition are referred to as albinos. Varied use and interpretation of ...
organisations and others have expressed criticism over the portrayal of individuals with albinism in popular culture, specifically in movies and fictional works, citing the overwhelmingly negative depiction. There is concern that such depictions could increase social bias and discrimination against individuals with albinism."'Evil Albino' missing from 2004 movies. Will ''The Da Vinci Code'' revive the cliché?"
, The National Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentation, 6 January 2005; accessed 15 December 2006
This phenomenon is often referred to as the "''evil albino''"
plot Plot or Plotting may refer to: Art, media and entertainment * Plot (narrative), the connected story elements of a piece of fiction Music * ''The Plot'' (album), a 1976 album by jazz trumpeter Enrico Rava * The Plot (band), a band formed in 2003 ...
device. The "evil albino"
stereotype In social psychology, a stereotype is a generalization, generalized belief about a particular category of people. It is an expectation that people might have about every person of a particular group. The type of expectation can vary; it can ...
or
stock character A stock character, also known as a character archetype, is a type of character in a narrative (e.g. a novel, play, television show, or film) whom audiences recognize across many narratives or as part of a storytelling tradition or convention. Th ...
is a
villain A villain (also known as a " black hat", "bad guy" or "baddy"; The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p.126 "baddy (also baddie) noun (pl. -ies) ''informal'' a villain or criminal in a book, film, etc.". the feminine form is villai ...
in
fiction Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying character (arts), individuals, events, or setting (narrative), places that are imagination, imaginary or in ways that are imaginary. Fictional portrayals are thus inconsistent ...
who is depicted as being albinistic (or displaying physical traits usually associated with albinism, even if the term is not used), with the specific purpose of distinguishing the villain in question from the heroes by means of appearance."Beyond the pale: Hollywood's unwritten rules for characters with albinism"
''Skinema: Dermatology in the Cinema'', Dr. Vail Reese; accessed 15 December 2006
Traits of albinism commonly associated with the evil albino stereotype include pale skin, platinum blonde hair, and blue or pink-to-red eyes. Notably absent from most depictions is impaired vision, which is often experienced (depending on the type of albinism) by real people with albinism.
, ''Skinema: Dermatology in the Cinema'', Dr. Vail Reese; accessed 15 December 2006
The stereotype has become sufficiently well-recognized to be considered a
cliché A cliché ( or ; ) is a saying, idea, or element of an artistic work that has become overused to the point of losing its original meaning, novelty, or literal and figurative language, figurative or artistic power, even to the point of now being b ...
. In response to the "albino gunmen" characters in ''
The Da Vinci Code ''The Da Vinci Code'' is a 2003 mystery thriller novel by Dan Brown. It is “the best-selling American novel of all time.” Brown's second novel to include the character Robert Langdon—the first was his 2000 novel '' Angels & Demons'' ...
'' and ''
The Matrix Reloaded ''The Matrix Reloaded'' is a 2003 American science fiction action film written and directed by the Wachowskis. It is the sequel to ''The Matrix'' (1999) and the second installment in the ''Matrix'' film series. The film stars Keanu Reeves, L ...
'', albinistic actor Dennis Hurley wrote, produced, and starred in a
short film A short film is a film with a low running time. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of not more than 40 minutes including all credits". Other film o ...
parody, ''The Albino Code'', where he played up the stereotypes, illustrated a typical example of real-world prejudice, and pointed out that the vision problems associated with albinism would make a successful career as a hitman highly improbable. In '' The Big Over Easy'', author
Jasper Fforde Jasper Fforde (born 11 January 1961) is an English novelist whose first novel, '' The Eyre Affair'', was published in 2001. He is known mainly for his '' Thursday Next'' novels, but has also published two books in the loosely connected '' Nurser ...
includes an "albino community" protest against albino bias among his fictional news clippings, most of which satirise stock characters and hackneyed plot devices. ''Chicago Tribune'' movie reviewer Mark Caro says of this character type that it is someone "who looks albino and thus, in movie shorthand, must be vicious"."Movie review: ''Cold Mountain''"
; Caro, Mark; ''Chicago Tribune'' (online edition), date unspecified; accessed 13 March 2007
The National Organisation for Albinism and Hypopigmentation (NOAH) has stated that there were a total of sixty-eight films from 1960 to 2006 featuring an "evil albino"."Early viewers pan ''Da Vinci Code'': Film's release also provokes widespread protests"
no by-line; ''CNN.com'' "Entertainment" section / ''Associated Press Newswire'', 17 May 2006; accessed 13 March 2007
Types of albinism include: *
Oculocutaneous albinism Oculocutaneous albinism is a form of Albinism in humans, albinism involving the human eye, eyes (''wikt:oculo-#Prefix, oculo-''), the human skin, skin (''-wikt:cutaneous#Adjective, cutaneous''), and the hair. Overall, an estimated 1 in 20,000 peo ...
. Affects the skin, hair, and eyes. Around 1 in 70 people have a mutation in an OCA gene. There are several subtypes of OCA. * Ocular albinism. Affects the eyes, causing blindness. *
Hermansky–Pudlak syndrome Heřmanský–Pudlák syndrome (often written Hermansky–Pudlak syndrome or abbreviated HPS) is an extremely rare autosomal recessive disorder which results in Albinism, oculocutaneous albinism (decreased pigmentation), bleeding problems due to a ...
. Effects include a bleeding disorder, IBS, and fibrocystic lung conditions. *
Chédiak–Higashi syndrome Chédiak–Higashi syndrome (CHS) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder that arises from a mutation of a lysosomal trafficking regulator protein, which leads to a decrease in phagocytosis. The decrease in phagocytosis results in recurrent pyogenic ...
. Similar to OCA but doesn't affect the whole body. *
Griscelli syndrome Griscelli syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by albinism (hypopigmentation) with immunodeficiency, that usually causes death by early childhood. Researchers have developed three different classifications of the form of di ...
. Causes immune and neurological issues. Griscelli syndrome usually results in death within the first decade of life. Conversely, a number of real people with albinism have risen to fame ) especially in popular music and fashion modeling (though, as in the case of the Winter brothers, may themselves be the subject of "evil albino" parody). Albino animals capture public imagination and wonder as zoo attractions, and even in the wild can attract popular, positive attention ).


History of the "evil albino" stereotype

The "evil albino" stereotype may also have its roots in
Neolithic The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...
Eastern Europe Eastern Europe is a subregion of the Europe, European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural and socio-economic connotations. Its eastern boundary is marked by the Ural Mountain ...
, where some cultures depicted
Death Death is the end of life; the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living organism. Death eventually and inevitably occurs in all organisms. The remains of a former organism normally begin to decompose sh ...
as a pallid woman with light hair. Fear of
vampires A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead humanoid creatures that often visited loved ones and c ...
and other legendary
undead The undead are beings in mythology, legend, or fiction that are deceased but behave as if they were alive. A common example of an undead being is a cadaver, corpse reanimated by supernatural forces, by the application of either the deceased's o ...
with a deathly
pallor Pallor is a pale color of the skin that can be caused by illness, emotional shock or stress, stimulant use, or anemia, and is the result of a reduced amount of oxyhaemoglobin and may also be visible as pallor of the conjunctivae of the eye ...
, especially in European folklore, could also have contributed to albino bias. The phenomenon may also have been influenced by attitudes towards people with albinism in Africa or Jamaica, where those with that condition are sometimes regarded as cursed or magical .
Dermatologist Dermatology is the branch of medicine dealing with the skin.''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary.'' Random House, Inc. 2001. Page 537. . It is a speciality with both medical and surgical aspects. A dermatologist is a specialist medi ...
Dr. Vail Reese theorizes that albino bias may be part of a broader Hollywood pattern of equating or at least linking skin disorders and appearance problems with villainy."Most movies that feature skin disease use it to represent evil"
''Skinema: Dermatology in the Cinema'', Dr. Vail Reese; accessed 15 December 2006
Another explanation may be sought in respective ideals of ugliness – most "evil albinos" appear in works of fiction from the West. In fiction from Japan, where ideals call for as pale skin as possible, characters with albinism or associated traits are more frequently sympathetic
, ''Albinism in Popular Culture'', by Luna Eterna, 1997–2006; accessed 8 January 2007
than in American and British fiction.
, ''Albinism in Popular Culture'', by Luna Eterna, 1997–2006; accessed 8 January 2007
This is not to say that
Japanese popular culture Japanese popular culture includes Cinema of Japan, Japanese cinema, Japanese cuisine, cuisine, Television in Japan, television programs, anime, manga, Video gaming in Japan, video games, Music of Japan, music, and doujinshi, all of which retain ol ...
has not depicted "evil albinos". However, such characters in Japanese fiction are often ''
bishōnen is a Japanese term literally meaning "beautiful youth (boy)" and describes an aesthetic that can be found in disparate areas in East Asia: a young man of androgynous beauty. This word originated from the Tang dynasty poem '' Eight Immortals ...
'' or ''
bishōjo In Japanese popular culture, a , also romanized as ''bishojo'' or ''bishoujo'', is a cute girl character. characters appear ubiquitously in media including manga, anime, and computerized games (especially in the ''bishojo'' game genre), and al ...
'' whose beautiful appearance gives contrast to their evil character. Use of albinistic features to indicate villains in Hollywood films appears to have begun in the 1960s, and may be related to the popularity of tanning (and thus a decrease in pale skin being seen as attractive) in this period. One of the oldest perceived literary examples of albino bias was
H. G. Wells Herbert George Wells (21 September 1866 – 13 August 1946) was an English writer, prolific in many genres. He wrote more than fifty novels and dozens of short stories. His non-fiction output included works of social commentary, politics, hist ...
's depiction of the main character in his 1897 science-fiction novel ''
The Invisible Man ''The Invisible Man'' is an 1897 science fiction novel by British writer H. G. Wells. Originally serialised in '' Pearson's Weekly'' in 1897, it was published as a novel the same year. The Invisible Man to whom the title refers is Griffin, a s ...
'', who was able to become invisible using his scientific discoveries only because he already lacked natural pigmentation; aberrant even before his experimentation, he subsequently became completely deranged. Albino bias is also alleged in modern times. For example, the 2003 Warner Bros movie ''The Matrix Reloaded'' featured two sociopathic characters with pale skin and white hair frequently interpreted to be albinos despite studio declarations that they are not. Positive depictions of albinos in mass culture are rarer, though one example is the 1995 film ''
Powder A powder is a dry solid composed of many very fine particles that may flow freely when shaken or tilted. Powders are a special sub-class of granular materials, although the terms ''powder'' and ''granular'' are sometimes used to distinguish se ...
'' which depicts an exceptionally gifted albinistic youth and the cruelty he endures from "normal" people because of his differences. In recent years, the National Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentation (NOAH) has spoken out against albino bias in the United States. Albinistic actor Michael C. Bowman, of '' Me, Myself and Irene'', has said, "Kids all over this country are being affected in a very negative and harmful way because of the sloppiness and laziness of a writer in Hollywood."


Albinism and fiction

A number of movies, books and other works have been criticized"Furor Over ''The Matrix: Reloaded''"
, ''Skinema: Dermatology in the Cinema'', Dr. Vail Reese; accessed 15 December 2006
for albino bias, as they associate the uncommon features of albinistic people (pale skin, white hair, and unpigmented eyes) with danger, terror, or criminality. Less frequently they are depicted as the harmless butt of jokes and ridicule, as maladjusted and undersocialized, or as "
freak A freak is a person who is physically deformed or transformed due to an extraordinary medical condition or body modification. This definition was first attested with this meaning in the 1880s as a shorter form of the phrase " freak of nature ...
s"."Book two of Hollywood's rules of albinism"
''Skinema: Dermatology in the Cinema'', Dr. Vail Reese.
They may also actually be portrayed positively, even heroically – a more recent counter-trend.


Negatively portrayed characters

The most common depiction of people with albinism in fiction is that of the inimical, violent villain, especially the
hitman Contract killing (also known as murder-for-hire) is a form of murder or assassination in which one party hires another party to kill a targeted person or people. It involves an illegal agreement which includes some form of compensation, moneta ...
,
assassin Assassination is the willful killing, by a sudden, secret, or planned attack, of a personespecially if prominent or important. It may be prompted by political, ideological, religious, financial, or military motives. Assassinations are orde ...
,
sociopath Psychopathy, or psychopathic personality, is a personality construct characterized by impaired empathy and remorse, along with bold, disinhibited, and egocentric traits. These traits are often masked by superficial charm and immunity to st ...
or
crime boss A crime boss, also known as a crime lord, mafia don, mob boss, kingpin, or godfather is the leader of a criminal organization. Description A crime boss has absolute or nearly absolute control over the other members of the organization and is ...
. * "The Family", a cult of plague survivors are the antagonists in the film ''
The Omega Man ''The Omega Man'' (stylized as ''The Ωmega Man'') is a 1971 American Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, postapocalyptic action film directed by Boris Sagal and starring Charlton Heston as a survivor of a pandemic. It was written by John W ...
'' (1971). *
Silas Silas or Silvanus (; Greek: Σίλας/Σιλουανός; fl. 1st century AD) was a leading member of the Early Christian community, who according to the New Testament accompanied Paul the Apostle on his second missionary journey. Name and ...
, in the book ''
The Da Vinci Code ''The Da Vinci Code'' is a 2003 mystery thriller novel by Dan Brown. It is “the best-selling American novel of all time.” Brown's second novel to include the character Robert Langdon—the first was his 2000 novel '' Angels & Demons'' ...
'' (2003) by
Dan Brown Daniel Gerhard Brown (born June 22, 1964) is an American author best known for his Thriller (genre), thriller novels, including the Robert Langdon (book series), Robert Langdon novels ''Angels & Demons'' (2000), ''The Da Vinci Code'' (2003), '' ...
, (played by
Paul Bettany Paul Bettany (born 27 May 1971) is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as J.A.R.V.I.S. and Vision (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Vision in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including the Disney+ series ''WandaVision'' (2021), which garn ...
in the 2006
film adaptation A film adaptation transfers the details or story of an existing source text, such as a novel, into a feature film. This transfer can involve adapting most details of the source text closely, including characters or plot points, or the original sou ...
), is described as being albinistic. He is a religious fanatic and an assassin who murders several people, although he repents at the end of the book, praying to God for mercy and forgiveness. Critics have called the portrayal "damning", "hateful", and "cruelly stereotypical"."''The Da Vinci Code'' Albinos[sic] Murderer Depiction Was Slammed"
; Gheorghe, Adina; ''Softpedia Reviews'', 20 March 2006; accessed 13 March 2007
In defense, author Brown has pointed out that "Silas's skin color has nothing to do with his violent nature – he is driven to violence by others' cruelty... not by anything inherent in his physiology" and that he believes "the novel's portrayal of Silas is a compassionate exploration of how difficult albinism can be – especially for young people – and how cruelly societies can ostracize those of us who look different", going on to say he considers Silas to be the most sympathetic character in the story.
Retrieved on 21 April 2007.
* " The Twins" (played by Adrian and Neil Rayment), in ''
The Matrix Reloaded ''The Matrix Reloaded'' is a 2003 American science fiction action film written and directed by the Wachowskis. It is the sequel to ''The Matrix'' (1999) and the second installment in the ''Matrix'' film series. The film stars Keanu Reeves, L ...
'' (2003)"The Matrix Reloaded"
at IMDb
are considered by detractors to be the highest-profile case of "evil albino" bias to date, though said by producers to not be intended to be taken as actually albinistic. * Edgar and Johnny Autumn, in four 1995 issues of the ''
Jonah Hex Jonah Woodson Hex is a fictional antihero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer John Albano and artist Tony DeZuniga. Hex is a surly and cynical bounty hunter whose face is scarred on the r ...
'' comic book, are mutant villain brothers for the main character to fight. They were thinly-disguised caricatures of real-life albinistic musician brothers, Edgar and Johnny Winter ''(see images, right)'', who filed an unsuccessful lawsuit (''Edgar Winter et al. v. DC Comics et al.'')."C.A. Revives Rock Stars’ Suit Over Use of Their Personae"
''Metropolitan News-Enterprise'', 20 June 2002; accessed 15 December 2006.
A spokesperson for Johnny Winter characterized the depiction as "picking fun at them for being albinos", while a
DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...
representative claimed that the characters were an homage. *
Griffin The griffin, griffon, or gryphon (; Classical Latin: ''gryps'' or ''grypus''; Late and Medieval Latin: ''gryphes'', ''grypho'' etc.; Old French: ''griffon'') is a -4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk ...
, the main character of ''
The Invisible Man ''The Invisible Man'' is an 1897 science fiction novel by British writer H. G. Wells. Originally serialised in '' Pearson's Weekly'' in 1897, it was published as a novel the same year. The Invisible Man to whom the title refers is Griffin, a s ...
'' (1897) by
H. G. Wells Herbert George Wells (21 September 1866 – 13 August 1946) was an English writer, prolific in many genres. He wrote more than fifty novels and dozens of short stories. His non-fiction output included works of social commentary, politics, hist ...
is of questionable sanity and a thief by nature, obsessed with colour and pigmentation due to his albinism. The text of Wells's novel implies that Griffin's invisibility formula works on him (and a white cat in an early experiment) only ''because'' of albinism. ''(See
main article Main may refer to: Geography *Main River (disambiguation), multiple rivers with the same name *Ma'in, an ancient kingdom in modern-day Yemen * Main, Iran, a village in Fars Province *Spanish Main, the Caribbean coasts of mainland Spanish territ ...
for sources.)''
*Francis Davey, the vicar of Altarnun in
Daphne du Maurier Dame Daphne du Maurier, Lady Browning, (; 13 May 1907 – 19 April 1989) was an English novelist, biographer and playwright. Her parents were actor-manager Gerald du Maurier, Sir Gerald du Maurier and his wife, actress Muriel Beaumont. Her gra ...
's novel ''
Jamaica Inn The Jamaica Inn is a traditional inn on Bodmin Moor in Cornwall, England, which was built as a coaching inn in 1750, and has a historical association with smuggling. Located just off the A30, near the middle of the moor close to the hamlet of ...
'' is an albino whose status as a 'freak of nature' is explicitly linked to his rejection of conventional morality and hence his villainous actions including murder. * Samuel Aboah from ''
The X-Files ''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction on television, science fiction drama (film and television), drama television series created by Chris Carter (screenwriter), Chris Carter. The original series aired from September 10, 1993, to Ma ...
'' episode "Teliko". He was a Burkinabé immigrant who, lacking a pituitary gland, harvested them from other African or African-American men to restore his skin tone. He is compared unfavourably to a vampire like creature from West African folklore (the eponymous Teliko) by a Burkinabé ambassador. He is depicted as a merciless killer with a seemingly inhuman ability to squeeze into small spaces (''a la'' previous ''X-Files'' villain
Eugene Victor Tooms ''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction television series first broadcast in September 1993 and followed by two feature films: ''The X-Files'' and '' The X-Files: I Want to Believe.'' The characters defined the overarching mythology of ...
) * "Snow" (played by
Billy Drago Billy Eugene Burrows (November 30, 1945 – June 24, 2019), known professionally by his stage name Billy Drago, was an American television and film actor. Drago's films, where he was frequently cast as a villain, included Clint Eastwood's wester ...
), in ''
Vamp Vamp most commonly refers to: * Vamp (shoe), the upper part of a shoe * Vamp (woman), a seductress or ''femme fatale''; derived from "vampire" * Vamp (music), a repeating musical figure or accompaniment Vamp or vamps may also refer to: Science ...
'' (1986)''Vamp''
at IMDb
is the violently-inclined leader of a street gang composed of albinistic people and others with appearance problems. He meets a violent end. * Joseph (played by
Jake Busey William Jacob Busey (; born June 15, 1971) is an American actor. Among his most prominent roles have been serial killer Johnny Bartlett in 1996's ''The Frighteners'', Ace Levy in 1997's ''Starship Troopers'', Kyle Brenner in 2001's '' Tomcats'', ...
, son of Gary Busey; see next entry), in ''
Contact Contact may refer to: Interaction Physical interaction * Contact (geology), a common geological feature * Contact lens or contact, a lens placed on the eye * Contact sport, a sport in which players make contact with other players or objects * C ...
'' (1997)"Contact"
at IMDb
is a religious extremist turned suicide-bomber. * Mr. Joshua (played by
Gary Busey William Gary Busey (; born June 29, 1944) is an American actor. He portrayed Buddy Holly in ''The Buddy Holly Story'' (1978), for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor and won the National Society of Film Critics Award fo ...
), in ''
Lethal Weapon ''Lethal Weapon'' is a 1987 American action film directed by Richard Donner and written by Shane Black. It stars Mel Gibson and Danny Glover alongside Gary Busey, Tom Atkins, Darlene Love, and Mitchell Ryan. In ''Lethal Weapon'', a pai ...
'' (1987)"Lethal Weapon"
at IMDb.
is a seemingly psychopathic hit man. He was specifically referred to as "albino" in the film. * Bosie (played by Charlie Hunnam),
IMDb
in '' Cold Mountain'' (2003)"Cold Mountain"
at IMDb.
is a U.S. Civil War-era "sneering albino killer ...[who] seems to have wandered in from a ''Lethal Weapon'' movie" – Ty Burr, ''Boston Globe'' review."Cold Mountain Movie Review: Moving 'Mountain'"
Burr, Ty; ''Boston Globe'' (online edition), 25 December 2003; accessed 13 March 2007
* "Bad Bob" (played by Stacy Keach) in ''
The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean ''The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean'' is a 1972 American Western comedy film written by John Milius, directed by John Huston, and starring Paul Newman. It is loosely based on the life of American saloon-keeper and Justice of the Peace in ...
'' (1972) * "Dragon" (played by Thayer David) in '' The Eiger Sanction'' (1975)"The Eiger Sanction"
at IMDb
is an underworld kingpin also described as being unable to stand light and requiring frequent blood transfusions. * "The Albino" (played by Mel Smith), in ''
The Princess Bride The Princess Bride may refer to: * ''The Princess Bride'' (novel), 1973 fantasy romance novel by writer William Goldman ** ''The Princess Bride'' (film), 1987 American film adaptation directed by Rob Reiner Robert Reiner (born March 6, 1947) ...
'' (1987)"The Princess Bride"
at IMDb.
is an Igor-like
henchman A henchman is a loyal employee, supporter, or aide to some powerful figure engaged in nefarious or criminal enterprises. Henchmen are typically relatively unimportant in the organisation: minions whose value lies primarily in their unquestioning ...
and torturer, depicted as diseased, with visible sores. * "Albino" (played by the genuinely albinistic
Victor Varnado Victor Varnado (born May 15, 1969) is an American stand-up comedy, stand-up comedian and actor. He is an African Americans, African American man with Albinism in humans, albinism. He was born legally blind due to his albinism. He grew up in Huntsv ...
), in ''
End of Days End of days may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''End of Days'' (film), a 1999 supernatural film * '' Carnival: At the End of Days'', an upcoming fantasy film Music * '' The End of Days'', a 2010 album by Abney Park * ''En ...
'' (1999)"End of days"
at IMDb
is a menacing "servant of
Satan Satan, also known as the Devil, is a devilish entity in Abrahamic religions who seduces humans into sin (or falsehood). In Judaism, Satan is seen as an agent subservient to God, typically regarded as a metaphor for the '' yetzer hara'', or ' ...
" who meets a grisly death. * "Whitey" Jackson a.k.a. "The Albino" (played by William Frankfather), in '' Foul Play'' (1978)"Foul Play (1978)"
at IMDb
is another heavily armed killer, this time in a comedy. * "
Tombstone A gravestone or tombstone is a marker, usually stone, that is placed over a grave. A marker set at the head of the grave may be called a headstone. An especially old or elaborate stone slab may be called a funeral stele, stela, or slab. The us ...
", in the ''
Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appearance, first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in ...
'' comics is an African-American with albinism. He is a mob hitman. ''(See
main article Main may refer to: Geography *Main River (disambiguation), multiple rivers with the same name *Ma'in, an ancient kingdom in modern-day Yemen * Main, Iran, a village in Fars Province *Spanish Main, the Caribbean coasts of mainland Spanish territ ...
for sources.)''
* "
Tobias Whale Tobias Whale is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is the archenemy of Black Lightning. Whale appears in the live-action Arrowverse series ''Black Lightning'', portrayed by Marvin "Krondon" Jones III. Pub ...
" a
DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...
African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...
albinistic
mobster A gangster (informally gangsta) is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Most gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from '' mob'' and the suffix '' -ster''. Gangs provide a level ...
whose villainy induces character Jefferson Pierce to become the superhero "
Black Lightning Black Lightning (Jefferson Michael "Jeff" Pierce) is a superhero who appears in American comic book published by DC Comics. The character, created by writer Jenny Blake Isabella with artist Trevor Von Eeden, first appeared in ''Black Lightning'' ...
". ''(See
main article Main may refer to: Geography *Main River (disambiguation), multiple rivers with the same name *Ma'in, an ancient kingdom in modern-day Yemen * Main, Iran, a village in Fars Province *Spanish Main, the Caribbean coasts of mainland Spanish territ ...
for sources.)''
* Moke (played by
Dar Robinson Dar Allen Robinson (March 26, 1947 – November 21, 1986) was an American stunt performer and actor. Robinson broke 19 world records and set 21 "world's firsts." He invented the decelerator (use of dragline cables rather than airbags for a ...
), in ''
Stick Stick, sticks or the stick may refer to: Thin elongated objects * Twig or branch * Walking stick, a device to facilitate balancing while walking * Shepherd's crook * Shillelagh * Swagger stick * Digging stick * Swizzle stick, used to stir drinks ...
'' (1985)"Stick"
at IMDb.
is a ruthless criminal, who likes to shoot people in the back *
Judge Holden Judge Holden is a fictional character from the novel '' Blood Meridian'' by Cormac McCarthy, and is based on a historical person who partnered with John Joel Glanton as a professional scalp-hunter in Mexico and the American Southwest during the ...
, in
Cormac McCarthy Cormac McCarthy (born Charles Joseph McCarthy Jr.; July 20, 1933 – June 13, 2023) was an American author who wrote twelve novels, two plays, five screenplays, and three short stories, spanning the Western, post-apocalyptic, and Southern Got ...
's ''
Blood Meridian ''Blood Meridian Or The Evening Redness in the West'' is a 1985 epic historical novel by American author Cormac McCarthy, classified under the Western, or sometimes the anti-Western, genre. McCarthy's fifth book, it was published by Random Hou ...
'' (published 1985; ). In McCarthy's novel, Holden is a wanton mass-murderer. There is no historical evidence to suggest that the non-fictional Holden was albinistic. ''(See
main article Main may refer to: Geography *Main River (disambiguation), multiple rivers with the same name *Ma'in, an ancient kingdom in modern-day Yemen * Main, Iran, a village in Fars Province *Spanish Main, the Caribbean coasts of mainland Spanish territ ...
for further sources.)''
* "Albino" (played by Warrick Grier), in ''
Freefall In classical mechanics, free fall is any motion of a body where gravity is the only force acting upon it. A freely falling object may not necessarily be falling down in the vertical direction. If the common definition of the word "fall" is used, ...
'' (1994)"Freefall"
at IMDb.
is a menacing figure who drugs the film's heroine. * Mark Purayah (Mark II) and Mark Parchezzi (Mark III) ("the Albinos"), in '' Hitman: Blood Money'' (released 2005)"Hitman: Blood Money (VG)"
at IMDb.
are clones of an unseen Mark I, and all are assassins. ''(See
main article Main may refer to: Geography *Main River (disambiguation), multiple rivers with the same name *Ma'in, an ancient kingdom in modern-day Yemen * Main, Iran, a village in Fars Province *Spanish Main, the Caribbean coasts of mainland Spanish territ ...
for further sources.)''
* "The Albino" in ''
The Albino's Dancer ''The Albino's Dancer'' is the ninth in the series of "Time Hunter" novellas, and features the characters Honoré Lechasseur and Emily Blandish from Daniel O'Mahony's ''Doctor Who'' novella '' The Cabinet of Light''. It is written by Dale Smit ...
'', a "
Time Hunter The ''Time Hunter'' series of books is published by Telos Publishing Ltd. and features the characters Honoré Lechasseur and Emily Blandish from Daniel O'Mahony's ''Doctor Who'' novella '' The Cabinet of Light''. Each novella is issued in a st ...
" novella; the character is a
mobster A gangster (informally gangsta) is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Most gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from '' mob'' and the suffix '' -ster''. Gangs provide a level ...
. ''(See
main article Main may refer to: Geography *Main River (disambiguation), multiple rivers with the same name *Ma'in, an ancient kingdom in modern-day Yemen * Main, Iran, a village in Fars Province *Spanish Main, the Caribbean coasts of mainland Spanish territ ...
for sources.)''
* "The Albino" (played by
Bill Bolender Bill Bolender is an American character actor and artist, mainly known for small appearances in ''RoboCop 2'', ''JFK'', ''Reality Bites'', ''The Shawshank Redemption'', ''Nixon'' and ''Dante's Peak''. His guest starring appearances include roles ...
) from the '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' episode " Blood Oath", who is a dishonorable Klingon warrior and murderer. ''(See
main article Main may refer to: Geography *Main River (disambiguation), multiple rivers with the same name *Ma'in, an ancient kingdom in modern-day Yemen * Main, Iran, a village in Fars Province *Spanish Main, the Caribbean coasts of mainland Spanish territ ...
for further sources.)''
* Dr. Robert Kirkland "Kirk" Langström, also known as the
Man-Bat Man-Bat (Dr. Robert Kirkland "Kirk" Langstrom) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Introduced in ''Detective Comics'' #400 (June 1970) as an enemy of the superhero Batman, the character belongs to t ...
, is depicted as being albinistic in the television series '' The Batman'' (which also depicts him as more villainous than other versions of the character). Langström's "Man-Bat" form is also depicted as being albino.''(See
main article Main may refer to: Geography *Main River (disambiguation), multiple rivers with the same name *Ma'in, an ancient kingdom in modern-day Yemen * Main, Iran, a village in Fars Province *Spanish Main, the Caribbean coasts of mainland Spanish territ ...
for further sources.)''
* Kobra, an albinistic biker in Robert R. McCammon's 1981 novel ''
They Thirst ''They Thirst'' is a horror novel by American writer Robert R. McCammon, first published in 1981 and republished in 1991 in hardback. The book details the relentless possession of Los Angeles by vampires, who quickly transform the city into a ne ...
'' who is depicted as sadistic and violent. He eventually becomes a commander of an army of
vampire A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead humanoid creatures that often visited loved ones and c ...
s besieging Los Angeles (but was albinistic before becoming a vampire).''(See
main article Main may refer to: Geography *Main River (disambiguation), multiple rivers with the same name *Ma'in, an ancient kingdom in modern-day Yemen * Main, Iran, a village in Fars Province *Spanish Main, the Caribbean coasts of mainland Spanish territ ...
for sources.)''
*
Monsieur Zenith Monsieur Zenith the Albino is a fictional character who appeared as a recurring antagonist in the Sexton Blake detective series. Created by writer Anthony Skene in 1919, Zenith became one of Blake's most notable and popular adversaries. Originall ...
, a
pulp fiction ''Pulp Fiction'' is a 1994 American independent crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino from a story he conceived with Roger Avary.See, e.g., King (2002), pp. 185–7; ; It tells four intertwining tales of crime and violence ...
villain in the "
Sexton Blake Sexton Blake is a fictional British detective, whose adventures captivated readers for over eight decades from 1893 to 1978. Blake featured in more than 4,000 stories by approximately 200 different authors, making him one of the most prolifica ...
" series by Anthony Skene. Zenith is a world-weary
gentleman thief A gentleman thief, gentleman burglar, lady thief, or phantom thief is a stock character in fiction. A gentleman or lady thief is characterised by impeccable manners, charm, courtesy, and the avoidance of physical force or intimidation to stea ...
who uses
opium Opium (also known as poppy tears, or Lachryma papaveris) is the dried latex obtained from the seed Capsule (fruit), capsules of the opium poppy ''Papaver somniferum''. Approximately 12 percent of opium is made up of the analgesic alkaloid mor ...
, commits crimes, and feuds with Blake simply to relieve his ennui. * The clairvoyant albino Juni Swan in
Darren Shan Darren O'Shaughnessy (; born 2 July 1972) is an Irish writer and novelist. He is best known for his young adult fiction series '' The Saga of Darren Shan'', '' The Demonata'', and '' Zom-B'', published under the pseudonym Darren Shan. The forme ...
's "
The Demonata ''The Demonata'' is a young adult horror/fantasy series by author Darren Shan. Works Publishing order Cover illustration copyright Melvyn Grant #''Lord Loss'' – 6 June 2005 (5 October 2005 in the US) #''Demon Thief'' – 5 October 2005 ...
" series is characterized by her deceptive and sadistic nature as well as her exceptional beauty. However, in '' Death's Shadow'', the seventh book of the series, she appears as a hideously deformed monster. * "Helter Skelter", a mysterious assassin seen in the opening cutscene of the video game '' No More Heroes'' * Bigboy, the sadistic, ruthless chief of the prison guards in the Stephen Hunter novel ''Pale Horse Coming.'' * Jei Farfarello, a sadistic/masochistic member of a group of assassins named "Schwarz" in the anime ''
Weiß Kreuz is a series conceptualized by voice actor Takehito Koyasu about four assassination, assassins that work in a flower shop called "Kitty in the House". The assassins are members of a group called Weiß (white), which is run by Persia of t ...
''. He is portrayed as a one-eyed, heavily scarred and clinically insane killer. * Olivia Presteign, the daughter of a powerful business man in
Alfred Bester Alfred Bester (December 18, 1913 – September 30, 1987) was an American science fiction author, TV and radio screenwriter, magazine Editing, editor and scriptwriter for comics. He is best remembered for his science fiction, including ''Th ...
's
The Stars My Destination ''The Stars My Destination'' is a science fiction novel by American writer Alfred Bester. Its first publication was in book form in June 1956 in the United Kingdom, where it was titled ''Tiger! Tiger!'', named after William Blake's 1794 poem ...
, is responsible for numerous homicides along with various other crimes. Her albinism renders her blind to the normal spectrum of light visible to humans, but she is able to see the infrared spectrum. * The anime/manga ''Deadman Wonderland'' features two albinos named Chan and En as bodyguards to the main antagonist of the series, the director of Deadman Wonderland named Hagire Rinichirou. They are twin brother and sister, and are incredibly loyal to Hagire, seeing him as a father figure and killing people who merely insult him. There is also a third albino, one of the main characters, named Shiro, who appears an innocent and complacent young girl, but has a cruel and psychopathic alter ego knows as the Wretched Egg, which is Hagire's lifetime obsession. * The Mark clones in Hitman: Blood Money are genetically created assassins from the rival organization The Foundation. * Shadow Prove from Bakugan New Vestroia is most probably albino. He often laughs at other peoples problems and tries to annoy but hates being insulted by Mylene, his companion. He is part of the evil organisation Vexos. * Practical Frost in The First Law series by Joe Abercrombie is an Albino depicted as a brutal and psychopathic torturer's assistant. ;Animals and other non-humanoid characters *In '' Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs'', the main
antagonist An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the main enemy or rival of the protagonist and is often depicted as a villain.Baryonyx ''Baryonyx'' () is a genus of theropod dinosaur which lived in the Barremian stage of the Early Cretaceous period, about 130–125 million years ago. The first skeleton was discovered in 1983 in the Smokejack Clay Pit, of Surrey, England, in ...
''. Unlike most other dinosaurs in the film, he is depicted as vicious, vindictive and entirely inimical. The filmmakers explicitly stated that his albinism is a reference to
Moby Dick ''Moby-Dick; or, The Whale'' is an 1851 Epic (genre), epic novel by American writer Herman Melville. The book is centered on the sailor Ishmael (Moby-Dick), Ishmael's narrative of the maniacal quest of Captain Ahab, Ahab, captain of the whaler ...
and other pale fictional antagonists. Audio commentary initially says character based on ''Baryonyx'', someone else said ''
Suchomimus ''Suchomimus'', from Ancient Greek ''σούχος'' (''soúkhos''), meaning "crocodile", and Latin ''mimus'', meaning "actor", is a genus of spinosaurid dinosaur that lived between 125 and 112 million years ago in what is now Niger, North A ...
''; both are spinosaurs.
*
Lord Shen The following is a list of characters from the DreamWorks animated film media franchise ''Kung Fu Panda''. The franchise includes four films (''Kung Fu Panda'', ''Kung Fu Panda 2'', ''Kung Fu Panda 3'', and '' Kung Fu Panda 4''), a series of sho ...
, an albino
peacock Peafowl is a common name for two bird species of the genus '' Pavo'' and one species of the closely related genus '' Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae (the pheasants and their allies). Male peafowl are referred t ...
, the main enemy in ''
Kung Fu Panda 2 ''Kung Fu Panda 2'' is a 2011 American animated martial arts comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Paramount Pictures. Directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson and written by the writing team of Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berge ...
'', who tried to wipe out the pandas to prevent a prophecy of one defeating him, among them being Po's mother. *The megalodon in Steve Alten's novel '' Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror'', hunted by the main characters, is depicted as albino. * The Banes from
Suzanne Collins Suzanne Collins (born August 10, 1962) is an American author and television writer who is best known as the author of the young adult literature, young adult Dystopian fiction, dystopian book series ''The Hunger Games''. She is also the author ...
's ''
The Underland Chronicles ''The Underland Chronicles'' is a series of five high fantasy, epic fantasy novels by Suzanne Collins, first published between 2003 and 2007. It tells the story of a boy named Gregor and his adventures in the "Underland", a subterranean world l ...
'' novel series. An albino gnawer (giant, talking rat). Born once every few hundred years, they are always insane, tyrannical, and far larger than even the other gnawers. The only one featured in the series is Pearlpelt. He is, however, an exception, as all the ''Underland'' humans are albinos, and they are generally portrayed favorably, with varying personalities. *The Pure Ferrets King Agarnu, Prince Bladd and Princess Kurda of the ''
Redwall ''Redwall'' is a series of children's fantasy novels by British writer Brian Jacques, published from 1986 to 2011. It is also the title of the first book of the series, published in 1986, as well as the name of the abbey featured in the book, ...
'' book '' Triss''. They were rulers of an island-fortress known as Riftgard and enslaved many creatures, including the protagonist Trisscar Swordmaid. (However, the albinism of these characters has nothing to do with their status as antagonists. It only affects the plot when, early in the story, a minor character discovers the body of Agarnu’s deceased father and mistakes it for a ghost.) * Silas Vorez, the main antagonist of the 2022 video game The Quarry is a human
werewolf In folklore, a werewolf (), or occasionally lycanthrope (from Ancient Greek ), is an individual who can shapeshifting, shapeshift into a wolf, or especially in modern film, a Shapeshifting, therianthropic Hybrid beasts in folklore, hybrid wol ...
with albinism, referred to as the “white wolf”.


Subjects of ridicule and "freaks"

In the last few decades, there has been an increase in the number albinistic characters who are mocked (sometimes by the actual works in which they appear, an instance of albino bias itself, and sometimes by other characters in a way that highlights albino bias). * "Powder", the eponymous character in the movie ''
Powder A powder is a dry solid composed of many very fine particles that may flow freely when shaken or tilted. Powders are a special sub-class of granular materials, although the terms ''powder'' and ''granular'' are sometimes used to distinguish se ...
''. The name can be seen as mocking or derogatory; however the depiction can be seen as positive in its portrayal of the effects of bias against those with albinism. * Autumn Lynn Henderson, the sister of the protagonist in "Mercy Among the Children" by
David Adams Richards David Adams Richards (born 17 October 1950) is a Canadian writer and member of the Senate of Canada, Canadian Senate. (played by Michael Bowman), in ''
Me, Myself & Irene ''Me, Myself & Irene'' is a 2000 American slapstick black comedy film directed by the Farrelly brothers, and starring Jim Carrey and Renée Zellweger. Chris Cooper, Robert Forster, Richard Jenkins, Daniel Greene, Anthony Anderson, Jerod Mixo ...
'' (2000). His alleged real name is as mocking as his nicknames. He is the subject of a good deal of ridicule, which may be accurately representative of the casual discrimination that people with albinism are often made to suffer, and is accurately depicted as having impaired vision, and is a vital friend of the main characters. The genuinely albinistic actor "somewhat regrets" taking the role: "I worried that it was sending the wrong message." * Cee-Cee, a character in "The Mediator" novel series by
Meg Cabot Meggin Patricia Cabot (born February 1, 1967) is an American novelist. She has written and published over 50 novels of young adult and adult fiction and is best known for her young adult series ''The Princess Diaries'', which was later adapted b ...
, is ridiculed by her classmates. Generally portrayed fairly accurately as a person with albinism, wearing protective clothing, sunscreen, hats, and sunglasses outdoors, though said to have purplish irises even though that is rare. While described supportively, as intelligent. On the other hand, Cee-Cee's aunt, who also has albinism, reads
tarot cards Tarot (, first known as '' trionfi'' and later as ''tarocchi'' or ''tarocks'') is a set of playing cards used in tarot games and in fortune-telling or divination. From at least the mid-15th century, the tarot was used to play trick-taking car ...
and speaks with the dead. * Harold Kline, in ''Ghost Boy'', a novel by Iain Lawrence, is an albinistic youth who ran away from home and ended up working in the circus with the other "freaks", as people called them. His portrayal is supportive, but the "freak" label is not, even if accurately depicting biased attitudes. * The hermaphrodite in
Federico Fellini Federico Fellini (; 20 January 1920 – 31 October 1993) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He is known for his distinctive style, which blends fantasy and baroque images with earthiness. He is recognized as one of the greatest and ...
's ''
Fellini Satyricon ''Fellini Satyricon'', or simply ''Satyricon'', is a 1969 Italian film written and directed by Federico Fellini and loosely based on Petronius's work ''Satyricon'', written during the reign of Emperor Nero and set in Imperial Rome. The film is di ...
''.


Neutrally or ambiguously portrayed characters

Neutral or at least morally uncertain depictions of persons with albinism are also somewhat common in literature and film, as anti-heroes, morally confused characters, or simply incidentally. *
Elric of Melniboné Elric of Melniboné is a fictional character created by English writer Michael Moorcock and the protagonist of a series of sword and sorcery stories taking place on an alternative Earth. The proper name and title of the character are Elric VI ...
, the main character of an eponymous series of fantasy novels and short stories by
Michael Moorcock Michael John Moorcock (born 18 December 1939) is an English writer, particularly of science fiction and fantasy, who has published a number of well-received literary novels as well as comic thrillers, graphic novels and non-fiction. He has wo ...
that began in 1961 with "The Dreaming City". Elric is described as handsome and intelligent, but physically weak without the aid of drugs and magic. In the book ''Stormbringer'', Elric's final battle saw him heroically defeating the evil forces of Chaos to become the last person alive before the rebirth of humankind. The author stated in 2004 that he had received no complaints with regards to his treatment of albinism since "after all, Elric is a hero (if somewhat flawed)". However, Elric also frequently murders in cold blood and is classified by some reviewers/critics as an anti-hero, even a protagonist–villain. Elric was based in part on the aforementioned M. Zenith. ''(See
main article Main may refer to: Geography *Main River (disambiguation), multiple rivers with the same name *Ma'in, an ancient kingdom in modern-day Yemen * Main, Iran, a village in Fars Province *Spanish Main, the Caribbean coasts of mainland Spanish territ ...
for further sources.)''
* "Snow", an albinistic psychic who achieves a messianic following, has his story told in ''
Snow Snow consists of individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes. It consists of frozen crystalline water througho ...
'', a
concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...
by
progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed " progressive pop", the ...
band
Spock's Beard Spock's Beard is an American progressive rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1992 by brothers Neal (lead vocals, keyboards, guitar) and Alan Morse (guitars), John Ballard (bass), and Nick D'Virgilio (drums). Ballard was replaced by Dave M ...
. The portrayal is ambiguous and unrealistic, and the character has a stereotypical moniker. * "U.V.", played by non-albinistic actor
Chad E. Donella Chad E. Donella (born May 18, 1978) is a Canadians, Canadian actor who has appeared in several movies and television shows. He married Joni Bertin in 2007. Life and career Chad Donella attended the Arts York Drama Program, in which he particip ...
, in the film ''
Disturbing Behavior ''Disturbing Behavior'' is a 1998 teen science fiction psychological horror film starring James Marsden, Katie Holmes, and Nick Stahl. The film was directed by David Nutter, who was a director and producer on ''The X-Files'', and the screenplay ...
''. He is not a villain, but a stoner with a stereotypical nickname that refers to his skin sensitivity, while on the other hand has a clever sense of humor, is "hip", and is well-accepted by his friends. ''(See
main article Main may refer to: Geography *Main River (disambiguation), multiple rivers with the same name *Ma'in, an ancient kingdom in modern-day Yemen * Main, Iran, a village in Fars Province *Spanish Main, the Caribbean coasts of mainland Spanish territ ...
for additional sources.)''
* "The bride" (played by the genuinely albinistic"Realistic Characters with Genetic Conditions"
''Skinema: Dermatology in the Cinema'', Dr. Vail Reese; accessed 15 December 2006
Diane Costa), in '' Nobody's Fool'' (1986)"Full cast and crew for ''Nobody's Fool'' (1986)"
at IMDb
Depicted accurately, though possibly mostly for comedic effect, as requiring sunglasses under her veil at her outdoor wedding, and mocked behind her back as having landed a husband out of pity, but shown as engaging in a normal societal role. * Snowdie McLain, an albinistic woman, is a central character in Eudora Welty's " The Golden Apples", a book of connected stories set in Mississippi. Other characters sometimes link Snowdie's albinism to her reserved manner or her perceived helplessness. * Princess Hinoto, in the ''X'' manga and TV series and ''X-1999'' movie. While a heroine in the original comics and movie, she becomes a villain in the follow-up television series. Has red eyes in some episodes, purplish in others. Accurately portrayed as having vision problems, but also given deaf-muteness, lameness, and psychic powers. * "Whitey" (played by
Robert Englund Robert Barton Englund (born June 6, 1947) is an American actor and director. Englund is best known for playing the villain Freddy Krueger in the ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' franchise. Englund has received multiple accolades and honors, incl ...
), in '' Buster and Billie''. He dyes his hair black, but is known by his nickname, which he wears on his hat. * The detective, in ''What's the Worst that Could Happen?''. Like the villain in ''Foul Play'', he wears all-white suits. * Olympia Binewski, an albinistic,
bald Hair loss, also known as alopecia or baldness, refers to a loss of hair from part of the head or body. Typically at least the head is involved. The severity of hair loss can vary from a small area to the entire body. Inflammation or scarring ...
,
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, from the 1989 novel ''
Geek Love ''Geek Love'' is a novel by American writer Katherine Dunn, published completely by Alfred A. Knopf (a division of Random House) in 1989. Dunn published parts of the novel in ''Mississippi Mud Book of Days'' (1983) and ''Looking Glass Bookstor ...
'' by
Katherine Dunn Katherine Karen Dunn (October 24, 1945 – May 11, 2016) was an American novelist, journalist, voice artist, radio personality, book reviewer, and poet from Portland, Oregon. She is best known for her novel ''Geek Love'' (1989). She was also a p ...
. "Oly" is the narrator of the story, and as part of a family intentionally bred for defects for traveling carnival show purposes is no more or less "freakish" than the rest of the major characters; her albinism appears simply to have been selected at random by the author as a genetic abnormality to add to the list. ''(See
main article Main may refer to: Geography *Main River (disambiguation), multiple rivers with the same name *Ma'in, an ancient kingdom in modern-day Yemen * Main, Iran, a village in Fars Province *Spanish Main, the Caribbean coasts of mainland Spanish territ ...
for sources and further detail.)'' *Cielle, a minor character in the flash animation film ''
Broken Saints ''Broken Saints'' is a partially Flash-animated horror drama web series by Brooke Burgess, with technical direction from Ian Kirby and artwork by Andrew West. First released online from 2001 to 2003, it is one of the earliest examples of a mo ...
'', is an albinistic occultist with white dreadlocks and pink eyes who gives a prophetic tarot card reading to characters Raimi and Oran. Although Oran scorns her, she is not offended and claims that many people don't understand her condition. *The personification of
Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...
in the anime/webcomic '' Hetalia: Axis Powers'' is commonly perceived by fans of the series to be an albino, because of his red eyes and silver-white hair. Whether or not he actually albinistic has not been discussed in the series canon, however. *Mr. Skimpole, a character in '' The Somnambulist'' at first seems evil, but is made more likable through his crippled son, whom he cares for (although the narrator insinuates that his son might be a fabrication, to make Skimpole seem more sympathetic). * Kevin Smith, the silent, knife-wielding British assassin in
Goichi Suda , known by his alias Suda51, is a Japanese video game director, designer, and writer. Affiliated with Human Entertainment from 1994 to 1998, he founded Grasshopper Manufacture in 1998 with a number of other Human Entertainment staff to produce the ...
's ''
Killer7 is a 2005 action-adventure game developed by Grasshopper Manufacture and Capcom and published by Capcom for the GameCube and PlayStation 2. The game was written and directed by Goichi Suda and produced by Hiroyuki Kobayashi (producer), Hiroyuki ...
'' video game, one of the seven Smith personalities the player may control. Although a protagonist, the character's occupation as a murderer is not particularly heroic. ''(See
main article Main may refer to: Geography *Main River (disambiguation), multiple rivers with the same name *Ma'in, an ancient kingdom in modern-day Yemen * Main, Iran, a village in Fars Province *Spanish Main, the Caribbean coasts of mainland Spanish territ ...
for sources).''
* Theokoles, "the Shadow of Death", is an albinistic, pink-eyed
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in the fifth episode, "Shadow Games" (2010), of the
Starz Starz (stylized in all caps as STARZ; pronounced "stars") is an American pay television network owned by Starz Entertainment, and is the flagship property of Starz Inc. Launched in 1994 as a multiplex service of what is now Starz Encore, ...
TV series '' Spartacus: Blood and Sand''. He is depicted as a huge and greatly feared, savage warrior prone to blood-lust, "a beast that has never been tamed". Despite the fact that at least one review labels the character an "evil albino", Theokoles is also said to have won many fortunes and his freedom via his long-undefeated string of victories in the arena, for which he is respected as well as feared by other gladiators. * The Underland humans from Suzanne Collins's "
The Underland Chronicles ''The Underland Chronicles'' is a series of five high fantasy, epic fantasy novels by Suzanne Collins, first published between 2003 and 2007. It tells the story of a boy named Gregor and his adventures in the "Underland", a subterranean world l ...
" novel series are all albinistic, with violet eyes, since they live underground and are not exposed to the sun. They are portrayed as no different from any other race, with varying personalities. ''(See also The Banes, above.)'' * Hansberry in the film ''
A Guy Thing ''A Guy Thing'' is a 2003 American comedy film directed by Chris Koch and starring Jason Lee, Julia Stiles and Selma Blair. It was a box office and critical failure. Plot Paul Morse and Karen Cooper are about to get married in Seattle. Durin ...
'' (2003) *The anime/manga series ''
Deadman Wonderland is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Jinsei Kataoka and Kazuma Kondou. It was serialized in Kadokawa Shoten's '' Monthly Shōnen Ace'' from April 2007 to July 2013, with its chapters collected in 13 volumes. Tokyopop acquir ...
'' features an albino character named Shiro (Japanese for "white"). She is introduced as an absurdly strong but ditzy and kind girl who knew the main character Ganta as a child and was in love with him. It is later revealed that Shiro is a split personality. Her secondary persona is called the Wretched Egg, a violent, psychopathic murderer. The Wretched Egg persona becomes one of the main antagonists while the Shiro persona struggles in vain to retake control. This puts her in the odd position of being both the villain and a victim. * Brynden Rivers, also known as Bloodraven for a birthmark on his neck, is an albino character in
George R. R. Martin George Raymond Richard Martin (born George Raymond Martin; September 20, 1948) also known by the initials G.R.R.M. is an American author, television writer, and television producer. He is best known as the author of the unfinished series of Hi ...
's ''
A Song of Ice and Fire ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' is a series of high fantasy novels by the American author George R. R. Martin. Martin began writing the first volume, ''A Game of Thrones'', in 1991, and published it in 1996. Martin, who originally envisioned the ser ...
'' who, while a bastard of the Targaryen bloodline, decided to not side with his rebelling siblings against the throne long before the series begins. He loses an eye during said rebellion, and serves the realm afterwards. Later he is revealed to still be living, although it is unclear if he is a villain or not thus far. * One of the ''sangomas'', or witchdoctors, in ''
Shaka Zulu Shaka kaSenzangakhona (–24 September 1828), also known as Shaka (the) Zulu () and Sigidi kaSenzangakhona, was the king of the Zulu Kingdom from 1816 to 1828. One of the most influential monarchs of the Zulu, he ordered wide-reaching reform ...
'' has albinism. *In
Games Workshop Games Workshop Group (often abbreviated as GW) is a British manufacturer of miniature wargames, based in Nottingham, England. Its best-known products are ''Warhammer (game), Warhammer'' and ''Warhammer 40,000''. Founded in 1975 by John Peake ...
's
tabletop game Tabletop games or tabletops are games that are normally played on a Table (furniture), table or other flat surface, such as board games, card games, dice games, miniature wargames, Tabletop role-playing game, tabletop role-playing games, or ti ...
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The Horus Heresy ''The Horus Heresy'' is a Book series, series of science fantasy novels set in the fictional ''Warhammer 40,000'' Campaign setting, setting of tabletop Miniature wargaming, miniatures wargame company Games Workshop. Penned by several authors, t ...
" the Emperor's Children Space Marine legion is described as having a gene-seed defect that results in an "occasional incidence of albinism, and a shift in iris colour to violet in some recruits." The Emperor's Children are initially depicted as being obsessed with achieving personal perfection in all ways, though they seemed not to care about this defect. They were the only legion allowed to bear the Emperor's name, and the only legion allowed to bear his personal standard, the "Palatine Aquila." However, they were also one of the legions which betrayed the Imperium during the Horus heresy event. Whether or not this makes them evil is entire subjective, as arguments can be made for both the Imperium and the Traitor Legions being good or evil. It is unknown whether this gene-seed defect still exists in
Warhammer 40,000 ''Warhammer 40,000'' is a miniature wargame produced by Games Workshop. It is the most popular miniature wargame in the world, and is particularly popular in the United Kingdom. The first edition of the rulebook was published in September 1987 ...
(of which the Horus Heresy is a spin-off game.) *In
Kazuma Kamachi is the pen name of a Japanese author who has published over 100 light novel volumes. He is best known for the creation of the ''A Certain Magical Index'' franchise which, as of 2019, has sold over 30 million copies worldwide and has been licensed ...
's
A Certain Magical Index is a Japanese light novel series written by Kazuma Kamachi and illustrated by Kiyotaka Haimura, which has been published by ASCII Media Works under their Dengeki Bunko imprint since April 2004 in a total of three sep ...
, Accelerator, is an esper with albinism due to his ability. At first he is portrayed as a villain in the story, but as the story progresses he is portrayed more of an anti-hero. ;Animals and other non-humanoid characters * Moby Dick, an albino
sperm whale The sperm whale or cachalot (''Physeter macrocephalus'') is the largest of the toothed whales and the largest toothed predator. It is the only living member of the Genus (biology), genus ''Physeter'' and one of three extant species in the s ...
, in the book ''
Moby-Dick ''Moby-Dick; or, The Whale'' is an 1851 Epic (genre), epic novel by American writer Herman Melville. The book is centered on the sailor Ishmael (Moby-Dick), Ishmael's narrative of the maniacal quest of Captain Ahab, Ahab, captain of the whaler ...
''. * The
White Rabbit The White Rabbit is a fictional and anthropomorphic character in Lewis Carroll's 1865 book ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland''. He appears at the very beginning of the book, in chapter one, wearing a waistcoat, and muttering "Oh dear! Oh dea ...
from
Lewis Carroll Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (27 January 1832 – 14 January 1898), better known by his pen name Lewis Carroll, was an English author, poet, mathematician, photographer and reluctant Anglicanism, Anglican deacon. His most notable works are ''Alice ...
's ''
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (also known as ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English Children's literature, children's novel by Lewis Carroll, a mathematics university don, don at the University of Oxford. It details the story of a ...
''. (Although Carroll did not specifically state that the character is albinistic, and not all white rabbits are albinos in real life, both the 1951 adaptation and the 2010 Tim Burton re-imagining, among other more obscure versions, depict him as an albino, with pink eyes.) While the White Rabbit is timid and nervous, he is depicted as one of the saner and more intelligent denizens of Wonderland. * In
C.S. Lewis CS, C-S, C.S., Cs, cs, or cs. may refer to: Job titles * Chief Secretary (Hong Kong) * Chief superintendent, a rank in the British and several other police forces * Company secretary, a senior position in a private sector company or public se ...
's novel ''
Out of the Silent Planet ''Out of the Silent Planet'' is a science fiction novel by the British author C. S. Lewis, first published in 1938 by John Lane, The Bodley Head. Two sequels were published in 1943 and 1945, completing the '' Space Trilogy''. Plot While on ...
'', the protagonist Ransom (an Englishman visiting
Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun. It is also known as the "Red Planet", because of its orange-red appearance. Mars is a desert-like rocky planet with a tenuous carbon dioxide () atmosphere. At the average surface level the atmosph ...
) encounters three species of intelligent
Martians Mars, the fourth planet from the Sun, has appeared as a setting in works of fiction since at least the mid-1600s. Trends in the planet's portrayal have largely been influenced by advances in planetary science. It became the most popular celestia ...
. One Martian individual is unpigmented. *El Blanco, in '' Tremors 3: Back to Perfection'', is an albino
graboid ''Tremors'' is a 1990 American monster horror film directed by Ron Underwood, produced by Brent Maddock and S. S. Wilson, written by Maddock, Wilson, and Underwood and starring Kevin Bacon, Fred Ward, Finn Carter, Michael Gross, and Reba McEn ...
that while inaccurately portrayed as being sterile as a result of albinism. *In the '' Perils of Penelope Pitstop'' episode "Arabian Desert Danger", Penelope tries to cross a desert to donate a young albino
camel A camel (from and () from Ancient Semitic: ''gāmāl'') is an even-toed ungulate in the genus ''Camelus'' that bears distinctive fatty deposits known as "humps" on its back. Camels have long been domesticated and, as livestock, they provid ...
to a
zoo A zoo (short for zoological garden; also called an animal park or menagerie) is a facility where animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for conservation purposes. The term ''zoological garden'' refers to zoology, ...
without having to put the animal in danger. *Philip of Macedonia, Uncle Amos's pet crocodile from ''
The Kane Chronicles ''The Kane Chronicles'' is a trilogy of adventure novels based on Egyptian mythology written by American author Rick Riordan. The series is set in the same universe as Riordan's other franchises, ''Camp Half-Blood Chronicles'' and ''Magnus Chase ...
''. *In ''
Flushed Away ''Flushed Away'' is a 2006 animated adventure comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and Aardman Features. The film was directed by Sam Fell and David Bowers, from a screenplay by Dick Clement, Ian La Frenais, Chris Lloyd, Joe Keen ...
'', an albino rat named Whitey is one of the villain's henchmen; although he works for the villain, he comes across as friendly and good-natured with no malicious intent (making him an ambiguous example rather than a clearly negative one).


Positively portrayed characters

Persons with albinism are sometimes depicted heroically or otherwise positively, or at least accurately with regard to their condition and its medical and social results: *Alexander Kramir, from the novel Lentara is a fairly accurately portrayed boy with Albinism who helps an alien race save the Earth and falls in love with an alien. He later fathers a child who will help save the universe. * Bibwit Harte, Queen Alyss's albino tutor from
Frank Beddor Frank Beddor (July 31, 1958) is a former American world champion freestyle skier, film producer, actor, stuntman, and author. He worked as a producer on ''There's Something About Mary'' and ''Wicked'', and wrote the book '' The Looking Glass War ...
's
The Looking Glass Wars ''The Looking Glass Wars'' is a series of three novels by Frank Beddor, heavily inspired by Lewis Carroll's 1865 novel ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' and its 1871 sequel '' Through the Looking-Glass''. The premise is that the two books ...
. A human version of the
White Rabbit The White Rabbit is a fictional and anthropomorphic character in Lewis Carroll's 1865 book ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland''. He appears at the very beginning of the book, in chapter one, wearing a waistcoat, and muttering "Oh dear! Oh dea ...
''(see above)'' from
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (also known as ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English Children's literature, children's novel by Lewis Carroll, a mathematics university don, don at the University of Oxford. It details the story of a ...
, he has large, unusually sensitive ears, and his name is an
anagram An anagram is a word or phrase formed by rearranging the letters of a different word or phrase, typically using all the original letters exactly once. For example, the word ''anagram'' itself can be rearranged into the phrase "nag a ram"; which ...
of "white rabbit." * Dancy Flammarion, the monster-slaying heroine of Caitlín R. Kiernan's ''Alabaster'' comics, as well as many prose stories by the author, including her novel ''Threshold'' and the short stories collected in ''Alabaster.'' * Beowulf "Bey" Shaeffer, hero of several stories in
Larry Niven Laurence van Cott Niven (; born April 30, 1938) is an American science fiction writer. His 1970 novel ''Ringworld'' won the Hugo Award for Best Novel, Hugo, Locus Award, Locus, Ditmar Award, Ditmar, and Nebula Award for Best Novel, Nebula award ...
's
Known Space Known Space is the fictional setting of about a dozen science fiction novels and several collections of short stories by American writer Larry Niven. It has also become a shared universe in the spin-off ''Man-Kzin Wars'' anthologies. The Inter ...
series, from the planet We Made It, which is populated primarily by albinistic people due to a
founder effect In population genetics, the founder effect is the loss of genetic variation that occurs when a new population is established by a very small number of individuals from a larger population. It was first fully outlined by Ernst Mayr in 1942, us ...
from the original colonists. ''(See
main article Main may refer to: Geography *Main River (disambiguation), multiple rivers with the same name *Ma'in, an ancient kingdom in modern-day Yemen * Main, Iran, a village in Fars Province *Spanish Main, the Caribbean coasts of mainland Spanish territ ...
for sources.)''
* Bran Davies, in "
The Dark Is Rising ''The Dark Is Rising'' is a 1973 children's fantasy novel by Susan Cooper. The second in '' The Dark Is Rising Sequence'', the book won a Newbery Honor. It has been described as a "folkloric tale of an English boy caught in a battle between ligh ...
" novel series, is a positive portrayal but somewhat inaccurate because the character lacks any vision problems. *
Bjørn Beltø Bjørn Beltø is a fictional crime novel character created by Tom Egeland, the great-grandson of the writer Jon Flatabø. In an interview with the newspaper ''Aftenposten'', Egeland explained that the protagonist Bjørn Beltø in the novel ''Sirk ...
, an archaeologist in
Tom Egeland Tom Egeland (born 8 July 1959 in Oslo) is a Norwegian author. His great-grandfather was Jon Flatabø from Kvam in Hardanger, one of the pioneer authors of popular literature in Norway. Egeland's novels are published in Norwegian and translated ...
's Norwegian novel ''Sirkelens Ende'' (''Circle's End''), , which pre-dates but is very similar to ''
The Da Vinci Code ''The Da Vinci Code'' is a 2003 mystery thriller novel by Dan Brown. It is “the best-selling American novel of all time.” Brown's second novel to include the character Robert Langdon—the first was his 2000 novel '' Angels & Demons'' ...
'', which incidentally features an albinistic person in a negative role while Egeland's novel does the opposite. * Pete White in ''
The Venture Bros. ''The Venture Bros.'' is an American adult animated action comedy television series created by Jackson Publick and Doc Hammer for Cartoon Network's late night programming block Adult Swim. Following a pilot episode on February 16, 2003, the s ...
'' animated series on "
Adult Swim Adult Swim (stylized as
dult swim Dult is a village in Batala in Gurdaspur district of Punjab State, India. It is located from sub district headquarter, from district headquarter and from Sri Hargobindpur. The village is administrated by Sarpanch an elected representativ ...
and s is an American adult-oriented television programming block that airs on Cartoon Network which broadcasts during the evening, prime time, and Late-night television, late-night Dayparting, dayparts. T ...
". An albinistic computer scientist and friend of Dr. Venture from his college years, he runs "Conjectural Technologies" with Master Billy Quizboy, Boy Genius. The name is stereotypical (as per superhero convention), but his intelligence is accentuated, and the character is not otherwise mocked, although Dr. Venture makes a reference in the pilot to an experiment gone awry with a device called an "albino bomb." This line does not seem to be canon though. In an earlier career as a TV quiz host, he wore a black wig and used makeup in an attempt to appear "normal", although this fear came less from discrimination than from his own desire to be popular. * Misaki Saiki, an albinistic dominatrix, is the principle heroine in the ''
Vulgar Ghost Daydream ''Ghost Talker's Daydream'', known in Japan as , is a shōnen manga written by Saki Okuse and illustrated by Sankichi Meguro, set in modern Japan. There are 10 volumes in total, and the series was also adapted as a four episode OVA. The Engl ...
'' manga. She speaks to ghosts for a special government agency, but such fantasy is common in the genre. ''(See
main article Main may refer to: Geography *Main River (disambiguation), multiple rivers with the same name *Ma'in, an ancient kingdom in modern-day Yemen * Main, Iran, a village in Fars Province *Spanish Main, the Caribbean coasts of mainland Spanish territ ...
for sources.)''
* Billy Raven of the "
Children of the Red King ''Children of the Red King'' is a series of ten children's fantasy, school and adventure novels written by British author Jenny Nimmo, first published by Egmont 2002 to 2010. It is sometimes called "the ''Charlie Bone'' series" after its mai ...
" novel series, an albinistic orphan initially manipulated into helping a villain, is overall a sympathetic character. Realistically, he needs eyeglasses; unrealistically, he has the magic ability to talk to animals, although his supernatural abilities are said to not be related to his albinism (cf. "Snow" and "Powder", etc., above). *
Geralt of Rivia Geralt of Rivia () is a fictional character and the protagonist of '' The Witcher'' series of short stories and novels by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. He is a magically enhanced monster-hunter known as a "witcher", who possesses supernatural ...
from Andrzej Sapowski's 'The Witcher' series. * Setsuna Sakurazaki of the manga ''
Negima! ''Negima! Magister Negi Magi'', known in Japan as , is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Ken Akamatsu. It was serialized in Kodansha's ''shōnen'' manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' from February 2003 to M ...
'' is stated to be an albino who regularly dyes her hair and wears contact lenses to hide her albinism. ''(See
main article Main may refer to: Geography *Main River (disambiguation), multiple rivers with the same name *Ma'in, an ancient kingdom in modern-day Yemen * Main, Iran, a village in Fars Province *Spanish Main, the Caribbean coasts of mainland Spanish territ ...
for sources.)''
* Peter Smart in Adam Salter's 2007 novel ''The Platinum Prison'' () is an albinistic man, tortured by the label "albino", who "tries...to find his place in life and search sfor acceptance and love" in the late 1960s and early 1970s. * Persephone "Percy" Parker, "an albino orphan with a talent for languages", in Leanna Renee Hieber's Gothic occult novels set in Victorian London, is a sympathetic character described as a beautiful and intelligent young woman, with a normal love life and the respect of colleagues. * The Albino Pirate from
Gideon Defoe Gideon Defoe (born 26 December 1975) is an English novelist of ''The Pirates!'', a historical fiction fantasy comedy book series about a group of pirates on their adventures. He also wrote the screenplay for '' The Pirates! Band of Misfits'' whic ...
's ''
The Pirates! ''The Pirates!'' is a series of five comedy books following a group of pirates on their adventures. It is written by British author Gideon Defoe and was published starting in 2004 by Weidenfeld & Nicolson. The fifth book, ''The Pirates! in an ...
'' series is a fan favorite character, noted for his kindness, youthful inexperience, and naivete. While his condition is occasionally exploited or misunderstood, he is always portrayed fairly, and his albinism is not the central focus of his character. (While his name, or lack thereof, seems to indicate otherwise, all the pirates are named for one noticeable feature, e.g. The Pirate With Gout or The Pirate with a Scarf.) * Strangelove, an albino bisexual artificial intelligence developer from the ''
Metal Gear is a Media franchise, franchise of stealth games created by Hideo Kojima. Developed and published by Konami, the first game, ''Metal Gear (video game), Metal Gear'', was released in 1987 for MSX, MSX home computers. The player often takes con ...
'' series. * The playable avatar from ''
Fire Emblem Fates ''Fire Emblem Fates'' is a tactical role-playing video game for the Nintendo 3DS handheld video game console, developed by Intelligent Systems and Nintendo SPD and published by Nintendo. It was released in June 2015 in Japan, then released int ...
'' (named Corrin by default) has traits of
albinism Albinism is the congenital absence of melanin in an animal or plant resulting in white hair, feathers, scales and skin and reddish pink or blue eyes. Individuals with the condition are referred to as albinos. Varied use and interpretation of ...
, though this is only by default since this character can be customized. * Sunny, the heroine of fantasy novel
Akata Witch ''Akata Witch'' (retitled ''What Sunny Saw in the Flames'' in Nigeria and the UK) is a 2011 young adult fantasy novel written by Nigerian American author Nnedi Okorafor. It was nominated for the Andre Norton Award and it is the first novel in he ...
by
Nnedi Okorafor Nnedimma Nkemdili "Nnedi" Okorafor (formerly Okorafor-Mbachu; born April 8, 1974) is a Nigerian American writer of science fiction and fantasy for both children and adults. She is best known for her ''Binti Series'' and her novels '' Who Fears ...
, is an American-born Nigerian girl with albinism who discovers her magical abilities and enters the world of the Leopard People. *In the 2012 Canadian movie
war witch ''War Witch'' () is a 2012 Canadian war drama written and directed by Kim Nguyen and starring Rachel Mwanza, Alain Lino Mic Eli Bastien and Serge Kanyinda. It is about a child soldier forced into a civil war in Africa, and who is believed to b ...
(rebelle) by Kim Nguyen, telling the story of a runaway child soldier in West Africa and an albino boy played by Serge Kanyinda, albinos play an important role. The movie portrays an albino community. ;Animals and other non-humanoid characters * Dangerous Beans, an
anthropomorphic Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics to ...
albino rat in
Terry Pratchett Sir Terence David John Pratchett (28 April 1948 – 12 March 2015) was an English author, humorist, and Satire, satirist, best known for the ''Discworld'' series of 41 comic fantasy novels published between 1983 and 2015, and for the Apocalyp ...
's children's novel, '' The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents'', is the most intelligent and peaceful of the group, and a kind of spiritual leader. He is almost totally blind. *Urthwyte the Mighty, an
anthropomorphic Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics to ...
albino badger in the "
Redwall ''Redwall'' is a series of children's fantasy novels by British writer Brian Jacques, published from 1986 to 2011. It is also the title of the first book of the series, published in 1986, as well as the name of the abbey featured in the book, ...
"-series fantasy novel ''
Salamandastron ''Salamandastron'' is a fantasy novel by Brian Jacques, published in 1992. It is the fifth book published and eighth chronologically in the '' Redwall'' series. Plot introduction Ferahgo the Assassin, a terrible weasel warlord, and his son Kl ...
'' by
Brian Jacques James Brian Jacques (, as in "Jakes"; 15 June 1939 – 5 February 2011), known professionally as Brian Jacques, was an English author known for his ''Redwall'' series of children's fantasy novels and ''Castaways of the Flying Dutchman'' series. ...
. He is portrayed as a kind, gentle and talented leader. * Chobbal, an albino
camel A camel (from and () from Ancient Semitic: ''gāmāl'') is an even-toed ungulate in the genus ''Camelus'' that bears distinctive fatty deposits known as "humps" on its back. Camels have long been domesticated and, as livestock, they provid ...
, is the hero of ''Sophie and the Albino Camel'' and other books by British children's author Stephen Davies. He experiences rejection by his own mother, and is fed and nurtured by a young African boy. He has a cheerful and generous disposition."Times Educational Supplement: An Awkward Age"
.
*Ghost, in
George R. R. Martin George Raymond Richard Martin (born George Raymond Martin; September 20, 1948) also known by the initials G.R.R.M. is an American author, television writer, and television producer. He is best known as the author of the unfinished series of Hi ...
's ''
A Song of Ice and Fire ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' is a series of high fantasy novels by the American author George R. R. Martin. Martin began writing the first volume, ''A Game of Thrones'', in 1991, and published it in 1996. Martin, who originally envisioned the ser ...
'', is an albino
dire wolf The dire wolf (''Aenocyon dirus'' ) is an Extinction, extinct species of Caninae, canine which was native to the Americas during the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene epochs (125,000–10,000 years ago). The species was named in 1858, four y ...
trained to aid his companion Jon Snow. He is the second most frequently referred-to companion animal in the story. * The '' Magic: The Gathering'' character Ajani Goldmane is an albino leonid (a race of fictional
anthropomorphic Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics to ...
lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'', native to Sub-Saharan Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body (biology), body; a short, rounded head; round ears; and a dark, hairy tuft at the ...
s). Once saw as a bad omen from his own tribe for his condition, after the brother's death he became a "Planeswalker", a powerful being capable to travel to the other planes of the game's multiverse (a trait secluded to most of the other living beings).


Other references to albinism


Comics

*
Albino Albinism is the congenital absence of melanin in an animal or plant resulting in white hair, feathers, scales and skin and reddish pink or blue eyes. Individuals with the condition are referred to as albinos. Varied use and interpretation of ...
is the alias of two Marvel Comics supervillains, Augusta Seger and Ulysses Counts. In Augusta Seger's backstory, he acquired the nickname "Albino" in school because of his pale skin, he grew up to become a criminal, and was recruited into the Power Men supervillain team and given a serum which allowed him to mimic others' superpowers. After Augusta was arrested, he accidentally transferred his powers to Ulysses Counts, his friend and old partner in crime, who gained the ability to phase through solid objects, used that power to escape from jail, and assumed the alias of Albino. *Allison Double, a telepathic woman with albinism is an ally of
Captain Britain Captain Britain is a title used by various superheroes in comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with Excalibur. The moniker was first used in publication by Brian Braddock in ''Captain Britain'' #1 by writer Chris Cl ...
. She helps
Betsy Braddock Elizabeth "Betsy" Braddock is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Herb Trimpe, she first appeared in ''Captain Britain (comic), Captain Britain'' (vol. 1) #8 in ...
adjust to life without her sight after she's brutally beaten and blinded by
Slaymaster Slaymaster is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character has appeared in the ''Captain Britain'' series. Publication history The Slaymaster's first appearance was in '' Super Spider-Man and C ...
. *Deluge (Mzungu) is an African mutant with albinism. He fought (and was killed) by the
X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 (September 1963). Although initial ...
. *in the IDW version of
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' (''TMNT'') is an American media franchise created by comic book artists Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. It follows Leonardo (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Leonardo, Donatello (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), D ...
, the character Lita is a human-born mutant turtle with albinoism. Having it both as a human and a mutant. *Other albino characters have appeared in the Marvel main continuity universe: the Hellfire Club member Scribe (Jane Hampshire), the mobsters Fade (DiLorenzo) and Lord Drain, the villainous businesswoman Headhunter ...


Film

* James, a character in ''
Shortbus ''Shortbus'' is a 2006 American erotic comedy-drama film written and directed by John Cameron Mitchell. The plot revolves around a sexually diverse ensemble of colorful characters trying desperately to connect in an early 2000s New York City. ...
'', had a catchphrase, "I'm an albino!" that he used as a child star in a fictitious sitcom about a
white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
child growing up in a
black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...
family. In the film, he has grown up, and people use "I'm an albino!" as a greeting to him at parties. He and his partner also gleefully shout the phrase while having sex. At one party, a man with albinism comes up to James and talks to him, saying "I really am an albino" (although played by Reg Vermue, who has normal pigment in real life).


Music

* "An albino" (along with "a
mulatto ( , ) is a Race (human categorization), racial classification that refers to people of mixed Sub-Saharan African, African and Ethnic groups in Europe, European ancestry only. When speaking or writing about a singular woman in English, the ...
") is mentioned in the
chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song), the part of a song that is repeated several times, usually after each verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in whic ...
of Nirvana's hit song about teenage angst and high school factionalism, "
Smells Like Teen Spirit "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is a song by the American rock band Nirvana. It is the opening track and lead single from the band's second album, '' Nevermind'' (1991), released on DGC Records. Having sold over 13 million units worldwide, it i ...
".


Television

*''
Sons of Anarchy ''Sons of Anarchy'' is an American Action film, action crime drama television series created by Kurt Sutter for FX (TV channel), FX. Originally aired from September 3, 2008, to December 9, 2014, ''Sons of Anarchy'' follows the lives of a close-k ...
'' season 2, episode 1, titled " Albification", concerns "whitewashing" various unpleasant truths, and introduces L.O.A.N., a new (fictional)
white supremacist White supremacy is the belief that white people are superior to those of other races. The belief favors the maintenance and defense of any power and privilege held by white people. White supremacy has roots in the now-discredited doctrine ...
organization, which strives to prevent the titular motorcycle club of the show from doing business with
people of color The term "person of color" (: people of color or persons of color; abbreviated POC) is used to describe any person who is not considered "white". In its current meaning, the term originated in, and is associated with, the United States. From th ...
.


Myths, folklore, and urban legends


Africa

In
Zimbabwe file:Zimbabwe, relief map.jpg, upright=1.22, Zimbabwe, relief map Zimbabwe, officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Bots ...
, modern
folklore Folklore is the body of expressive culture shared by a particular group of people, culture or subculture. This includes oral traditions such as Narrative, tales, myths, legends, proverbs, Poetry, poems, jokes, and other oral traditions. This also ...
posits that sexual intercourse with an albinistic person will cure one of
HIV The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of '' Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the im ...
, leading to the
rape Rape is a type of sexual assault involving sexual intercourse, or other forms of sexual penetration, carried out against a person without consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or against a person ...
and subsequent HIV infection of women with albinism in that region. In
Tanzania Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...
in 2008, President
Kikwete Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete (born 7 October 1950) is a Tanzanian politician who was the fourth president of Tanzania, in office from 2005 to 2015. Prior to his election as president, he was the Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1995 to 2005 under h ...
publicly condemned
witch doctor A witch doctor (also spelled witch-doctor), or witchcraft doctor, is a kind of magical healer who treats ailments believed to be caused by witchcraft. The term is often misunderstood, and they could more accurately be called "anti-witch doctors ...
s for opportunistic persecution of albinism, including a spate of murders of albinistic people. Over 50 albinos were murdered between March 2007 and October 2008. They were motivated to kill albinos for their body parts which are thought to bring good luck – hair, arms, legs and blood are used to make potions which the witch doctors claim will bring prosperity. Consequently, graves of the albinistic have to be sealed with cement to discourage grave robbers. By June 2008, killings had been reported in neighboring
Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...
and possibly also the
Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as the DR Congo, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Republic of the Congo), is a country in Central Africa. By land area, it is t ...
, spreading to
Burundi Burundi, officially the Republic of Burundi, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is located in the Great Rift Valley at the junction between the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa, with a population of over 14 million peop ...
by October 2008.


Caribbean

In
Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...
, people with albinism were historically degraded, and regarded as "
curse A curse (also called an imprecation, malediction, execration, malison, anathema, or commination) is any expressed wish that some form of adversity or misfortune will befall or attach to one or more persons, a place, or an object. In particular, ...
d". In recent times, the albinistic musicians King
Yellowman Winston Foster , (1956 or 15 January 1959) better known by the stage name Yellowman and also known as King Yellowman, is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall deejay. He first became popular in Jamaica in the 1980s, rising to prominence with a serie ...
and Al Beeno have helped to curb this stereotype.


North America

The 2004 book ''Weird N.J.'' (a tie-in to the
History Channel History (formerly and commonly known as the History Channel) is an American pay television television broadcaster, network and the flagship channel of A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the Disney General Entertainme ...
TV series '' Weird U.S.'') chronicled and further popularized one of the lesser-known local
urban legend Urban legend (sometimes modern legend, urban myth, or simply legend) is a genre of folklore concerning stories about an unusual (usually scary) or humorous event that many people believe to be true but largely are not. These legends can be e ...
s of the US, "albino colonies". The book uses alleged first-hand accounts mailed to the authors to paint a picture of various locations in the U.S. (most notably
Clifton, New Jersey Clifton is a city in Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Criss-crossed by several major highways, the city is a regional commercial hub for North Jersey and is a bedroom suburb of New York City in the New York Metropolitan Area.L ...
) where aggregations of albinistic families were said to live in seclusion. The accounts tell tales of honking horns to try to bring the residents out of their houses, of gawkers being shot at by residents, and even of gangs of local albinistic
vigilante Vigilantism () is the act of preventing, investigating, and punishing perceived offenses and crimes without legal authority. A vigilante is a person who practices or partakes in vigilantism, or undertakes public safety and retributive justice ...
s. In some versions of the
sewer alligator The sewer alligator is a colloquial term for alligators that live in sewers outside alligators' native range. Some cities in which sewer alligators have supposedly been found are New York City and Paris. Accounts of fully grown sewer alligators a ...
urban legends, the alligators supposedly became albinistic due to mutation and/or lack of exposure to sunlight which erroneously conflates pallor due to lack of exposure to sunlight with albinism.


Central America

Among the
Guna Guna may refer to: People * Guna people, Indigenous peoples of Panama and Colombia Philosophy * Guṇa, a Hindu philosophical concept * Guṇa (Jainism), a philosophical concept Places * Guna district, in Madhya Pradesh, India ** Guna, Indi ...
of
Panama Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin America at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and ...
and
Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...
, members with albinism have a special place in their indigenous mythology. While they are regarded as physically inferior, at the same time they are regarded as 'closer to God' and in possession of special powers. At times of eclipses, the Guna believe their members with albinism are able to scare away with bow and arrow the demon who devours the sun or moon.


Film and television coverage of discrimination against albinism

Due to a wave of
persecution of people with albinism Persecution of people with albinism (sometimes abbreviated PWA) is based on the belief that certain body parts of albinistic people hold supernatural powers. Such beliefs are present in some parts of the African Great Lakes region, and have be ...
in some parts of
Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...
(especially
Tanzania Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...
and neighboring countries) a number of
documentary film A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...
s have been made about the problem. They have depicted persecution including ritual murder and dismemberment for potions and good-luck charms. These include: * '' In My Genes'' (
Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...
, 2009) * '' White and Black: Crimes of Color'' (
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
/Tanzania, 2010) * '' In the Shadow of the Sun'' (Tanzania, 2013) * ''Black Man White Skin'' (2015) Also released in 2013, ''White Shadow'', an award-winning
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
–Tanzanian
drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...
, portrays the plight of albinistic Tanzanians and their efforts to avoid falling victim to witchdoctors' bounty hunters. Outside the African context, the 2007 short film "Perception Is Not Reality: Portraying the REAL Truths About Albinism", was produced by Mashawna Thompson, editor of the ''Parent of a Child with Albinism'' blog. Originally released on the now-defunct OneTrueMedia.com platform. It attempted to dispel Hollywood and urban-legend misconceptions about the condition. A new version, featuring over 40 different children with albinism, was released in 2014. The theme of ''The Albino Code'' (2007) is to point out the absurdity of typical depictions of albinistic people in Western media. In 2009, two
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
albinistic
fashion model A model is a person with a role either to display commercial products (notably fashion clothing in fashion shows) or to serve as an artist's model. Modelling ("modeling" in American English) entails using one's body to represent someone ...
s, Shaun Ross and Diandra Forrest, were the focus of an episode of the '' Tyra Banks Show'', and revealed the traumas they experienced growing up albinistic, before finding unexpected success in front of the camera. This short piece covers Banks's meeting Ross which led up to the episode. The site is now defunct, and no video is available from it (or even images), though the episode can be found on YouTube and similar sites. Exact airdate uncertain. ''My Colour, Your Kind'', a 1998 Australian film, gives a powerful, impressionistic insight into the feelings of alienation experienced by a teenage albino Aboriginal girl. In a convent boarding school in
Alice Springs Alice Springs () is a town in the Northern Territory, Australia; it is the third-largest settlement after Darwin, Northern Territory, Darwin and Palmerston, Northern Territory, Palmerston. The name Alice Springs was given by surveyor William ...
, she is misunderstood and bullied by a severe, unloving nun. She escapes in dreams and eventually in reality to her mother where she feels at peace.


Notable people with albinism

* Salum Khalfani Bar'wani, a politician in
Tanzania Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...
(a country marked by
persecution of people with albinism Persecution of people with albinism (sometimes abbreviated PWA) is based on the belief that certain body parts of albinistic people hold supernatural powers. Such beliefs are present in some parts of the African Great Lakes region, and have be ...
) elected to the
National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...
in October 2010. *
Connie Chiu Connie Chiu (born 1969) is a fashion model and jazz musician known for being the world's first fashion model with albinism. Chiu was born in British Hong Kong and grew up in Kowloon. The congenital absence of pigmentation in her skin and hair, ...
, a Hong Kong female fashion model with
Jean-Paul Gaultier Jean Paul Gaultier (; born 24 June 1952) is a French haute couture and prêt-à-porter fashion designer. He is described as an "enfant terrible" of the fashion industry and is known for his unconventional designs with motifs including corset ...
''See main article(s) on topic mentioned for sources.'' *
Cano Estremera Carlos Enrique Estremera Colón (2 September 1958 – 28 October 2020) was a Puerto Rican Salsa singer, a native of Santurce, Puerto Rico. Estremera was nicknamed "" () and later "" (), for his uncanny ability to improvise lyrics to Salsa music ...
, a Puerto Rican
salsa music Salsa music is a style of Latin American music, combining elements of Cuban and Puerto Rican influences. Because most of the basic musical components predate the labeling of salsa, there have been many controversies regarding its origin. Most ...
ian * Winston "Yellowman" Foster (also known as "King Yellowman"), a Jamaican
dancehall Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots reggae, roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2 ...
musician * G. Harishankar, a Carnatic ''khanjira'' drummer * Thando Hopa, South African model, activist, and lawyer. * Marvin "Krondon" Jones III, an American
rapper Rapping (also rhyming, flowing, spitting, emceeing, or MCing) is an artistic form of vocal delivery and emotive expression that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and ommonlystreet vernacular". It is usually performed over a backing ...
and actor *
Zephania Kameeta Zephania Kameeta (born 7 August 1945 in Otjimbingwe, Erongo Region) is a Namibian religious and political leader. Since March 2015, he has been the Namibian Minister of Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare. Religious work Kameeta studied at th ...
, a Namibian religious and political leader * Stanley Kaoni (also known as "Sataan"), a former
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands, also known simply as the Solomons,John Prados, ''Islands of Destiny'', Dutton Caliber, 2012, p,20 and passim is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 1000 smaller islands in Melanesia, part of Oceania, t ...
militant leader. Kaoni has light blonde hair and pale facial skin with some evidence of
vitiligo Vitiligo (, ) is a chronic autoimmune disorder that causes patches of skin to lose pigment or color. The cause of vitiligo is unknown, but it may be related to immune system changes, genetic factors, stress, or sun exposure, and susceptibili ...
, and appears to have developed some pigmentation especially on the arms; his particular type of albinism is likely to be OCA1b. *
Salif Keita Salif Keïta () (born 25 August 1949) is a Malian singer-songwriter, referred to as the "Golden Voice of Africa". He is a member of the Keita royal family of Mali. Early life Salif Keita was born a traditional prince in the village of Djolib ...
, a
Mali Mali, officially the Republic of Mali, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is the List of African countries by area, eighth-largest country in Africa, with an area of over . The country is bordered to the north by Algeria, to the east b ...
an popular musician *
Malford Milligan Malford Milligan (born March 29, 1959) is an American singer. He sings soul, blues and gospel songs and also writes music. He has won eight Austin Music Awards for Best Vocalist. Career Storyville In 1994 Milligan became the singer for Storyv ...
, an American blues and
soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...
singer''Albinism Through the Eyes of Bianca''
, by Bianca Knowlton,
Bournemouth Bournemouth ( ) is a coastal resort town in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole unitary authority area, in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. At the 2021 census, the built-up area had a population of 196,455, making it the largest ...
, England, 12 February 2007
specific page here
* Refilwe "Vanillablaq" Modiselle, South African female fashion model, singer, and actress, nominated to the ''
Oprah Magazine ''O, The Oprah Magazine'', also known simply as ''O'', is an American monthly magazine founded by talk show host Oprah Winfrey and Hearst Communications. In 2021, Winfrey and Hearst rebranded it as ''Oprah Daily''. Overview It was first pub ...
'' 2013 "Power List" * Corrie "Al Beeno" Moodie (also known as "Prince Yellowman"), a Jamaican dancehall musician now living in Canada * Mem "M" Nahadr, an African-American performance artist, author, composer,
off-broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...
producer, and multi-octave, multi-genred
vocalist Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define singi ...
. * Ali "Brother Ali" Newman, an American
hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...
artist *
Hermeto Pascoal Hermeto Pascoal (born June 22, 1936) is a Brazilian composer and multi-instrumentalist. He was born in Lagoa da Canoa, Alagoas, Brazil. Pascoal is best known in music of Brazil, Brazilian music for his orchestration and improvisation, as well as ...
, a Brazilian
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
musician * Willie "Piano Red" Perryman, an American
blues music Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...
ian * Abdallah Possi, a deputy government minister in Tanzania. * Shaun Ross, an African-American male fashion model with Djamee Models *
Sivuca Severino Dias de Oliveira (May 26, 1930 – December 14, 2006), known professionally as Sivuca, was a Brazilian accordionist, guitarist and singer. In addition to his home state of Paraíba, Brazil, and cities Recife and Rio de Janeiro, he worked ...
, another Brazilian
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
musician * Seinei, 22nd
Emperor of Japan The emperor of Japan is the hereditary monarch and head of state of Japan. The emperor is defined by the Constitution of Japan as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, his position deriving from "the will of ...
(5th century) * Ayanda Candice Sibanda, Zimbabwean model and activist *
William Archibald Spooner William Archibald Spooner (22 July 1844 – 29 August 1930) was a British clergyman and long-serving Oxford don. He was most notable for his absent-mindedness, and for supposedly mixing up the syllables in a spoken phrase, with unintentional ...
, an
Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...
priest and Oxford
don Don, don or DON and variants may refer to: Places *Don (river), a river in European Russia *Don River (disambiguation), several other rivers with the name * Don, Benin, a town in Benin * Don, Dang, a village and hill station in Dang district, Gu ...
* Darnell Swallow, a contestant on ''Big Brother 9'' UK (2008); noted for discussing albinism and his desire for acceptance with his on-show housemates, e.g. wearing a top with the words "Don't Label Me. Respect Me" *
Victor Varnado Victor Varnado (born May 15, 1969) is an American stand-up comedy, stand-up comedian and actor. He is an African Americans, African American man with Albinism in humans, albinism. He was born legally blind due to his albinism. He grew up in Huntsv ...
,
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
stand-up comedian Stand-up comedy is a performance directed to a live audience, where the performer stands on a stage and delivers humorous and satirical monologues sometimes incorporating physical acts. These performances are typically composed of rehear ...
and actor. *
Redford White Cipriano "Dodoy" Cermeño II (December 5, 1955 – July 25, 2010), better known by his screen name Redford White, was a Filipino actor and comedian. He was best known for his role as Sol in the television sitcom ''Buddy and Sol'' opposite Eric Q ...
(Cipriano Cermeño II), a Filipino actor and comedian *
Edgar Winter Edgar Holland Winter (born December 28, 1946) is an American multi-instrumentalist, working as a vocalist along with playing keyboards, saxophone, and percussion. His success peaked in the 1970s with his band the Edgar Winter Group and their pop ...
and
Johnny Winter John Dawson Winter III (February 23, 1944 – July 16, 2014) was an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, and record producer. Winter was known for his high-energy blues rock albums, live performances, and slide guitar playing from the late 1 ...
, American blues-rock musician brothers * David Wrench, a
Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, of or about Wales * Welsh language, spoken in Wales * Welsh people, an ethnic group native to Wales Places * Welsh, Arkansas, U.S. * Welsh, Louisiana, U.S. * Welsh, Ohio, U.S. * Welsh Basin, during t ...
-born
electronic music Electronic music broadly is a group of music genres that employ electronic musical instruments, circuitry-based music technology and software, or general-purpose electronics (such as personal computers) in its creation. It includes both music ...
ian"David Wrench"
BBC Wales – Music, ''bbc.co.uk''; accessed 11 March 2007
"David Wrench Biography"
BBC Wales – Music, ''bbc.co.uk''. Retrieved 11 March 2007
*
Zāl use both this parameter and , birth_date to display the person's date of birth, date of death, and age at death) --> , death_place = , death_cause = , body_discovered = , resting_place = , resting_place_coordinates ...
(), a warrior of ancient
Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
(present-day
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
), mentioned in the ''
Shahnameh The ''Shahnameh'' (, ), also transliterated ''Shahnama'', is a long epic poem written by the Persian literature, Persian poet Ferdowsi between and 1010 CE and is the national epic of Greater Iran. Consisting of some 50,000 distichs or couple ...
''. Today, in
Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
''zaal'' is a term for albinistic people.


People commonly mistaken to have albinism

Roy Orbison Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988) was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist known for his distinctive and powerful voice, complex song structures, and dark, emotional ballads. Orbison's most successful periods were ...
was falsely said to be albino, by his widow, for unknown reasons.Oldies Music Guide Profile: Roy Orbison
, by Robert Fontenot,
About.com Dotdash Meredith (formerly The Mining Company, About.com and Dotdash) is an American digital media company based in New York City. The company publishes online articles and videos about various subjects across categories including health, hom ...
; accessed 27 January 2007.
German singer
Heino Heinz Georg Kramm (born 13 December 1938), known professionally as Heino, is a German singer of Schlager and traditional Volksmusik. Having sold a total of over 50 million records, he is one of the most successful German musicians of all time ...
has
Graves' disease Graves' disease, also known as toxic diffuse goiter or Basedow's disease, is an autoimmune disease that affects the thyroid. It frequently results in and is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism. It also often results in an enlarged thyro ...
, which can be mistaken for albinism. Actor
Anthony Rapp Anthony Deane Rapp (born October 26, 1971) is an American actor and singer who originated the role of Mark Cohen in the Broadway theatre, Broadway production of ''Rent (musical), Rent''. Following his original performance of the role in 1996, he ...
fronts a rock band called Albinokid, but is not albinistic, being a normally pigmented, blonde
Caucasian Caucasian may refer to: Common meanings *Anything from the Caucasus region or related to it ** Ethnic groups in the Caucasus ** ''Caucasian Exarchate'' (1917–1920), an ecclesiastical exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Caucasus re ...
. Prime Minister of the UK,
Boris Johnson Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (born 19 June 1964) is a British politician and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 2019 to 2022. He wa ...
, known for his pale hair, has also been mistakenly called albino. In general, platinum blonde ("towheaded") people with very pale skin can be mistaken for albinistic (and conversely, some forms of albinism can result in
phenotypes In genetics, the phenotype () is the set of observable characteristics or traits of an organism. The term covers the organism's morphology (physical form and structure), its developmental processes, its biochemical and physiological properti ...
so normal-looking that only genetic testing can reveal the albinistic genes).


Notable albino animals

Many notable albino animals have become special attractions at zoos or theme parks.
Bristol Zoo Bristol Zoo was a zoo in the city of Bristol in South West England. The zoo's stated mission was to "maintain and defend" biodiversity through breeding endangered species, conserving threatened species and habitats and promoting a wider underst ...
was the home to a very rare albino
African penguin The African penguin (''Spheniscus demersus''), also known as Cape penguin or South African penguin, is a species of penguin confined to southern African waters. It is the only penguin found in the Old World. Like all penguins, it is flightless, ...
named Snowdrop, who was hatched at the zoo in October 2002 and died in August 2004."Albino Penguin 'One-in-a-million'"
no by-line, ''BBC News'' (online edition), 13 December 2002. Retrieved 11 April 2007.
"Zoo's Rare Albino Penguin Is Dead"
no by-line, ''BBC News'' (online edition), 19 August 2004. Retrieved 11 April 2007.
For many years, a unique albino
gorilla Gorillas are primarily herbivorous, terrestrial great apes that inhabit the tropical forests of equatorial Africa. The genus ''Gorilla'' is divided into two species: the eastern gorilla and the western gorilla, and either four or five su ...
named Floquet de Neu in Catalan and Copito de Nieve in Spanish (both meaning "Snowflake"), was the most famous resident of the Parc Zoològic de
Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
.''FloquetDeNeu.es''
, Parc Zoològic de
Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
, date of publication unknown (no earlier than 24 November 2003); accessed 11 April 2007.
There is also an albino crocodile in Jungle Island theme park in Miami, Fl. Other notable albino animals have been found in the wild. An albino
humpback whale The humpback whale (''Megaptera novaeangliae'') is a species of baleen whale. It is a rorqual (a member of the family Balaenopteridae) and is the monotypic taxon, only species in the genus ''Megaptera''. Adults range in length from and weigh u ...
called Migaloo (
Australian Aboriginal Aboriginal Australians are the various indigenous peoples of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland and many of its islands, excluding the ethnically distinct people of the Torres Strait Islands. Humans first migrated to Australia (co ...
for "White Lad") travels the east coast of Australia, and has become famous in the local media.''MigalooWhale.org''
Pacific Whale Foundation The Pacific Whale Foundation (PWF) is a non-governmental organization founded in 1980 and based in Maui, Hawaii, that conducts whale research and educates the public in an effort to save vulnerable species of whales from extinction. As of 2012 th ...
;
Maui, Hawaii Maui (; Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ) is the second largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago, at 727.2 square miles (1,883 km2). It is the List of islands of the United States by area, 17th-largest in the United States. Maui is one of ...
, USA, 2007; accessed 11 April 2007.
"Stormy seas for Migaloo and friends"
Darby, Andrew; ''Sydney Morning Herald'',
Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
, Australia, 20 April 2005; accessed 11 April 2007
In 2009, a pink albino
bottlenose dolphin The bottlenose dolphin is a toothed whale in the genus ''Tursiops''. They are common, cosmopolitan members of the family Delphinidae, the family of oceanic dolphins. Molecular studies show the genus contains three species: the common bot ...
, nicknamed Pinky, was sighted several times in an inland lake in the United States,"Pink dolphin appears in US lake"
''Telegraph'', United Kingdom, 5 March 2009; accessed 7 March 2009
and footage of it has become popular on Internet video sites. Perhaps the most significant albino animal in history was
Mocha Dick Mocha Dick (; died 1838) was a rogue albino (or possibly leucistic) male sperm whale ('' Physeter macrocephalus'') that lived in the southeastern Pacific Ocean in the early 19th century, usually encountered in the waters near Mocha Island, off ...
, a
sperm whale The sperm whale or cachalot (''Physeter macrocephalus'') is the largest of the toothed whales and the largest toothed predator. It is the only living member of the Genus (biology), genus ''Physeter'' and one of three extant species in the s ...
of the early 19th century that lived mostly near the island of
Mocha Mocha may refer to: Places * Mokha, a city in Yemen * Mocha Island, an island in Biobío Region, Chile * Mocha, Chile, a town in Chile * Mocha, Ecuador, a city in Ecuador * Mocha Canton, a government subdivision in Ecuador * Mocha, a segmen ...
, off
Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...
's southern Pacific coast, several decades before
Herman Melville Herman Melville (Name change, born Melvill; August 1, 1819 – September 28, 1891) was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet of the American Renaissance (literature), American Renaissance period. Among his best-known works ar ...
fictionalized him in the 1851 novel ''
Moby-Dick ''Moby-Dick; or, The Whale'' is an 1851 Epic (genre), epic novel by American writer Herman Melville. The book is centered on the sailor Ishmael (Moby-Dick), Ishmael's narrative of the maniacal quest of Captain Ahab, Ahab, captain of the whaler ...
''. The real whale was renowned for being docile until attacked whereupon he became ferocious and capable of disabling smaller vessels. This made him widely feared among
whaler A whaler or whaling ship is a specialized vessel, designed or adapted for whaling: the catching or processing of whales. Terminology The term ''whaler'' is mostly historic. A handful of nations continue with industrial whaling, and one, Jap ...
crews, though also a target for adventurous captains, who engaged him in possibly as many as hundred or more sea battles before he was eventually killed.


References


External links


''Albinism in Popular Culture''
website

(as of 2005) * ttps://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,58599,00.html "Pale Riders Who Wear Black Hats"– ''Wired News'' article on albinism in cinema
NOAH, National Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentation
{{DEFAULTSORT:Albinism in Popular Culture Animals in popular culture Prejudice and discrimination