Actors Kerry Washington and Aziz Ansari had a candid (well, as candid as one can be in front of an audience) conversation Friday for the fourth season of Variety and PBSβ 0Actors on Actors series Friday.
The two actors of color discussed diversity in television and the possible reasons that the medium is more diverse than film.
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βI donβt know,β said Ansari. βIf I had to guess, I feel like thereβs more diverse creators [on TV].β
Both actors are stars of their own TV vehiclesβWashington on ABCβs Scandal and HBOβs Confirmation, and Ansari, formerly of Β NBCβsΒ Parks and Recreation fame, now on Netflixβs Master of None.
βOur show, itβs an Indian guy, Asian guy, so thereβs going to be more Indian people, Asian people. We have a diverse group of friends and we didnβt even really think about it, when we were making the show, that βOh, this is diverse.β We were just like, βThis feels real,ββ says Ansari.
The two also talked about the #OscarsSoWhite controversy specifically and the fact that, in general, Hollywood is probably no more βwhiteβ than other industries.
βI saw this chart in the New York Times about like decision-makersβthe gatekeepers in every single industryβand it was, like, all white people,β said Ansari.
βIt came out after βOscars So White,β and I loved that they did it because there was all this attention on Hollywood, but it was like, no, no, no, every industry is so white,β Washington added.
A caveat to that may be that Hollywood produces images and therefore has more power to shape narratives, but thatβs a whole other conversation (and one that I'm not in!).
The two-part fourth-season premiere of Variety Studio: Actors on ActorsΒ airs in June onΒ PBS. Check your local listings.
Read more at Variety.
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