Samuel J. Jackson is coming to the defense of black American actors when he questioned why a British actor was cast in the lead role for the horror film, Get Out. It is not the first time that Hollywood has featured a British actor in an American part. Some examples include Christian Bale played Batman. Henry Cavill is Superman. Daniel Day-Lewis was Lincoln.
However, Jackson was left wondering why Daniel Kaluuya, who stars as the lead character in Jordan Peele’s Get Out, was picked. During a recent interview with New York radio station Hot 97 promoting his upcoming film Kong: Skull Island, Jackson discussed the casting of Kaluuya in Get Out, which tackles how white American liberals treat black men and women.
“That’s a whole other story,” Jackson said. “I think it’s great that that movie is doing everything it’s doing, and people are loving it and they’re feeling it … but the thing in my mind is, I know the young brother who’s in the movie, and he’s British. There are a lot of black British actors that work in this country. All the time. I tend to wonder what would that movie have been with an American brother who really understands that in a way. Because Daniel grew up in a country where they’ve been interracial dating for a hundred years. Britain, there’s only about eight real white people left in Britain. … So what would a brother from America made of that role? I’m sure the director helped. Some things are universal, but everything ain’t.”
Asked why he felt black British actors scored roles ahead of African-Americans, Jackson said:
“They’re cheaper than us for one thing. They don’t cost as much. Unless you’re an unknown brother that they’re finding somewhere.” He added, “They think they’re better trained, for some reason, than we are because they’re classically trained. I don’t know what the love affair is with all that. It’s all good. Everybody needs to work, but there are a lot of brothers here that need to work too. They come here because there are more opportunities, and they actually get paid when they work here. Which is fine.”
At least one black British actor has responded. Star Wars: The Force Awakens star John Boyega, born in London, wrote:
Black brits vs African American. A stupid ass conflict we don't have time for.
— John Boyega (@JohnBoyega) March 8, 2017
In Get Out, now that Chris (Kaluuya) and his girlfriend, Rose (Allison Williams), have reached the meet-the-parents milestone of dating, she invites him for a weekend getaway upstate with Missy and Dean. At first, Chris reads the family’s overly accommodating behavior as nervous attempts to deal with their daughter’s interracial relationship, but as the weekend progresses, a series of increasingly disturbing discoveries lead him to a truth that he never could have imagined.
The producers of “Godzilla” reimagine the origins of one the most powerful monster myths of all in “Kong: Skull Island.” This compelling, original adventure tells the story of a diverse team of scientists, soldiers and adventurers uniting to explore a mythical, uncharted island in the Pacific, as dangerous as it is beautiful. Cut off from everything they know, the team ventures into the domain of the mighty Kong, igniting the ultimate battle between man and nature. As their mission of discovery becomes one of survival, they must fight to escape a primal Eden in which humanity does not belong.
What did you think of Get Out? Do you agree with Jackson that the role should have been cast with an American actor? Are you looking forward to Kong: Skull Island? Let us know in the comments section.
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