An Inquiry Into The Plight Of The Black Actor... Insight Potentially Ahead

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• Max Myers | October 29, 2012 11:18 AMReply

  If actors, of any race, are waiting for Hollywood to deem them worthy in terms of a gig, then they're completely behind the 8 ball of delusion. In the last 5 years, due to the Great Recession and the advent of HD technology, the entire paradigm of Indie filmmaking has changed 180 degrees. Actors need to understand that one of the most significant steps they can take in moving their careers forward, is to create their own content, contrary to that which some on this thread believe.
  
  Yes, actors act but if you are still lost in that out dated definition, then you’ve just cast your career path to the graveyard of self-delusion. I know this because I volunteer at the SAG-AFTRA Conservatory located at AFI, teaching acting. During the summer program, I have also given seminars on short filmmaking, to actors, invited by the Conservatory, to try and get them to understand that everything has changed. I also teach my own filmmaking class to actors, located at AFI, every Tuesday evening. I guest teach acting at the Will Wallace Acting Company, have taught at Columbia College, Hollywood and have lectured at the Actors Network. I’m also very fortunate to be able to make my living as a writer/director and started out as an actor, so I completely understand the artist’s journey.
  
  Creating a short film or a web series is not as difficult as some might believe. I don’t care if you study with me, or form your own peer group. Someone wants to write, someone wants to direct and if you can’t find that person, then put a free add on Craigslist; you’d be amazed at how many industry peers are very willing to help out. Most computers come with a free editing program. You can buy a small HD camera for $100. Pay someone who knows sound to record the on-set dialogue. Audiences will forgive crappy visuals, but they won’t forgive crappy sound, acting, writing, directing, editing or music.
  
  If your series goes viral, or your short starts winning at film festivals, do you, for one second, believe that ‘Hollywood’ isn’t going to come knocking? Of course it is. Why? Certainly not out some altruistic need to empower Black actors/filmmakers, or those of any race, but because it’s a business. The only real color that matters in our industry is green and if the powers that be believe they can make money from you, they will.
  
  All of this requires that which most of you are not willing to exercise, effort. Yes, you take classes, some do theater and audition, if you’re lucky enough to get one and no, that is absolutely no reflection on your ability, but just part of the journey, yet your won't make your own art. The days of sitting on a stool at a soda fountain and being discovered are gone. You have the tools right in front of you to completely change the course of your career. Never, ever, let anyone tell you that you can’t do it; that’s their own insecurity. If you don’t believe in yourself, if you’re not willing to do everything it takes to move your career forward, why should anyone else?
  
  Yes, being Black comes with it’s own issues, but if you’re going to let that dictate your journey, then you’ve completely negated the hard fought success of Denzel Washington, Sidney Poitier, Halle Berry, Samuel L. Jackson, Morgan Freeman, Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy, Spike Lee, Forest Whitaker, James Earl Jones, Hattie McDaniel, Laurence Fishburne, Dorothy Dandridge, Oprah Winfrey, Don Cheadle, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Bill Cosby, Wesley Snipes, Beyonce, Whoopi Goldberg, Angel Bassett, Jackée, Eve, Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith, Gabrielle Union, Jennifer Hudson, Kerry Washington, Vanessa L. Williams, Regina King, Diahann Carroll and, perhaps most significantly of all, President Obama; I could go on, but don’t want to belabor the point.
  
  You still reading this? Stop and start moving forward on creating your own content.

• Mickael | October 25, 2012 12:57 PMReply

  This is down to the audience in my opinion, when the audiences will want to see more positives roles for black actor, my guess is that more work will be offered, i do not think western society is ready to see black people as everyday people, there is a stygma... i live in london with 3 white flatmate, two of them are scared of me... for no reason at all, i mean i'm educated 5.11 well spoken and most importantly very nice, i don't even swear ;-) but i look like like what they are told to be scarred of, and i'm sorry but there are too many brothers taking advantage of this fear because it is easier than to change perception, in a nutshell when there will be no problem accepting a non stereotypical black man or woman in any kind of role and by that i mean not even attaching the colour of the skin to the part they play, then there will be steady work... i hope

• Sharon | October 24, 2012 4:53 PMReply

  What's a Black actor to do...? What's a Black Actor to do...? Hmmmmm.....Well, I can not believe that we are STILL playing the victim role, smh.Well! Yes, I can believe it. Upon my education of our history, it's quite understandable. Which is why I continue to believe that Reparations will remain due to African Slaves all over the globe, but particularly the United States.
  Answer: We build our own Studios. Even if it's a store front on a corner of a Ghetto. Yep! Just like the Churches did and still do.Simple.

• reg | October 24, 2012 8:59 AMReply

  i don't act anymore, but i still bear the scars... (i only skimmed some of the more recent comments, so forgive me if anything i say is redundant)
  
  i don't think having blk writers/producers/directors is necessarily a panacea to the problem(s) under discussion. if it were, tyler perry would be a pauper. for that matter, so might eddie murphy, whoopie goldberg, martin lawrence and any number of other blk stars. all things considered, it certainly is good to have more dark faces in all halls of power, but it's not the only answer. hello, clarence thomas.
  
  when asked to do something as an actor that i thought might demean me as a blk man, i've always had to take a lot of things into consideration, besides my bottom line: how does it serve the piece as a whole, is there something redemptive beyond my personally potential humiliation, is there something true (however painful) about what i'm being asked to do? maybe i've just been lucky or rather so unlucky that no one has approached me to do something where i couldn't find that redemptive aspect. i'm just not eddie murphy, i guess. umm, phew!
  
  when looking at other actors who do take these kinds of roles, i also keep in mind that there humiliation has no color. i remember what kind of roles women, both conventionally attractive and not-s0-much, are often "condemned" to. what about "fat" people, little people, the disabled, old people?
  
  in other words, i think people of all kinds may always have to struggle to have their full humanity represented and appreciated. the positive, the negative and all the spaces in between. it's not so simple as saying, "i'll never take a role i find demeaning." that's what i think viola davis was trying to say (it's what hattie mcdaniel might say). as for bassett's condemnation of berry, i can only wonder what the hell she's talking about. did she miss kathleen turner's entire early career. trash berry for being a mediocre actor, okay, but keep your prudishness to yrself.

• EU | October 23, 2012 8:19 PMReply

  I'm very happy I came across this post. As a 'struggling Black actress" but also a current UCLA undergraduate, this issue sits dear and near to my heart both as an actress and an academic. Here are some things we just need to be real about:
  a. Majority of the roles created in Hollywood are developed with white characters in mind, giving them a lot more options of roles to play and opportunities to audition.
  b. Next would be the "open to all ethnicities" type of roles. As beautiful as that sounds, many of these character breakdowns go ahead to describe the character for this "open to all ethnicities" role as having brunette or blonde hair, which makes clear what ethnicity that role is really open to.
  c. Then we have the roles that were actually intended for Black actors. Now, these type of roles follow some line of stereotypical representation (or else it wouldn't matter who plays it). However, there are some that were designed specifically to give Blacks representation without using stereotypical characters which do not define close to the majority of Black people in the African diaspora. These come less frequently than the stereotypical ones.
  e. Finally, we have those roles that are truly open to any race, but again these types of roles occur far less frequently than the previous ones.
  
  So being a black actor trying to survive purely through acting, it is much more difficult to avoid being faced with the opportunity to play a stereotype as seen above by the greater availability of those roles than the other more desirable ones. Most of us would love to just show the world what we can do, how deeply we can get into a character, the type of emotion that we can convey, our comedic timing, our intensity, our softness and all other things that make us the artists we are, without our skin color playing a large role. It is definitely necessary to take race into consideration for certain role where the character's race is important to the meaning of the film. But as we have seen, most Hollywood productions aren't surrounding the idea of race, so why are these roles that should truly be "open ethnicity" roles mainly occupied by White actors? Because Whiteness was and still is (sadly) the norm in America; all other races are seen to be "different," or "minority," or "exotic," or "ethnic." And unless there is a need for it, CD's, screenwriters, directors etc. tend to stick to the norm, White. And of course most people won't complain about it. What is normal is what's comfortable. So often times it's those that are affected, Black actors and others non-White races who are affected by this upheld White norm, are the ones that eventually speak up or take action. I understand that there has been some efforts policy wise to ensure a better incorporation of other ethnicities in the casting. But until those are enforced and practiced, most Black actors have to either play the roles they are offered or wait for the opportunity to be considered for a role where their Blackness does not affect your chances of being cast and their talent triumphs everything.
  Though I am not a huge fan of Tyler Perry movies and the use of some stereotypical images in it, he has certainly given Black actors much more opportunities to get a paycheck from their craft than any other industry executive has done yet. But since he seems to like casting the same actors for lead roles, Black actors can't really depend on getting their big break through him. We can either keep on taking what we can until our great opportunity comes to play that character that captures our soul, or having to do what we've done throughout history when the system didn't tend to our needs, make our own way. Some of us are staring our webseries that are being picked up, such as Issa Rae with her "Awkward Black Girl" series. Some of us are writing scripts and submitting them to studios for consideration. It's sad that we have to do a lot more than the average actor to get opportunities, but it's either we try to create those opportunities that we want to see or else we will be just waiting for the world to change. But the world hasn't been concerned with our representation, so we have to make them concerned or prove to them that what we envision to see in this industry benefits them as much it does us!

• Donella | October 23, 2012 4:45 PMReply

  Whenever you create a product--then produce, publish, distribute that product--you open yourself and your product to comment (positive, negative, indifferent).

• daphne | October 23, 2012 2:57 PMReply

  I believe actors in general should not be criticised for the characters they take on. When an actor is given a character that is "one-dimensional" or "stereotypical," which can be based on the writing or directing, it is the actors job to add layers and make it a real person. Stereotypes come from some truths, there are black people who have particular characteristics but they also have many other characteristics that make them who they are. Conclusion, we should not judge what a black actor takes on for work. Their work is their work. Respect it. Actors work hard. But, like I stated before, its up to the actor to create a well-rounded, raw, human being.

• JTC | October 22, 2012 10:54 PMReply

  I love black people. But black actors have quite often given me the blues. I am about to over generalize but hear me past my frustration. Consider this, for a while I was obsessed with the independent film, ANOTHER EARTH. I thought it was very compelling and yet it was produced by a very small team for a very low amount of money. It is a project that could have been for 5000 or lower. As I studied the project, I started to learn more about Brit Marling, how she realized that her look meant that she was a dime a dozen in Hollywood and if she waited for them to find her that she probably wasn't going to make it. So she learned to write and wrote two scripts for films which she also starred in and both premiered at Sundance, putting herself on the map. Now compare to the relationships that I have had with black actors. I have worked with many actors who complain that they need to eat which is why they need to get paid. They have told me that they worked hard to develop their skills and so on and so forth. I respect their plight but this is something we go through. The idea of waiting for a director to find the budget for that perfect project which will skyrocket your career into the stratosphere is generally a symptom of self delusion. Actors need to help champion and develop the projects they participate in, they need to help to locate resources and GOD FORBID considering working some shit labor like us directors to help fund the films from their own pocket. Does anybody feel me on this? I read Hollywood Variety on a semi-regular basis and I remember to articles in particular put out over a year or more ago. The first article was talking about the new IT guys in the industry and the second was talking to the IT women. Who among my S&A family thinks that ANY of these people where even people of color? Asking the risk being silly I will tell you NONE. What could be more telling than this. I have recently being seeing a number of films with Jessica Chastain in them. She is very gifted and I enjoy watching her but I wonder if there will ever be a point where a black actress is blowin up the spot so hard that filmmakers are beating down her door, not with the mentality we have. We tend to be a very visually influenced people. In my mind, the image of the black director is probably tall, kind of wealthy or with some major money behind him, dreadlocks, and with all the swagger of a gangster rapper. We need to learn to see our talented people at the level of the soul. In my years in LA, I saw many directors who did the real preparations to make powerful films never get a real chance at the bat, while the brothers who talked a good game but couldn't tell the difference between 25mm and 85mm lenses, much less how to create a cinematic language (weaving camera movement, lenses, composition, angle, and color) crafted to tell a particular story, get the best opportunities time and again. Which leaves us were we are at. Under the cellar of the global filmmaking world. Black actors need to rethink their strategy.

• Carl | October 23, 2012 1:44 AM

  JTC, your whole premise is faulty. First, the actor's primary job is to ACT, not take on the duties of the director and/or producer. Conversely, the director is not the producer nor the actor. So the specifics of being "proactive" is what you're not identifying. Proactive at doing what? Second, your reference to "white actors taking such a role" is just as ambiguous. What are they doing that blacks are not? Now be careful, make sure you can support your argument with facts and not biased and misguided assumptions. For instance, your following statement will not work--> " We tend to be a very visually influenced people". And, surely you know that many blacks are writing, producing, directing and acting in their own films?

• JTC | October 23, 2012 1:09 AM

  I am only halfway serious about that. I admit to being frustrated about a project that is near to my heart. So I let my statement flow with that emotion. But was that everything you got from my post? What about the absolute necessity, in my opinion, of more black actors taking a much more proactive role in ensuring that their films happen? I have been doing this film thing for well over a decade and in my experience it seems that it simply understood that it is up to the director to find the resources to make the film and the actors just wait and learn their lines. Of course, I am sure that you might have a outlying example of something to the contrary, but I doubt that most people would disagree. Carl, do you think, from your perspective, that if we are seeing so many white actors taking such a role in their production, that black actors shouldn't be on that x20?

• Carl | October 22, 2012 11:54 PM

  STOP, STOP, STOP... JTC, what the hell are you talking about!? Damn man, the image of the black director is probably tall, kind of wealthy or with some major money behind him, dreadlocks, and with all the swagger of a gangster rapper!!?? WOW... your whole comment was meant as a gag, right?

• Mya | October 22, 2012 7:27 PMReply

  "there are going to be a few "lost" generations of minority actors until we get more minority writers/producers/directors and - most importantly - financiers - like Oprah and Tyler Perry." - I think this is the most important point.

• Cora | October 22, 2012 12:45 PMReply

  Like with everything in life, you have choices to make, and sometimes they are tough. As a black actress, I understand wanting to get a role, wanting to make some money. But if I take a stereotypical role, it is harder for me to complain - with a clear conscience - about how I am only getting cast for the same stereotypical roles over and over. Also, as a consumer, if we keep supporting those roles, that just reinforces to Hollywood that is what should get made the next year. In theory, I would have no problem with the occasional stereotypical role if there were tons of other broad-range roles for minorities/women. But we are not going to get to that point if these roles continue to be reproduced without criticism of the writers who write such uninspired tripe. The criticism is a healthy point of the process. Also, some of these actors such as Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer and others need to begin writing/directing/producing. I hate to say it, but there are going to be a few "lost" generations of minority actors until we get more minority writers/producers/directors and - most importantly - financiers - like Oprah and Tyler Perry. Now, I am not a big fan of Tyler, but he is the best representation of someone who has made that transition successfully, and now he is dipping a toe into more serious works. When we have 10 more Tyler Perry's creating a broad range of films, then an actor will be able to make stereotypical choices without hurting anything other than their own career.

• Miles Ellison | October 24, 2012 10:23 PM

  Who's going to watch this broad range of films?

• ALM | October 22, 2012 7:46 PM

  Exactly! See, Cora, I have made similar statements on other posts. For those who don't understand the criticism of some of the representations of Africans, African Americans, etc. It all comes down to BALANCE. There are not enough positive, uplifting roles of upwardly mobile people to balance the roles that depict "the struggle". I have also said on S & A multiple times that there needs to be 10 more people out here with the financial and greenlighting power of Tyler Perry. Those 10 people do not have to make Tyler Perry style films, they just need to match his power level.

• Juan Loney | October 22, 2012 11:17 AMReply

  In my opinion, everyone has a choice. The question is - the choice you make can you live with it? At the end of the day, the actor, or actress, must take care of themselves because no one else will. At first, like so many black Americans, I was against the idea of Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer taking on the roles in "The Help". Even after watching the film, I was more adamant in my perception. But then as time went by, I reflected on the movie and came to the truth it was a good film and it was very daring for Viola and Octavia to take on the roles, knowing the consequences as well as the rewards. They made their choices and didn't apologize for them. As actors, we must take that very same stand. We must analyze the roles we choose and foresee how these roles are going to affect our experiences. You just can't haphazardly choose roles in the present moment without considering your future.

• ano | October 22, 2012 11:04 AMReply

  I believe Halle's role in Monster's Ball did little more than reinforce the notion that black women are sex-crazed. This belief was used to justify the rape of black women not only in the deep south but across the nation: A woman who wants sex all the time can't be raped. Black women are not brown-skinned white women.There are always consequences for their actions. The idea that a young black mother would respond to the death of her only child by begging a local redneck to make her "feel good" is arguably the most racist scene in Hollywood history. Sadly, many black feminists hailed this as a monumental achievement for black women.

• ALM | October 22, 2012 7:48 PM

  @ Ano: Which Black feminists? I have only heard people complain about "Monster's Ball". It's the one movie that I have even heard grown men complain about the sex scene.

• josh | October 21, 2012 6:14 PMReply

  Very interesting article with good questions asked i'm and aspiring actor myself .I'm a minority (hispanic/native american) and i've just started getting some short film work.Alot of the cast is white the stories have white actors/actresses .It's my philosophy that talent knows no boundaries you have to look at roles the way denzel washington.Looks at roles or sidney poitier looks at it or even morgan freeman.You got to look at it like it could be made for anyone morgan freemans role in shawshank.Was written for a white guy the same with Se7en brad pitts role in se7en was written originally with denzel in mind. Now you can complain that all of the minority roles are sterotypical roles . On the same token you can take that role and play it differently it's called being creative and .Artist can take anything ordinary and make it extrodinary.
  When you look at it from a business politic perspective than yeah its pretty black n white .If you can do a role better than a white person and the role was originally made for a white person that can convince a director .That ,your a better choice for the role color should never limit you if the civil rights workers in the 60's .Had let their color hold them back we'd still be segragated we'd still have seperate bathrooms drinkings fountains etc,etc . Actors no matter what their race should challenge themselves .You want to get out of types you need to except roles that are the furthest thing from the norm period .Also you got to dare to want to do a different role everytime.I think the subject of race comes from the business marketing side of things most actors today.Like playing those roles simply because of the pay ,its understandable to take it once .If you continue to except roles like that and your offended thats on you not the people posting auditions .
  
  The fact that most people in general who want to act are weak when it comes to money over principle .Instead of focusing on the their art is the real issue they are willing to except that they must.In fact play these sterotypical roles they just except they become complacent it's easy to be average .it takes little to no effort it's to except a fast buck over holding out for something greater.Sucess doesnt come easy and it requires patience of the up-most everybody wants that fast straight to the top luck.When actors start asking more from themselves and demanding more.The race thing wont become a issue the goal is to be viewed as and equal see yourself as and equal .I sent out my acting resume to ads that say their looking for caucasin ,asian, etc that don't stop me .I know im just as good as any of these people and even better than some . These people dont turn me away either they tell me to come in and audition just because you got to hear NO .Doesn't mean you have to except it

• tmack | October 21, 2012 1:29 PMReply

  I know that journey for black actors is rough and filled with a lot of inner conflict and disappointment. Some actors break through the stereotypes and present us with an incredible & memorable character. They make take that role as a maid, as a chauffeur (I'm tryin' to drive you to the sto'), as a janitor...but the persistent--and talented-- ones ferret out the opportunity to put a little something on it so that they are ramped up for future work. I recall one of the first roles Morgan Freeman did as a pimp and monster in Street Smart, co-starring Christopher Reeves. The man was terrifying. He took over that picture. But, yes, he's also driven Miss Daisy around.
  
  You have to do bold things to break type. Clint Eastwood went to Italy and played in Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns. Yes, Wesley Snipes gives good gangbanging but we know he's also capable of the touching performance in Jungle Fever. The irony is that now everybody wants to be a gangbanger. Joel Kinnamon's performance in The Killing is based on street culture. If a black guy had played that role just as Kinnamon did, people would have been moaning about stereotypes. Sure, I felt bad that an exceptional, really extraordinary actress like Viola Davis had to play a maid in a story we all know too well and better than the author of that book. Viola Davis can act her ass off better than any actress around. But maybe there aren't enough scripts around that take advantage of her strengths. (She should have been playing Nina Simone). Writers out there, get busy!

• Jug | October 20, 2012 4:39 PMReply

  Tambay, you know we've talked about this before as nauseum. The burden of representation is an idea that, for me, is personal. If you feel that you only want to do work that glorifies the Lord, than so be it. If you want to do work that shows Black people as only good people with very few flaws because some certain facts in the world show otherwise, than so be it. If you want to show a persons ugliest side, that's cool too. You can't tell one person what they should or shouldn't be doing. Its up to them, their beliefs & the bank account. Me, I'm about balance. I love NEW JACK CITY. I love Nino Brown Brown. Would love to play that. Would also love to play INDIANA JONES. Or A BEAUTIFUL MIND. Balance. When a pendulum swings too far one way, sometimes we rush to have it swing the other way & create another type of imbalance. You fight to have as much balance in your career as you deem necessary. Some people want a lot, some people want a little. Some people don't want race to be an issue, some want it to be all about race. There's no right answer & you will assuredly not please everyone. Ask Viola, Tyler, Ava, Steve McQueen, Spike. You just have to do what makes YOU proud & move on.

• Monique A. Williams | October 20, 2012 8:57 AMReply

  This burden of representation has created some very corny, forced, dry work. You can read or watch a writer's work that is so heavy with the burden that it loses the human qualities. Life ain't perfect, let's stop trying to pretend Black people are.

• dee | October 23, 2012 11:21 AM

  i pray for balance, but supposedly art imitates life right? i assume that we care because aren't quite in that post racial world we'd love to reside in. i'm an actress. i've done some roles that the image awards' committee would probably frown upon but have also passed up castings for others that just seemed too far from my person to pull off (which is how i think "cooning" happens)... though i wouldn't be mad if a woman who related more to such a such a role used it to do her thing, show her perspective, add to her reel, & pay some bills. i think the underlying issue is that many "POCs" still feel as though we have something to prove to white people. that we need to prove we're just as good or that we're normal or that we're this or that in turn leading me to believe that this need is coming from a place of lack. no one will say that they think whiteness is better than blackness, however we've put whiteness on enough of a pedestal that we feel so encouraged to do the i am here and hear me roar thing over and over again. i know i exist regardless of white writers validating me. there are many shades styles versions classes of black. imanuelle grives portrayed a person that exists somewhere in this world of ours in "only decent people." who would i be to embarrassed by or negate that woman's existence? carry on

• dee | October 23, 2012 11:07 AM

  ding!

• tamara | October 21, 2012 7:20 PM

  Agree.

• Darnell | October 20, 2012 12:19 AMReply

  Okay, all the actors have shown up and voiced their opinion, so now it's time I add my 2 1/2 cents. I wouldn't give a fat fuk if the main character was depicted as a skinnin’ and grinnin’ booty lipped negro, who's claim to fame was his or her ability to eat a whole fried chicken and a 10 lb juicy watermelon while chugging down a 40 oz bottle of Colt 45. I am serious!. We're talking acting (right?) and why an actor takes a certain role is purely their own damn business (right?). But listen, in the first place, this whole "Burden of Representation" argument is akin to a person climbing to the top of a cherry tree, only to become frustrated and confused when they can't find bananas. And then they yell out "HEY, I THOUGHT YOU GUYS SAID THIS WAS A FRUIT TREE?" I am suggesting that the points of contention are too damn vague and utterly ambiguous to address this issue with the hope of having any lasting resolve. For example, would someone please tell me the definition of a "positive" black character? And why is it a no-no for a black actor to play a character outside those constraints? Is the broad definition sort-of, kind-of, something like the opposite of this -> “How can these black actors agree to take these kinds of UNFLATTERING , STEREOTYPICAL, racist roles that depict black people in such a NEGATIVE light?" Hmmm, unflattering? Hummmm, negative light? Well hell, is this a racial issue, or, are we talking about morals and character? Does nudity fall somewhere in the mix? Yeah, what is "negative" and whose "negative" are we talking about? But look, I have to go back, since we're talking fiction and movies and acting, why should I or anyone give a rats ass about the images on the screen? Has the millions of negative images of white folks , who we have all seen time and time again, have they affected how you relate to and/or view white folks? I’ll answer that question… HELL NO. Movies ain't the place to go to find that show. But can't something positive (i.e. messages and lessons) spring from what others perceive as negative images? I think so. The actress Juanita Moore was nominated for an Oscar for her role in “Imitation of Life”. At the time, the story a black person "passing" as white was a huge issue. More importantly, Ms. Moore opened doors, yet, she received hate mail from many in the black community. And btw, she did not receive another job offer for TWO YEARS! And we all know the story of Hattie McDaniel, who said she’d rather get paid for playing a maid than being one. And please, I wish folks would stop using Amos & Andy as poster boys for what black actors should not do. We owe them a debt of gratitude for breaking down walls and opening doors for more black actors to follow.

• ALM | October 19, 2012 7:59 PMReply

  There's also a third element. The criticism that Angela Bassett received for questioning the role that Halle ultimately took. Some claimed that Angela was "hating". She wasn't hating. There are just some things that she isn't willing to do.

• Donella | October 19, 2012 6:24 PMReply

  I like Robert Townsend's examination of the Black Actor's dilemma in Hollywood Shuffle. He revealed the complexity of the audition and casting process that let consumers understand what happens behind the scenes. Even though Hollywood Shuffle came out over twenty years ago, it appears the same structure maintains access to power in Hollywood today.

• lauren | October 19, 2012 4:30 PMReply

  Ah yes, the classic double fuck for black actors all over the world... rarely is the onus of a negative white stereotype placed on the white actor portraying it. Was there an outcry about Christoph Waltz oscar winning portrayal of a sadistic nazi? Look, this movie looks bad for sure, but since we're on the subject of negative images, how about the girls in rap videos?

• Hoji Fortuna | October 19, 2012 12:29 PMReply

  That is a great question as your insights usually are, Tambay. I consider myself an actor still struggling to make it, despite the success of some of my latest performances, and the fact of being the writer of a book that gives advice on how to succeed as an actor in the U.S.
  
  First of all, I think we must clarify the concept of "actor". Secondly, the geographic location is an important element to consider in this conversation since the strategies, the volume of work or productions involving black people is different in America and the other parts of the world, posing different challenges and expectations.
  
  I began my acting career very late (I was 28 years old) and in the least (at the time) conventional of the ways: as a participant in a reality show, a competitor of the Big Brother in Portugal. I was never fond of reality shows, having always found them obnoxious and with no taste, and never identified with the competitors in such shows. Yet, there I was being one of the very people I would point a finger at, the people at the time I criticized for selling their souls for a few minutes of fame. I wasn't an actor them, even though the desire and (as my friends would often say) the talent was there. I've participated in that reality show because I saw in it an opportunity to showcase my potential as an actor. It worked... sort of.
  
  That was 2001, the year the towers fell, marking the beginning of huge global change -- with the economic crisis -- which extended to the entertainment industry. It was easier then to became famous and capitalize on that fame than it is today with the expansion of the internet and all the social networks and self online broadcasting such as Youtube, and the constant request for "real people" from many productions as opposed to requests for actors as it was the motto years ago.
  
  So trained actors have to hustle more than they used to in order to get acting gigs -- with less pay -- because they have all these new competitors -- the "reality people" and many of the newcomers anxious to do anything to have their five minutes of fame -- which some say have introduced lower standards of performance quality to the performing arts.
  
  For black actors, which were already the minority when it comes to the amount of acting jobs available as well as the monetary amounts paid for these jobs -- black actors make average less money per job than caucasian actors -- it becomes more difficult to say no to jobs.
  
  The result is some of the performances that have been subjected to high criticism from people who feel that black actors should be more careful about choosing the roles they perform, because when they're performing a role they're also representing the black community as a whole, a point of view I totally understand, respect and have been more aware of as I grow older. Maybe it's a matter of maturity as an artist or of consciousness as a black performer. But I also can understand the opposing perspective, even though in an ideal world I would have preferred it not to exist.
  
  For my part, with the risk of not working as much as I would like to, I tend to choose carefully the roles I portray and try not to do anything that my kid wouldn't feel proud of watching. In addition, I began writing stories with roles I would love to see me perform and hopefully I will have them produced.

• Leon Breckenridge | October 19, 2012 12:22 PMReply

  Look at the Nielsen ratings people. We like bad movies/ shows. Good shows don't get good ratings. So who is here to blame? The networks or our own people who like to watch bad movies?

• Miles Ellison | October 24, 2012 10:28 PM

  I believe we have a winner.

• Tim | October 19, 2012 11:47 AMReply

  I should preface my comments by saying that I'm neither black nor an actor. But anyway, as much as I agreed with the polemics against Only Decent People, I'm glad to see a nuanced discussion about this issue here.
  
  You're right to say that it's not entirely fair to put the blame on the actors. It's not quite blaming the victim, but perhaps more like blaming the factory worker in the bomb factory, if that makes any sense. The factory worker knows that the things he's helping to create are going to kill people, so he's not entirely non-culpable in those deaths, but the biggest blame should lie with the politicians who make the wars that create the need for the bombs and the factory owner that profits from them.
  
  Obviously the issue of racial representation in the media isn't as life-or-death, but the structure of the problem is similar. As you said, even if a particular actor refuses a part on principle, the part is still bound to get filled. But not every film is bound to get made. And so the ultimate responsibility lies with the writers, directors and producers. In terms of a strategy for changing the culture of film making, it seems to me that it would be more effective to direct one's scorn at these people instead of at the actors.
  
  Once cast in a film, an actor does have limited power to effect how the film portrays race. I think in many cases of stereotyped characters, it's largely a result of ignorance and laziness, and many directors might welcome attempts by an actor to make their role more nuanced and complex. But the problems run deeper. In the case of Only Decent People, the very concept is racist to the core, and in the case of The Help, part of the controversy is because the story is entirely anchored by a white protagonist for the sake of a white audience. These issues are entirely beyond an actor's control.

• B | October 20, 2012 5:50 PM

  I agree with nearly everything you wrote, especially this: "the ultimate responsibility lies with the writers, directors and producers. In terms of a strategy for changing the culture of film making, it seems to me that it would be more effective to direct one's scorn at these people instead of at the actors." You are quite correct. However, I don't agree with this: "I think in many cases of stereotyped characters, it's largely a result of ignorance and laziness, and many directors might welcome attempts by an actor to make their role more nuanced and complex." I think these stereotypes more often come from a place of hatred and a conscientious feeling of superiority. We too often sort of let white folks off the hook with the "well, they don't know any better" argument, which is similar to what you said in that sentence. Many, if not most of them, know better and simply don't care - and it is not a matter of laziness or ignorance, but rather a matter of people who simply feel that they are better. That's my opinion. It takes all of us - white, black, etc. - standing up to people who have that attitude, by boycotting their films, in order for them to stop churning out such hateful nonsense. But I agree that these issues are generally not so much within the actors' control.

• anon | October 19, 2012 11:44 AMReply

  there are plenty of jobs you an do whilst you are waiting for that big break struggling white actors turn down roles all the time hell asian actors are rarely on screen for EXACTLTY that reason- they actually have pride and dignitty and point blank refuse to take on demeaning roles that unfortuntely blk actors cant wait to snatch up for their chance to revel in the limelight because thats what it's really about "im on on tv everybody woohooo!"
  I used to be an extra and was offered roles as maids (period drama) and vagrants (all races were included not just BLACK!) but I was in the background and it wasnt my career if I was an actor i would NEVER take on demeaning roles like this dutch lady I dont care HOW much im being paid -its despicable and sets race relations back DECADES nee centuries! If blks actually stopped doing this cr*p maybe like the asians we could focus on our OWN industry without worrying about fair representation in the mainstream media.

• B | October 20, 2012 5:52 PM

  I agree. These actors who take such roles just simply lack a sense of dignity and pride, imo. Although, I recognize that these films and the kinds of roles they are offered are not strictly within their control. But you are correct: it is their fault if they take such demeaning roles.

• Dani | October 19, 2012 11:19 AMReply

  I think too often filmmakers in our community go to the other extreme: aspirational films where everyone is a doctor, lawyer or high-powered executive. As a screenwriter, I want to explore flawed characters and sometimes it will involve explicit sex, poor choices and even violence. Most actors I know want to play challenging roles that will show their range and connect with audiences. A stereotypical role is usually one lazily written so that is enough reason for an actor not to be interested. As for Angela Bassett, I haven't been interested in her as an actor for a long time. She is so caught up in the idea of being "dignified" I feel like she is in the way of all her characters. She plays everything the same. She turned down Monsters Ball, but she also turned down Eve's Bayou because the part wasn't big enough for her. So whatever, Angela... It makes me angry that somehow Nicole Kidman and Kate Winslett can do whatever they want on film but our community sometimes seeks to hold our talent back.

• Miles Ellison | October 24, 2012 10:35 PM

  There is certainly no shortage of movies about poor black people.

• B | October 20, 2012 5:53 PM

  "I think too often filmmakers in our community go to the other extreme: aspirational films where everyone is a doctor, lawyer or high-powered executive." So true. Some black filmmakers almost act as though movies about low-income black folks are not even worthy of their time, as if the lives of low-income black folks are not even worthy of attention. As if there aren't black folks who are painters, artists, writers who have interesting lives and stories worth telling.

• Dani | October 19, 2012 5:23 PM

  There are plenty of filmmakers out there creating complex characters outside of the mainstream industry. They are choosing expression over fear. Many in our community try to hold our artists back. Why should we be afraid? Are we afraid that white people will see these films and stereotype the community more? We're afraid of the judgment of other communities? Really? That's sad.

• anon | October 19, 2012 11:46 AM

  maybe when we have our OWN indsury then we can do all those "complex roles" you are desperate for but we're not there yet. Lets face it, white people are not stereotyped like blks so cannot be compared.

• brroklyn70 | October 19, 2012 10:31 AMReply

  I'm a struggling actress in New York. I'm so glad you asked this question. I can talk about this all day long. First off, I do feel a responsiblity to "represent". When I go to auditions, where I can see that the character is a bit stereotypical, I will play the character in an interesting way that isn't demeaning or degrading. That said, there are soooooo many factors that I can't control. 1.) For the most part, you don't see the entire script during auditions. So you're scene might be fine but you don't know how other parts are potrayed. 2.) Editing, editing, editing...there are people out there who could make Obama come off as Flavor Flav. 3.) I have seen it a million times. I will talk to a black actor who is well spoken, friendly, educated and the minute they are on stage or in front of a camera...ghetto boy/girl comes out. 3) This is important to note: Out of all the auditions I've been to, I've never had a white person tell me to play it more "blacker" or "ghetto". I just don't get a call back. However, I have had many, many black people I have auditioned for tell me: "You're very articulate", "I need you to be more black", "You're very well spoken".
  
  With all that being said. Tambay - You need to get a blogger who is an actor on your website. It would be great to get the actor's perspective on things.

• brooklyn70 | October 19, 2012 11:45 AM

  Thanks for clarifying. I was typing so fast that I should have been more clearer. If Ms. Duvarnay handed her script to someone else to direct, we'd get an entirely different film. Some directors would have the characters be played more stereotypically instead of real. My point being is that people may perceive the script in one way, but the director perceives it in another.

• Winston | October 19, 2012 11:30 AM

  @BROOKLYN70-- Ava didn't take the script-- she wrote and directed the film.

• brooklyn70 | October 19, 2012 11:10 AM

  Me again. Sorry for the typos in my earlier post. I wanted to make one last point.
  
  When an actor gets a script, what he/she perceives and what the director perceives can be two different things. I'll use "Middle of Nowhere" as an example. This is a movie about a black woman married to a black man who is sent to prison. I believe that if you gave this script to another director to make, you'd get a completely different film. The wife would be potrayed as the "angry black woman" and the husband would probably be played more "hood". Luckily, Ava DuVarnay took the script and kept the characters real.

• Charles Mayaki | October 19, 2012 5:33 AMReply

  Since you are talking about the struggling actor, I'll speak about one actor I met. Andy Spencer. Andy booked a national that ran for a while, it may still be running. It's the Kellogg's crunchy nut commercial where Andy pops up with a goofy look on his face.
  
  It's his first national commercial, he's excited and he goes on youtube to read the comments. He's being called all kind of names, from Uncle Tom to the always trustworthy Amos and Andy.
  
  He told me he felt so bad he wouldn't go out for days. He stopped going online to read stuff. I said to him that's the burden of the black man. You can't just be a man. He idd what the director asked him to do and he's not even in charge of the editing. But he got blasted all over the web.
  
  I think people don't realize this people have no power especially when you're trying to break in. But as a public figure, those are the kind of shit you have to deal with. Anyway, the point is, they're trying to make a living and have no control on how the image is presented. So take it easy alone.

• Markus Eliance | October 18, 2012 8:27 PMReply

  As a black actor, for some reason or another, we are historically and "culturally" obligated to operate along a kind of standard. What that standard is has never been defined clearly, as there's no accounting for taste. Within the same group people who complain about Monster's Ball, The Help, and now Decent People, I am sure there is a decent percentage of that audience who saw flicks like Big Momma's House, Norbit, Madea, etc., and never batted an eyelash or held a picket sign. (There's some subtext about black female actors vs. black male actors, as well as comedic vs. dramatic portrayals, but I'll save that for another discussion.)
  
  Black folks from many countries have got it stuck in their heads that any unflattering representation of a person of color in film or television should be buried and hidden away, or simply that the negative stereotypes and caricatures of blacks are the only ones which rise to the top of (and subsequently stick) the collective minds of people who view them. In defense of the actor who is hungry, and has rent and dues to pay, acting is a business -- you don't go to work, you don't a check -- but this is a business they chose. At the end of the day, you have to love what you do. Actors have roles to fill, and if that role is out of your comfort zone, you can challenge it (as opposed to the pessimistic approach of "taking a step down/loss of prestige" or "conceding"), or you can wait for another role (which is never guaranteed).
  
  Some of you might say, "There are actors who never had to take so-called 'demeaning' roles. Look at Denzel!" On a case-by-case basis, just like any industry where large money is at stake, there are exceptions. For instance, Will Smith was not a professional actor when he signed on to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. He was a rapper-turned-actor, who's character was often over-the-top silly. In his first major dramatic role (Six Degrees of Separation), he played a con-man, who's character was also homosexual.
  
  Like Will, and Halle in Monster's Ball, or Viola and Octavia in The Help, all of these actors are playing characters -- fictional people -- presented as a necessary part of a narrative. At their core, they're just people: flawed, imperfect, sexual, oppressed, etc. Do we blame the actor for taking the role, or the writer who dreamed up the narrative? Sure, there's been a clear and identifiable history of discriminatory practice in the film industry. Many of those practices could certainly have been shaped by the prejudices of writers, producers and directors of the content. Taking all of that into consideration, however, I still believe they're all artists, and if the viewers truly understood that concept, the discussion of positive/negative portrayals of black characters would be more fruitful and reflective, instead of accusatory.