William Jackson Harper ('The Good Place') on racial stereotypes in casting calls | Famous Cast Words
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 ต.ค. 2024
- Actor William Jackson Harper discusses the trajectory of his acting career, from his beginnings in PBS’ “The Electric Company” to his critically-acclaimed role as Chidi in NBC’s “The Good Place.” He delves deeply into the social impacts of the media’s negative and stereotypical portrayals of Black men. Watch out for a special appearance by his pup, Chico.
"Famous Cast Words" is an ALL ARTS original series giving viewers an insider’s peek into the entertainment industry with intimate discussions about representation and inclusion with stage and screen actors. Join host Lynne Marie Rosenberg (HBO’s “High Maintenance”) for two special episodes of the ALL ARTS series “Famous Cast Words.”
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Really profound and insightful conversation.
I love how this woman is - without realizing it - doing *exactly* the thing that Will critiques white folks for sometimes doing earlier in the video. By posing him all these racist casting calls to read, she is positioning herself as one of the "good white people" who would *never* engage in such overt racism, and in doing so is herself committing a racist microaggression. She is precisely one of those white people who needs to be confronted with her own complicity in racism through the kind of subtle and complex art that Will expresses a desire to create.
Will Harper did not - at least, it doesn't seem like it - bring up the topic of racist casting calls on his own. She brought it up, and repeatedly posed the question to him even though he says early on that he actually hasn't encountered that much of it in his own auditions (though obviously he knows it's out there). She is basically thrusting these racist casting calls upon him, and forcing him to give his reactions to them as a Black man, in order to generate traffic for her interview. She is literally commodifying Black discomfort - discomfort that he actually says he hasn't personally encountered in the industry as much as she assumed! - in order to drive clicks. I mean, honestly, what is the f--king point of having him read all these casting descriptions that she gathered, not that he encountered in his own professional life?
Will says a lot of really interesting stuff about race and racism in the industry, and his experiences as a Black actor, but the way this video is edited, framed, and marketed doesn't highlight any of that. It instead highlights an extremely artificial framing that this (white) interviewer thought would drive clicks, in the process flattening everything Will said. And I'm sorry, but f--k that.
Put more pithily: I get reeeeeal "Get Out" vibes from this interviewer. And that's all I've got to say about that.
This is why we should have all white casts and y’all make y’all own movies because y’all always complain even when 90% of the show was non white
Yes! So good. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you friend!
Glad you enjoyed it, Leila!
A tip : you can watch series at Flixzone. Me and my gf have been using it for watching loads of movies recently.
@Rey Davian Yea, I've been watching on flixzone for years myself =)
@Rey Davian yea, I've been using Flixzone for years myself =)
oh man.... those casting descriptions are so lame .... .... and.. i really LOVE William Jackson Harper!!
Fascinating. Lynn Marie Rosenberg, well-spoken and an excellent interviewer manages to address the Me Too movments, Black Lives Matter movement and Asian Lives Matter movement with regards to the casting/acting industry. These interviews are PARTICULARLY timely in the revelation of the tempermental, abusive behavior of Scott Rudin, Broadway producer, and the predatory behavior of Harvey Weinstein, movie producer. Also timely in the fact that celebrated tenor Placido Domingo was asked to resign from the LA Opera for his predatory behavior. A lot is required from actors. They are expected to come into an audition room and/or a rehearsal studio and open their souls. In order for them to be able to do that, boundaries have to be established so that the actors feel safe and not pre-judged before they even walk into the room. So, I feel these conversations are important to be having WITH actors who are being inadvertently or intentionally slighted starting with the casting notices themselves. Very happy that this is a conversation that is happening for Ms. Rosenberg to query the actors and to get their honest responses. It helps us learn to be more human, more life-affirming than stereotyping. Good life lessons for all of us--whether we're in the acting field or not. Rock on, Ms. Rosenberg.
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