Jordan Peele Doesn’t See Himself Casting A White Man As The Lead
Oscar-winning director Jordan Peele is committed to casting black actors.
This week, during a conversation at Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in Los Angeles, the writer-director said he’s committed to casting black actors as leads in his films.
“I don’t see myself casting a white dude as the lead in my movie. Not that I don’t like white dudes. But I’ve seen that movie,” he said, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
“It really is one of the best, greatest pieces of this story, is feeling like we are in this time — a renaissance has happened and proved the myths about representation in the industry are false.”
Peele’s comment caused an uproar of laughter, but the director was serious about his statement, according to THR.
Last weekend, Peele’s horror film Us hit theaters, starring a mostly black cast bringing in $70 million at the box office. Peele’s 2017 film, Get Out starring black actor Daniel Kaluuya brought in more than $176 million and earned the writer-director an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
“The way I look at it,” Peele said Monday (Mar. 25) at the improv venue, “I get to cast black people in my movies. I feel fortunate to be in this position where I can say to Universal, ‘I want to make a $20 million horror movie with a black family.’ And they say yes.”
Glennisha Morgan is a Detroit-bred multimedia journalist and writer. She writes about intersectionality, hip-hop, pop culture, queer issues, race, feminism, and her truth. Follow her on Twitter @GlennishaMorgan
