Chris Rock Pens ‘The Hollywood Reporter’ Essay on Race in Hollywood

Chris Rock has taken a serious stance on the lack of color in the mainstream movie industry in a new essay for The Hollywood Reporter.

The comedian insists there has been a noticeable lack of African-American actors in the most talked-about films and TV shows of the year, and he cannot understand why actresses in particular are being overlooked when it comes to casting top dramas.

He writes, “How about True Detective? I never heard anyone go, ‘Is it going to be Amy Adams or Gabrielle Union?’ for that show. I didn’t hear one black girl’s name on those lists. Not one. Literally everyone in town was up for that part, unless you were black.

“I haven’t read the script, but something tells me if Gabrielle Union were Colin Farrell’s wife (in the upcoming second season), it wouldn’t change a thing.

“And there are almost no black women in film. You can go to whole movies and not see one black woman. They’ll throw a black guy a bone. OK, here’s a black guy. But is there a single black woman in Interstellar? Or Gone Girl? Birdman? The Purge? Neighbors? I’m not sure there are. I don’t remember them.

“I go to the movies almost every week, and I can go a month and not see a black woman having an actual speaking part in a movie. That’s the truth.”

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