Samuel L Jackson insists he didn’t ‘slam’ black British actors as he defends controversial comments

He previously said a black British actor shouldn't have been cast in an African American role in Get Out 
Defense: Samuel L Jackson insists he wasn't slamming black British actors
Valerie Macon/AFP/Getty
Jennifer Ruby10 March 2017
The Weekender

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Samuel L Jackson has defended himself after he suggested that a black British actor shouldn’t have been cast as an African American.

The US actor has now clarified his remarks, insisting that it wasn’t a ‘slam’ against black British actors, but a comment on the Hollywood film industry.

Jackson sparked a backlash earlier this week when he said that he would like to have seen an African American play the lead role in new comedy horror Get Out, about an interracial couple, rather than Brit Daniel Kaluuya.

He told US radio station Hot 97: “I think it’s great that movie’s doing everything it’s doing and people are loving it.

“But… I know the young brother who’s in the movie, and he’s British. I tend to wonder what that movie would have been with an American brother who really feels that.”

He added: “Daniel grew up in a country where they’ve been interracial dating for a hundred years.

“What would a brother from America have made of that role? Some things are universal but (not everything is).”

After facing criticism from British stars, including Star Wars lead John Boyega, Jackson has spoken out to defend himself.

“It was not a slam against them, but it was just a comment about how Hollywood works in an interesting sort of way sometimes,” he told Press Association.

Saying that British actors found it easier to get work in the US rather than vice versa, he added:

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“We’re not afforded that same luxury, but that’s fine, we have plenty of opportunities to work. I enjoy their work. I enjoy working with them when I have the opportunity to do that.

Following Jackson’s initial comments, Boyega tweeted: “Black brits vs African American. A stupid a** conflict we don't have time for.”

Director Jordan Peele has spoken about his initial concerns in casting a Brit to play an African American, telling The Guardian:

“I didn’t want to go with a British actor because this movie was so much about representation of the African American experience.

“Early on, Daniel and I had a Skype session where we talked about this and I was made to understand how universal this issue is.”

Peele added: “Once I’d wrapped my head around how universal these themes were, it became easy for me to pick Daniel, because at the end of the day, he was the best person for the role. He did the audition and it was a slam dunk.”

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