18 Times Black Actors Nailed Why We Need Representation In Film
Human Rights Fighter
[ad_1]
18 Times Black Actors Nailed Why We Need Representation In Film
Over the past few weeks, the conversation surrounding diversity and inclusion in Hollywood has reached a boiling point, thanks in part to the popularity of the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag. More and more black people in Hollywood are calling out the lack of representation in film and television — from Will Smith and Jada Pinkett, to Idris Elba and Lupita Nyong’o.
Below are just a few of the important quotes from the best black actors in Hollywood, breaking down why representation is so important, and how Hollywood needs to change:
16 Times Latinos Were Brutally Honest About Hollywood’s Lack Of Diversity
John Leguizamo On The Antidote To ‘Hollywouldn’t’ Stereotypes
Damon Dahlen/Huffington Post
John Leguizamo On The Antidote To ‘Hollywouldn’t’ Stereotypes
Damon Dahlen/Huffington Post
image
Oscar Isaac On The State Of Hollywood Diversity Right Now
After winning a Golden Globe for best actor in a miniseries or TV film for HBO’s “Show Me A Hero,” a reporter asked Oscar Isaac if he thought Hollywood still lacked diversity. The actor was quick to clarify that though things have changed, there’s still more that can be done.
Getty
image
Gina Rodriguez On Hollywood’s Limiting Representation Of Latinos
Getty
image
America Ferrera On Taking The Lack Of Diversity ‘Very Personally’
After Gina Rodriguez became the second Latina to win a Golden Globe in the best actress category in 2015, America Ferrera told The Huffington Post she was disappointed it had taken 8 years since her own win for another Latina to take home the prize.
“As an audience member, I take it very personally, I take it extremely personally when I watch,” Ferrera added. “I’m a huge lover of television and of film — I have been my whole life — and when there’s too much of the same thing and not enough to reflect the world that I live in, I take it personally.”
Getty
image
George Lopez On Minorities Not Being Allowed To Fail In Hollywood
Comedian George Lopez has had a long career of ups and downs — but he says the downs tend to weigh heavier when you’re Latino or Black in Hollywood. During an interview with HuffPost Live, Lopez made the above statement after being asked about the abrupt 2009 cancellation of his TBS late night show “Lopez Tonight.”
Getty
image
J.Lo On Hollywood’s Limited View Of Race/Ethnicity For Characters
Jennifer Lopez may be a megastar, but she says it means nothing when it comes to getting the roles she wants.
“It’s super competitive and it doesn’t matter how long you’ve been in the business or how great you’ve proven to be — it’s just, does that director want you for that role at that time, can you go in and convince,” Lopez told HuffPost Live. “I still have to go in if there’s a script that comes along that one of my agents is like ‘This is a great script, you know, they want Cate Blanchett, but maybe you can still go in.’ [I’m] like ‘Just get me in the room! Give me a shot!'”
Getty
image
‘Jane The Virgin’ Star Explained Why Hollywood Is Out Of Touch
Jaime Camil is a renowned telenovela actor on Spanish-language television. But when the star crossed over with “Jane The Virgin” as Rogelio de la Vega — the actor told Latina magazine he found the industry to be out of touch with what Latino audiences want. And he had the perfect analogy to explain his point.
Getty
image
“Broad City” Star Proved Hollywood Stereotypes Hurt Everyone
“Broad City” star Arturo Castro didn’t just get frank about what the casting process is like for Latino actors in Hollywood — he also turned the tables. On “Flip the Script with Liz Plank”, Castro held a fake audition and told white actors to act “whiter” to show why asking Latinos to lean into stereotypes is wrong. Watch the full prank here.
Getty
image
Sonia Manzano Described Feeling ‘Invisible’ As A Child
When asked what being Latina meant to her growing up, Sonia Manzano (best known as Maria on “Sesame Street”) told The Huffington Post she didn’t always love her roots because she didn’t see herself reflected in the movies and shows she loved as a child. Read her full statement at Latinos Break The Mold.
Damon Dahlen/The Huffington Post
image
Rita Moreno Opened Up About Her Worst Roles
Oscar-winning actress Rita Moreno described a career filled with stereotypical roles and challenges during a “West Side Story” screening in New York. But she also said despite the fact that Hollywood is a more welcoming place for Latinos today, there is still room for improvement.
“The door is open, but the door is not sufficiently open. We still have to push it,” she said.
Getty
image
Cosmo EIC Said Hollywood Deliberately Leaves Out Latinos
Former editor-in-chief of Cosmo For Latinas Michelle Mulligan took on Hollywood’s Latino problem by pointing out how far the industry is from properly reflecting the reality of the United States. She noted that the lack of representation on-screen made little sense when you consider demographics and Latino’s power at the box office.
Damon Dahlen/The Huffington Post
image
Rosie Perez On The Need To Rock The Boat In Hollywood
Actress Rosie Perez said she’s never been one to stay quiet when faced with Hollywood’s limited views of what Latino actors can do on-screen. And the star told Larry King she got major backlash from Latino Hollywood when she tried to “rock the boat.” Her response to them was simple:
“I understand you guys have open wounds from how you were treated but there are wonderful people, who have made strides on our behalf,” Perez continued. “We have to reap the benefits, we can’t just sit there and remain afraid.”
Getty
image
Edward James Olmos On Whitewashing Latino Stories
“Argo” may have won the Academy award for Best Picture in 2013, but as actor Edward James Olmos told The Huffington Post, not many people knew Tony Mendez (portrayed by Ben Affleck) was Latino.”At the same time you say well ‘Ben Affleck had to play the role because he wouldn’t have made the movie without playing that role,’ and I said ‘Ok that’s great well then Ben Affleck has a responsibility to play a Latino,'” Olmos told HuffPost. “So play a Latino, Ben Affleck. You know? Get with it, get with the program. Stop being Ben Affleck playing Ben Affleck the Tony Mendez character of this great story. Be an actor, really get yourself together and move forward on that level. And that movie won Best Picture of the year so look what happens. It’s ridiculous. We have a long way to go.”
Getty
image
Salma Hayek On Why Hollywood Doesn’t Want Her Anymore
Getty
image
Andy García On Hollywood’s Inability To Look Past Ethnic Surnames
Getty
image
Demián Bichir On The Need For Diversity Behind The Camera Too
Getty
image
18 Times Black Actors Nailed Why We Need Representation In Film
nwindow.modulousQueue.add(function()n n waitForGlobal(‘htmlAdWH’, function() n var adsDiv = document.querySelector(‘#adtech_slideshow_300x250_req’);n adsDiv.removeAttribute(‘id’);n adsDiv.reloadCount = 0;n var adId = ‘93315663’;n try catch(e) n n n var args = [‘300’, ‘250’];n n nn htmlAdWH(adId, args[0], args[1], ‘ajax’, adsDiv);n if (typeof debugadcode == ‘function’) debugadcode(‘AdTech’, placement: ‘slideshow_300x250_req’, mnid: adId, adsDiv); n n jQuery(document).on(‘reloadAd’, function(ev, elem) n if (elem && !elem.contains(adsDiv)) return; n var refreshRate = 1; n adsDiv.reloadCount++;n if (adsDiv.reloadCount % refreshRate == 0 && typeof adsReloadAd === ‘function’) adsReloadAd(adsDiv); n );n n adSetInView(‘0’);n );n n);nnn”;
Mobileweb.ads.slideshowTop = “
