Get Out, the hit scary movie from the hilarious and sharp-witted Jordan Peele, has been making headlines for its social significance as a new approach to the traditional horror movie genre. Because of its success at the box office and in reviews (we loved it) it's been creating quite the positive stir in Hollywood.
But Samuel L. Jackson has an issue with the film, and feels the problem needs to be addressed before it happens again. The Pulp Fiction actor told Hot 97 that the lead role should have gone to an African-American actor, rather than a Black British actor like Daniel Kaluuya. He says that the experience of being Black is different on each side of the Atlantic, and that difference is very important to the actual message of the film. "There are a lot of black British actors in these movies,” he told the New York radio station. "I tend to wonder what Get Out would have been with an American brother who really feels that."
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He continued: "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]." The 68-year-old also said that hiring British actors is less expensive, thus the appeal for casting directors.
Jackson's criticism has attracted the attention of John Boyega, the a British actor that you may recognize as the lead character from the latest Star Wars franchise. The young actor voiced his disdain for Jackson's comments on Twitter writing "Black brits vs African American. A stupid ass conflict we don't have time for."
Black brits vs African American. A stupid ass conflict we don't have time for.
— John Boyega (@JohnBoyega) March 8, 2017
As Vulture points out, Peele and Kaluuya have both addressed the casting decision and acknowledged that an African-American actor would have been ideal, but ultimately the right man was chosen for the job. Peele himself has not yet responded to the comments.