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Denzel - Our Beautiful (Aging) Hotness

The Denzel Washington / Billy Dee Williams Syndrome…

Denzel Washington still makes black women swoon. He is still exalted as our black-sexy-chocolate-bed-me savior. Um, Denzel Washington is 53 years old -– which brings me to the point of this post. We are so longing to have our superstar sex symbol actors like whites have their superstar sex symbol actors that we are still exalting Denzel to sex symbol status -- even at age 53.

Of course Denzel Washington is a very handsome man. Sexy, too. But his time has passed. Actually, for the first time, in his 2006 film, Déjà Vu, the signs of aging were evident to me. He is supposed to look the way he does because he is beyond his youth. He is a middle-aged man, for Godssakes.

Women still want to have sex with him as if he were a youth of 20. Teenagers probably hang his posters in their bedrooms.   

It was like that with Billy Dee Williams. We kept hanging on to him as our sexyhottiehunk, way past his prime.

So Denzel Washington presents as another case of the eternal sex symbol. There is nothing wrong with this; nothing at all. However, the continuous acknowledgement of the sex appeal of our aging sex symbol brings to light that which is unmistakably absent.

Aging white male sex symbols are merely viewed as handsome and sexy for their age. I doubt that 17 year-old white teens have 46 year-old George Clooney on their walls. 25 year-old white women don’t want George Clooney. Why would they? There are dozens of hot, handsome white male superstar actors in their 20s and 30s to choose from.  Leonardo DiCaprio, Christian Bale, Matthew McConaughey, Orlando Bloom, Jude Law, Jared Leto, Shia LaBeouf, blah blah blah.

George Clooney is certainly not presented by white media in the way Denzel Washington is presented by black media.

This kind of sex symbol status (and staying power) does not happen to everyone.  I think Denzel Washington is a sex symbol, in part, because:

• He’s tall –- at 6 feet.
• He is strikingly handsome -– and not of the cutesy or pretty boy variety.
• He is completely masculine with absolutely nothing effeminate in his manner, voice, style of dress, etc.
• He seems to be “nice” and is thought to be a family man.
• Scandals don’t surround him (oh there’s the occasional chatter that he has cheated on wifey) but I don’t think any of this stuff has ever stuck.
• During interviews, he comes across as intelligent, personable and grounde.
• He maintains a certain maturity –- even when he was in his 30s.
• He is a very talented actor -- an Oscar winner, and his work is generally "safe" and doesn’t raise eyebrows.
• He’s respected in the industry.
• The invisible (class, charisma).

So, there’s Denzel. And only Denzel.

I don’t think we have any superstar actors who are young and sexy. At the moment, I can’t think of any. So, we hang onto 50-year-old Denzel. Our actors might be young, they might be sexy but who is young and sexy and qualifies as a superstar? I can’t think of one.

Will Smith? Superstar, yes. I don’t think Will Smith is marketed as a sex symbol of any kind. And Will Smith is older than 35. Terrence Howard? Not yet. Terrence Howard is over 35 and not a superstar. Not enough starring vehicles. Morris Chestnut? Fairly young but still over 35. No box office strength. He’s not a superstar. You get the point.

(Being over 35 doesn’t disqualify them. I only mention it since they’re on the older side of young.)

Black female teens have to look elsewhere. I suppose that’s why they look to 50 Cent. 50 Cent is a superstar. He is young. He is sexy. And he is rich. And these days, an actor. Producer too, as I understand it. 

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooo! 

I’ll be glad when the sexyblackactorsavior-thing dies; because his death will represent the birth of the myriad of black male actors who are recognized superstars -– dudes with talent, class, sex appeal, good looks and charisma -- men who are ineligible for AARP membership.

Black Actresses Over 50

For this series, we’re only going to examine two parameters: (i) the number of films the actresses (both black and white) have appeared in during the years 2006 and 2007, and (ii) the number of films the actresses have in the pipeline for 2008 and 2009.

 

50 plus	Age	Movies 2006 - 2007	Movies 2008 - 2009
Debbi Morgan   Alfre Woodard   Jenifer Lewis   Loretta Devine   Lynne Whitfield   Whoopie Goldberg   Cicely Tyson   Ruby Dee   Lonette McKee   Irma P. Hall	51   55   50   58   54   52   74   83   53   72	0   2   4   4   2   2   3   5   1   1	0   3   3   3   3   1   0   0   0   2
Total		24	15

 

50 plus	Age	Movies 2006 - 2007	Movies 2008 – 2009
Meryl Streep   Diane Keaton   Shirley McLaine   Glenn Close   Melanie Griffith   Sissy Spacek   Ellyn Burstyn   Stockard Channing   Sigourney Weaver   Kim Basinger	58   62   73   60   50   58   75   63   59   54	7   3   1   2   1   3   5   1   4   2	5   1   3   0   0   2   4   1   4   3
Total		29	23

 

What do the charts reveal?

The differences in the amount of roles are not eye-popping.

 

Jenifer Lewis and Loretta Devine are working consistently.  Others are hanging on.

     

Ruby Dee – the senior of the bunch – has worked on five movies in recent years!

    

I suppose I was surprised to see that the black motion picture actresses over 50 were working as much as they are. This is good news.

See the following posts for more.

 

 

Black Actresses in their 20s

Black Actresses in their 30s

Black Actresses in their 40s

    

    

    

    

Information sourced from imdb

 

Black Actresses - Over 40 / Under 50

Today’s post is about the other actresses –- those in their 40s, aged 40–49.

    

We’re not going to compare accolades like we did in the Black Actresses aged 30-39 article. We’re just looking at the numbers here. The idea with this post was to make a list of ten black actresses and ten of their non-black counterparts -- and compare the amount of films they have made in the last five years, 2003 – 2007.

    

The findings were determined with no regard to whether or not the films were any good or, as in the case of Monica Bellucci, if they included a few foreign films. Voice acting was not included, only onscreen appearances.

 

    

I tried to list some of the most popular actresses in this age range.

    

    

 

The disparity is not significant. What do I deduce from this? I figure since this chart shows that the other actresses make only two more films, on average, than their black counterparts then it must be true… it’s hard out here for actresses in their 40s.

    

Actresses in their 40s have had a little more time to snag Oscar awards than their 20 and 30 year-old peers. With that said, how did they do?

    

The black actresses have been Oscar-nominated:            2 times

The black actresses have won an Oscar:                          1 time

    

The other actresses have been Oscar-nominated:            15 times

The other actresses have won an Oscar:                         3 times

    

I haven’t done any scientific analysis or anything but I figure the disparity in nominations suggests that the other actresses have better roles and thus, more opportunities to do quality work... more opportunities to shine.

    

Information sourced from imdb.com.

Where Are The Young Black Actresses? [UPDATE]

This post is in follow up to the post, Where Are The Young Black Actresses?
    
Some of the commenters on that post felt that the following people could have or should have been added to the list:

Sharon Leal, Eva "Marcille" Pigford, YaYa Dacosta, Tia Mowry, Tamera Mowry, and Keshia Knight Pulliam.
    
Some of them I hadn’t thought of or knew of; others I didn’t feel belonged on the list. We could have a full list if we added (i) the four listed on the post who I didn’t think should be added, and (ii) the six people above. We’d definitely have our list.  Would it be a real list? A credible list? Or just a full list?
    
I considered Rosario Dawson for the list… but  I didn't add her because of her ethnicity. When I first saw Rosario Dawson I thought she was Puerto Rican. But the name Dawson and a closer look at her physically, I thought she was a racial mixture of black and Puerto Rican. Actually, she is multiracial. Does she consider herself multiracial? Black? Latin? But more important, is she cast as a Latin actress or a black actress or is she cast in roles with no regard to her ethnicity? Do they market her as black, latin, raceless? I don't know. I have not seen enough of her work. 
    
Nevertheless, I’ll vote for adding Rosario Dawson -– and also, Sharon Leal.
    
I dunno. I’m not feeling good about adding some of the others who were suggested.  They don’t seem to belong on the list. Maybe I’m wrong.
    
What do you think?

Black Actresses Get No Industry Love – 30-39 Crew

In the Where are the Young Black Actresses article published yesterday, I talked about the lack of working Hollywood black actresses, aged 20-29.

    

Today’s post is about the other actresses –- the ones in their 30s; those aged 30 – 39.

    

The black actresses who occupy today's list were much easier to find than the actresses on yesterday’s twenty-something list.

    

The selection process was the same as it was for yesterday’s post. 

    

“How were they selected? Not much thought went into it. I just started listing the names of some of the most popular actresses I knew of. Then I separated them by age. I went from there.”

    

There’s not much for me to say. I just wanted to present the findings. 

    

The goal of the article was to make a list of ten black actresses and ten of their white counterparts -- and compare their accolades.* Of course I knew the accolades on the white list would outnumber those on the black list. But I guess I didn’t expect the disparity. I was also surprised at how many of the white actresses were Oscar winners -- or at least Oscar nominated.

    

This list reveals a striking reality... They don’t give us chances to shine.

    

They don’t give us chances to shine. 

    

 

Kerry Washington Thandie Newton Sanaa Lathan  Nicole Ari Parker  Regina King  Nia Long  Gabrielle Union  Jada Pinkett Smith Taraji P. Henson Queen Latifah

Charlize Theron Jennifer Connelly Cate Blanchett Renee Zellweger Angelina Jolie Uma Thurman Cameron Diaz Gwyneth Paltrow Drew Barrymore Reese Witherpoon

    

    

Black Actresses / White Actresses

    

Oscar Wins                                 0 / 7

Oscar Nominations                      1 / 6

    

SAG Wins                                   1 / 7

SAG Nominations                        4 / 8

    

Golden Globe Wins                     0 / 10

Golden Globe Nominations          0 / 20

    

Grand Total      Black Actresses - 6 accolades

Grand Total      White Actresses - 58 accolades

    

    

To be honest, I wanted to put Lisa Arindell Anderson in place of Queen Latifah. But I figured you guys would let me have it if I didn’t include her. Queen Latifah has a large body of work. And she’s been acting for quite a while. That has to be recognized.

    

    

 

* I only included Oscar Awards and Nominations, Golden Globe Awards and Nominations and SAG Awards and Nominations.

Where are the young black actresses?

Where u at?

I was going to prepare a post. But now I can’t. So, I guess I’ll post this instead…

I needed two things to write the post. To begin with, I needed two lists…

a list of ten popular white actresses under 30 – between the ages 20 - 29.
a list of ten popular black actresses under 30 – between the ages 20 - 29.

I’m unable to write the post because I can’t finish one of the lists.  :(

… unless you, the readers can. I don’t know everything. There’s plenty that I don’t know. And plenty I’m not in the loop about. So, I could be missing eight actresses.  It’s quite possible. In fact, I’m really expecting to be embarrassed if and when readers fill up the list. Because as I’m writing, I’m saying to myself, “surely, you’re missing people.”  Because really, I just can’t believe this is the end of the list. I don’t  believe it.

Meagan Good Lauren London

Hilary Duff Anne Hathaway Lindsay Lohan Scarlett Johansson Christina Ricci Kate Hudson Kirsten Dunst Anna Paquin Jessica Biel Keira Knightley

Isn’t it reasonable to expect that in almost 2008, we should be able to name off the top of our head, ten young black actresses?

I was unable to do this. Can anyone? 

Ah, Meagan Good. I remember when I first saw her in Eve’s Bayou (1997). I thought her career held such promise. Like Jurnee Smollett, I thought Good’s showing in the film was more than respectable. I thought Meagan Good was going to blossom into a highly regarded young actress. It seems that Meagan Good is becoming more well known as a caricature in the gossip rags, rather than a talented young actress to be reckoned with (which she probably could be -- and may still be -- before all is said and done). The good news:  Meagan Good works very regularly!

As for newcomer, Lauren London; I thought she held her own in ATL (2006).

One of the reasons I don’t think young black actresses are given the chance to shine and bloom like their white counterparts is because I think often their white counterparts are seen as actresses first and whatever else they are, second. Say what you want to say about Lindsay Lohan, she is still recognized as a very talented actress. My guess is that sistas are probably often seen through amorous eyes first, probably in some instances with little regard to their thespian capabilities. 

When the list fills up, I’ll write the post.

How were they selected? Not much thought went into it. I just started listing the names of some of the most popular actresses I knew of. Then I separated them by age. I went from there.

If you’re wondering, the following people don’t qualify for the list. Why? The main reasons…

Beyonce has been in only two movies the last four years.
Jennifer Hudson has only one film credit at present.
Eve hasn’t been in a motion picture in three years. 
Raven Simone has appeared in one film in the last four years.

 

I also talk about the other actresses in these other posts:

Black Actresses in their 30s
Black Actresses in their 40s
Black Actresses in their 50s

 

Something Sanaa Lathan said...

I was preparing another post and fooling around on the computer.  In the back of my mind was what Sanaa Lathan stated in that Essence interview. She said, “I’m happy to have gotten a job this year.” Anyhoo, while on IMDB I took a look at Sanaa’s work over the past four years.

I was stunned.

For the years 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 Sanaa Lathan has appeared in TWO FILMS only!

I had no idea.

Then I took a look at Nia Long

I was equally surprised. She doesn’t fare much better than Sanaa Lathan -- with only five movies in the last four years.

Then I was wondering about Gabrielle Union

She’s working regularly.

 

Only TWO FILMS in the last four years!?

 

 

Image Source

The Essence Article – Sanaa, Gabrielle and Nia

The December 2007 issue of Essence magazine features an article highlighting popular black actresses Sanaa Lathan, Nia Long and Gabrielle Union. This article was timely as I was just planning posts on these three. I expect to start soon with Sanaa Lathan.
    
In the article, the women talk about various topics. In particular, they chime in on the problems they face in Hollywood as it relates to them getting work and securing good roles and equal pay. I have highlighted some of their comments from the article. 
    
Really, today’s Hollywood black actress -- their current state -- in 2007, almost 2008 -– is AN ABOMINATION... an atrocity of monumental significance.
    
Their story has been told before. Many times.
    
The whole racism thing in Hollywood is well documented in books, papers, blogs, newspapers, magazines, radio interviews and other forms of media. This has been lamented over for decades. 
    
There is no possibility that this injustice will disappear from the public eye as it is repeated reported so often. These three women have legitimate complaints. I’m sure, alone in their private time, in the sanctity of their solitude, they probably feel great pain. They have the right to feel the way they do. And really, their plight can’t be repeated enough. Hollywood is so unfair and cruel to them… and other black actresses. So very cruel.
    
I look forward to perusing the articles that outline the steps we (Black Americans) are taking to remedy the intolerance we face in the industry. Maybe I’m missing those articles. And I mean bigger steps than the presence of Spike Lee and John Singleton or our recent Oscar winners. Of course, these are big steps. But there are many more steps to take if we hope for fairness and justice.
    
When will our dialog focus on viable solutions to this… or have we accepted that this will be the state of affairs forever? 
    
On working in Hollywood
    
Sanaa Lathan
“… it’s the first time that I’ll be able to do some real accent work.”
    
When I read this, I felt sad. I’m glad Sanaa Lathan is finally being given this opportunity… an opportunity she has obviously hoped for.
    
Nia Long states that… even though she had been in the business for ten years, her paycheck didn’t reflect that. Nor did her lifestyle. And she doesn’t feel she was justly rewarded (monetarily) for all the movies she did in that ten years.
    
I know.
    
“[Being] Black women in Hollywood…   It is just the burden that we have to bear,” quips Long.
    
Yes; it is.  I wonder, for how long.
    
Gabrielle Union
“I could make a living doing Black urban romantic comedies for the rest of my life…. But am I growing as an artist?”
    
Chile, you ain’t neva lied. I’m so glad she is questioning this! The answer is no. The answer is noooooooooooooooooooo.
    
Union states, “Unfortunately, we don’t always have the luxury of choosing what is best for us or even what we are best suited for.”
    
So how is this reality going to be created?
    
The following is a bit off topic on the blog but I had to throw it in.
    
On Gossip
    
Gabrielle Union
“… they’ll complain on the blogs that we don’t have enough black stars. Well, you rip us to shreds every two seconds from our nose to the weave to the clothes to the shoes to the ashy ankles.”
    
Y’all, I fell out when I read this.  :)  LMMFAO.
    
Nia Long
"Listen, if I didn’t have to go to work and deal with getting my hair and makeup done by a white crew… I wouldn’t have a weave. If I felt like I could go in there, and they could take care of my natural hair-but they don’t know how to.”
    
Poor Nia.  Really?  Ah, Nia… I weep for you.  *** Sniff. Sniff ***
    
Sanaa Lathan
on when her hair was lookin' a hot mess cornrowed hairstyle was frizzy… and what the papps did.
    
“... but you know how with cornrows they get frizzy. So, … me and Gab went out one night and [the bloggers] tore me to shreds. “
    
ha ha ha ha ha ha.  ROTFLMMFAO.  :)
    
(Girl, you know you can't get away with that! Frizzy cornrows are always unforgivable, movie star or not. We only let this slide on kids).    

Photo Credit:  Matthew Jordan Smith and Essence Magazine

Show me your tits, black man; I'll make you a star

Group I

Wesley Snipes – Noxema Jackson – To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar (1995)
Will Smith – Paul - Six Degrees of Separation (1993)
Ving Rhames – Holiday Heart – Holiday Heart (2000) [Television]
Chiwetel Ejiofor (British film) – Lola – Kinky Boots (2005)

Group II

Martin Lawrence – Malcom Turner (Big Momma), Big Momma’s House I and II (2000, 2006)
Tyler Perry – Madea – All the “Madea” films and stage plays
Eddie Murphy – Rasputia - Norbit (2007)
Miguel A. Nunez, Jr. – Jamal Jefferies/Juwanna Mann – Juwanna Mann (2002)
Shawn Wayans – Kevin Copeland – White Chicks  (2004)
Marlon Wayans – Marcus Copeland – White Chicks
Flip Wilson – Geraldine - The Flip Wilson Show (1970s) [Television]
Jamie Foxx – Wanda – In Living Color (1990s) [Television]
Martin Lawrence – Sha Nay Nay – The Martin Lawrence Show (1990s) [Television]

The emasculation of black men persists… some might say.
    
I don’t necessarily have a strong opinion on this topic but wanted to present this matter for discussion.
    
As I was contemplating this article, I recognized that not all these portrayals are the same. I kinda loosely lumped a few films (where men dress as women or exhibit feminine behavior) into two categories – Group I (Necessary) and Group II (Unnecessary). I’ve highlighted a few pics. Undoubtedly, there are others. Acting as a woman is usually done for laughs by a comedian or comedic actor. Sometimes the impersonation is legitimate. 
    
It was “legitimate” in Six Degrees of Separation, when Will Smith’s character (Paul) kissed a man. (We never did see their lips actually touch; I figure Will Smith wasn’t havin’ that. After all, he was in the midst of Fresh Prince success.  LOL.)  Given the story, the kiss made sense. I have no problem with this scene. I have no problem with Wesley Snipes in To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar. Same thing with Ving Rhames in Holiday Heart and Chiwetel Ejiofor in Kinky Boots. I’m cool with these characterizations, since the characters were, after all, drag queens or homosexuals. Truthfully, there are black homosexuals, drag queens and cross-dressers and these men have a place on the silver screen and their lives should be shown – be it dramatically or for laughs.
    
The Group I characterizations are different from the purely comedic Group II characterizations.  I think comedians think it is funny to dress up as a woman. Evidently, it is thought that there is humor in watching a man behave as a woman. There is… sometimes.
    
Jamie Foxx must have thought Wanda’s character was funny. And Martin Lawrence must have thought Sha Nay Nay was funny. The characters were funny. Martin Lawrence apparently believes a black man dressing as a woman is so downright hysterical funny that he repeated it twice in the films Big Momma’s House I and Big Momma’s House II. Or maybe the motivation was greed money. Don’t quote me on this but I believe I read that a third entrant is at least under discussion for the Big Momma series.
    
Though not a comedian, Tyler Perry believes it’s extremely profitable beyond your wildest dreams funny to dress up as a woman and portray the character, Madea. The character is funny.  And well written. Millions of people think so. This is a clearly a profitable enterprise winning formula for Perry.
    
Eddie Murphy  probably thought it was funny to play the character Rasputia in Norbit. But Murphy didn’t have to make this film. He already has an impressive and large body of work and sits on millions. He did it for laughs, I suppose.
    
Miguel Nunez, in Juwanna Mann. Maybe he was seeking exposure.
    
The point is, there are times when the man-dressed-up-as-a-woman thing makes sense – and is necessary and integral to the story line. Other times, however, it is an actor’s choice to don women’s clothing and behave like a woman because it’s "funny."
    
It’s overdone. It was new and fresh I guess, in the 70s when Flip Wilson was Geraldine.
    
This is now. Clearly, there’s a belief that a man dressed as a woman is a “tried and true” formula for comedic success. Even if this is true, this form of entertainment is “old.”  And it’s been done for so many decades that now it’s just played out. Make us laugh some other way.
    
Aside:  I remember a long time ago there was an NBA player who dressed up as a grandmother in TV commercials.  This dude was a big dude (like Tyler Perry) – Larry something or other – I remember thinking those commercials were beyond stupid. I wondered what his motivation was for doing those spots. It couldn’t have been money. And he was already famous. I didn’t respect him at all after these commercials. The commercial was stupid. The character was stupid. The portrayal was stupid. I thought, "what kind of man is this?"  This was a millionaire – a multimillionaire athlete (not even an actor) and he saw fit to do this? I vaguely remember cringing in distaste and embarrassment when the commercials played. This grandmother caricature was on display in print ads, too.
    
During a recent interview (August 16, 2007) with eurweb.com to promote his film, Illegal Tender, John Singleton said the following: 
    
"Nobody … has ever complained about the successful movies that are coming out that feature men with dresses on."  I applaud Tyler Perry for his independence, but when it's Tyler Perry, Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence and nobody is telling them anything bad about it or telling young boys 'you know that this is just a joke' and they call those movies 'family movies’.  Most of the movies that are comedies are coon shows."
    
Of course, with proper parenting, a young boy will not confuse that with reality or believe that straight men dressing as women is common or socially acceptable. 
    
I don’t really feel that strongly about black male actors dressing as women, as some others might. I think there’s a place for it… sometimes. I’m okay with it, especially when there’s a valid cinematic reason for the characterizations. Nevertheless, perhaps it’s time to move away from the purely comedic, meaningless depictions. I can think of no good reason for the prevalence of these kinds of films in modern black cinema. 
    
But does it mean anything if black men are shown in dresses… fairly regularly?  No doubt, it probably does.  I probably haven’t given it enough thought to examine what it really means.
    
What does it mean?
    
These roles -- when they occur one by one -- may go unnoticed. Yet, these portrayals demonstrate the continuance of the emasculation of black men in motion pictures in the United States (and elsewhere). And that is not a good thing. It just makes you wonder if, in order to achieve real stardom, a black man must show his tits.

What they're offered vs. what they choose

Sometimes I wonder, when watching a film -- particularly one in which a black actor plays a stupid ridiculous, embarrassing, or otherwise buffoonish character -- how it came to be that the black actor I’m looking at, ended up in this film. 

I ask:

Did the actor choose this role -– and reject others -- believing it would be a good role for him to play? Is it possible that the actor was ignorant to the meaning of the role and didn’t see what was ultimately an intrinsically bad choice?

Did the actor know full well the ramifications of accepting a sub-par role yet had no compunction about what the choice represented? This is the fraud actor uncommitted to his craft who, because he’s driven solely by monetary reward, opting for the money.

Is it that there are so few roles available, the actor thought it prudent to accept this role thinking, “If not this one, which one? When will the next one come along? What if the next one is bad, too? Let me go ahead and get while the getting is good.” Conversely, the actor may figure there will be other roles... other greater roles in the future. But right now, I need exposure… and dough.” 

When black actors accept third-rate roles, I wonder if they hate themselves. I think sometimes they must.

What does one do? Do you accept what is available so that you can keep working, keep benefitting from exposure, keep earning an income and keep building your resume? Do you wait for an ideal role, one which will have the other 19,758 black actors killing reading for it? Or do you stand up for principles? 

It’s hardly my place to opine as to what an actor should do. But I think the scenario of this conundrum plays out all day in black Hollywood. I suppose there’s a case for each path. I wonder how many careers shine or dull due to this fork in the road.

Some people say, “So-and-so had to take the part. He’s gotta eat.”  If I hear this one more time I’m gonna scream. 

I doubt this is about eating -- or surviving -- or paying rent. In the end, when the contract is signed, it is about choice. Maybe even about greed. Maybe about hunger… for fame. In today’s popular culture, we see the lengths people will go to merely to achieve fame. Flavor of Love and Jerry Springer come to mind. Let’s call a spade a spade. It is a choice. Granted, the choice may be governed by certain considerations but to simplify the matter into the need to eat is fallacy. 

For a struggling actor the allure of a crappy role is understandable. Let’s face it, if you’re broke actor and someone offers you $10,000 or $20,000 or $40,000 to (i) continue typecasting you, (ii) buy your participation in a role unworthy of your talent, or (3) cast you in a wretched role, you’ll probably do it, most of the time, anyway. This is human nature.

But people can eat and act without accepting degrading roles. It seems that if a person is earning a reasonable salary as an actor, they need not choose degrading or unworthy roles. For example, Halle Berry. Halle Berry is an internationally known movie star and a multimillionaire.  So, for her – and other A-list black actors – (or even b or c list) acceptance of a derogatory role would be reprehensible and inexcusable.

I mean, really, is there ever a starving actor??? This cliché is repeated so much, I think people are starting to believe it. I doubt there are really any starving actors. 

There are struggling actors, though.

There are black actors struggling with choices… and lack of offerings… and racism… and injustice… and unfairness… and issues of consciousness… and what must be fierce competition since there are so many vying for scarce – and so, coveted – roles. Black motion picture actors (particularly, those who really care about creating good works) are faced with a myriad of daunting challenges.

Who’s to blame? Whose responsibility is it to secure good roles for the actor? (Of course, the actor can only “pick” good roles if he or she is offered the role or the opportunity to read for the role in the first place.) The agent? The actor? Whose fault is it when an actor performs in a role that damages his career? I don’t know how it works but ultimately it comes down to the actor’s choice… the person’s choice.