http://blogs.birminghampost.net/lifestyle/

BLACK AND TALENTED, TRY AMERICA !

By Michael Mclean on Oct 5, 08 11:05 PM in

I want you to try and do something for me, name five British actors, I know, where's the challenge in that? You want a challenge; ok then, name five British actors who happen to be black? Still think that this is easy?
For such a multi cultural nation, why is there a dearth of black actors and actresses on the UK's television screens?
Now let me start with this, I am not a fan of just putting a black face on screen because its black, what I want to see is acting roles going to the best actors, irrespective of what colour they are. I want to see new and challenging characters gracing our television screens, not just the stereotypical portrayals that we see in soaps or crime/police series, I want to see a character that has a personality not a personality type, that can reach the audiences hearts and minds, not just an audience demographic, and most importantly characters that will take the programme forward rather than just fill a gap when a viewer group says the show needs a black character.
Its not as if we don't have the talent, people will recognise the name and face of Colin Salmon, who pops up in films and television series and was mentioned as a possible James Bond before Daniel Craig claimed the role and turned in a great performance. (I have to say the idea of a black a black James Bond may have made good tabloid headlines but in reality it was never going to happen) elba.jpg
But how many of you have heard of Chiwetel Ejiofor, Idris Elba, Marianne Jean Baptiste, Naveen Andrews, Adrian Lester, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Marsha Thompson, Lennie James or Thandie Newton. If I strike lucky you may have heard of one or two of them, but did you know all of them are British? Did you know all of them are regulars on American television and movies, with series like Lost, The Wire, Without a trace, along side films such as American Gangster, Secrets and Lies, Hotel Rwanda. All of them have made a major impact on the other side of the pond yet are still relatively unknown in their own country, three of them have been nominated for Oscars, yet have almost know public profile in this country. I have to say that one of my favourite programmes on television at the moment is The Wire, it quite simply is fantastic television and Idris Elba who was in it for three seasons was a revelation, but do you have any idea he is?
One of the first black actors I remember seeing regularly on British television was Eamon Walker was played Marigold in the BBC series 'In Sickness and in Health' now that may now have been the first series to feature a black actor as a regular cast member, but it was the first one that I recall after the dreadful Love Thy Neighbour, which placed racial stereotyping on mainstream television.
Marigold was a character that was in the series because he was everything that the bigoted lead Alf Garnett hated, he was gay, he was educated, he was handsome and he was black, the character became the nemesis of the main character, but the two shared a bond of sorts. He protested that he hated him; he insulted him, mocked him but ultimately lost out to him in every episode, but along with the insults came a respect, one that allowed no one else to ridicule or mock the character. Marigold gave the series in a new dimension and took it forward. Now think about it when was the last time you saw Eamon Walker on television, he vanished from his role as Malcolm Haynes on The Bill in 1989. But fear not he is alive and well and making a good living on US TV and on the stage.
That was over 20 years ago and we don't appear to have come very far, mainstream roles seem to go to people with a profile rather than the best acting talent available, rappers and stand up comics seem to becoming a regular feature on British television. What happened to the stars of the future that learn their trade in drama school and then master their skills on the stage before becoming the household names they deserve to be? What has happened to producers and casting directors working on high profile or big budget films who base casting on quality rather than potential viewing figures. With the possible exception of Guy Ritchie who seems to casts his films to represent the environment of the story he is trying to tell, mixing all creeds and colours, with varying degrees of success, the subject seems to be one overlooked by the industry. ecko.jpg
Just because someone graces the front pages of the national newspapers does not make them talented performers. Yet time and again they get roles they really don't deserve, while years of study, training, determination and hard work are overlooked on this side of the pond.
Why is it that the cream of Britain's acting talent has to cross the Atlantic to have their talents recognised, surely talent is talent no matter what the colour?

2 Comments

Sid Langley said:

Terry Grimley did an interesting piece in the Post the other day re black casting on the stage at present. On TV, how about Angel Coulby as the current love interest for boy wizard Merlin? We're gonna see a lot more of her.

Jonothan Matthews said:

AALIYAH LIVE IN AMSTERDAM

http://youtu.be/IbO-JVP8wVk

Cinema: mac, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham, UK. Tel: 0121 446 3232

Date: 22 & 23 July 2011. Start: 8pm

Production Company: Windrush Productions

Producer & Director: Pogus Caesar


Aaliyah has truly earned her nickname the "Princess of R&B". Selling over 24 million records worldwide, she has been credited for helping to redefine R&B and Hip Hop.  

Aaliyah was both a successful singer and actress on the verge of superstardom when she tragically died, aged just 22, in a plane crash in 2001.

She sang professionally from a young age and in 1994 released her first album, Age Ain't Nothin' But A Number when she was just 14 years old. Within 2 years, she released her second album One in a Million. Aaliyah's music has achieved huge commercial success including several posthumous releases. 

By the end of the decade she was working in Hollywood, starring in hit films such as, Romeo Must Die, Anne Rice's Queen of the Damned and the sequel to The Matrix.

At the time of her untimely death she had released three albums and had agreed to appear in two more films.

In 1995, Pogus Caesar (Director for Windrush Productions) gained exclusive access to the Amsterdam leg of Aaliyah's European tour. As well as capturing live footage of the concert, Aaliyah and her Father agreed to be interviewed by Caesar, in a series of intimate conversations, they speak openly about her musical influences, achievements, and her hopes and dreams for the future. This film is particularly poignant in the light of her subsequent early demise.

Pogus Caesar's film Aaliyah Live in Amsterdam captures a star in their ascendancy showing an artist at the peak of her career. It provides the viewer with a rare insight into Aaliyah, and leaves us wondering just how much she would have achieved had her life not been cut so tragically short.

Leave a comment


Type the characters you see in the picture above.

This is to help prevent spamming and confirm you are a human

 

Lifestyle authors

Nikki Aaron

Nikki Aaron - English language teacher uncovering life in Beijing
My postings | Nikki Aaron's RSS feed My feed

Michael Clifford

Michael Clifford - Two times BAFTA award-winning film director, living and working in Birmingham.
My postings | Michael Clifford's RSS feed My feed

Peter Shirley

Peter Shirley - A nature conservationist with interests from neighbourhood to global ecological issues.
My postings | Peter Shirley's RSS feed My feed

Richard Saxton

Richard Saxton - Wine writer and blogger based in Birmingham. Founder of www.thegrapedcrusader.co.uk
My postings

Kimberley Owen

Kimberley Owen - is editor of thisishappening.uk.com and a Senior PR Account Manager at Vital Marketing
My postings

Latest Birmingham Post Science blog

Science Blog

Birmingham Post staff and guest bloggers from Birmingham and the midlands inform and entertain on all science matters.

Latest Birmingham Post Sport blog

News Blog

Birmingham Post staff and guest bloggers from Birmingham and the midlands inform and entertain on all sporting matters.

Keep up to date

Sponsored Links