She noted that it’s much rarer for African American actors to land British roles, which can make the UK casting in the US even more discouraging.
Samuel L Jackson’s critique of black British actors taking US roles has sparked a heated debate in Hollywood where African American performers said the hiring of UK talent is another form of industry discrimination they face on a regular basis.
In 2013, Spike Lee told the Guardian he wasn’t bothered by the trend of British actors taking American roles: “They’re well trained.
Though some have criticized Jackson’s comments – including John Boyega, the British Star Wars actor who called it a “stupid ass conflict we don’t have time for” – black actors in Los Angeles said it has sparked an important conversation and that they were tired of seeing UK actors taking on roles about the black American experience.