Why are so many well-known Black British actresses biracial?

[baileydash]

I admit I don't know that much about the American industry, so I'd be curious to learn more. I can't think of that many. I mean, I can think of black actresses who have been very successful, and that's fantastic, but the way Hollywood treats them overall just seems unequal. All the black actresses I've really admired lately (like Viola Davis, Lupita Nyong'o, Gabourey Sidibe), I just feel like they've been really marginalised and ignored compared to how a white or lighter skinned actress with the same CV would be treated. It's crazy that Lupita has done so little since 12 Years; with her looks and acclaim she should have a Jennifer Lawrence or young Angelina Jolie career.

Viola is certainly underused for someone of her talent. But she commands a great deal of respect in both the film and theatrical communities. She works a lot, at least, for a black actress. But the fact that she's black and almost fifty, has limited her to supporting roles in prestige pictures, at least until now.

As for Gabourey, well, she's up against Hollywood's fat phobia. Who knows how much she'd work if she was thinner? Still, she's worked steadily since her Oscar nomination.

While Lupita Nyong'o hasn't had the opportunities that a white, Oscar-winning actress would have had, I honestly don't think her marginalization is because she has dark skin. She'd have the same problem if she was several shades lighter.

Why? Because all Hollywood ingenue roles automatically default to white women , even when they could be played by ANY good actress of any color. If the producing and casting people were put off by the thought of dark skin only, then you'd see many more light-skinned black women, Asian women and light-skinned Latinas being cast, and believe me, you don't see them either.

Also, a black actress friend of mine assures me that when casting calls go out for black actresses, agents don't differentiate between biracial and black women. They're all seen as cattle and they're all seen as black.

The reality for black actresses seems to be that experience or visability in so-called mainstream (white) projects, is valued above everything else.

Nobody's gonna hire Tisha Campbell over Jennifer Hudson just because Tisha has lighter skin. They'll hire Hudson because she's better known.

Kerry Washington, Tika Sumpter, Gabrielle Union, YaYa DaCosta, Anika Noni Rose, Sanaa Lathan, Audra McDonald, Rene Goldsberry, Taraji P. Henson, Raven Simone, Keke Palmer, Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith and Octavia Spencer have what are probably the most "mainstream" careers of all African American Actresses and none of these women are biracial.


The problem isn't that Hollywood wants to hire only biracial women. It's that they don't even think about hiring non-white women when the race of the person doesn't matter.