Here are the three stages of acting stereotypes and how actors break them.
If you haven’t seen Jason Bourne or The Night Of, then you’re missing out one of Hollywood’s best leading actor, Riz Ahmed.
Riz Ahmed was born on December 1, 1982 in London, England. He is an actor and writer, known for Four Lions (2010), Nightcrawler (2014) and The Road to Guantanamo (2006) and most recently, The Night Of. Riz graduated from Oxford University with a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics and later enrolled into London’s Central School of Speech and Drama.
Currently, he is on tour promoting his new movie Jason Bourne and his new TV show The Night Of and during an interview with BBC Radio, Riz Ahmed explains the three stages every non-white actor has to go through in order to break stereotypes in Hollywood. He explains actors must first play into the stereotype, then transform that stereotype and finally do a role that has nothing to do with those stereotypes. For example, Viola Davis starred in The Help, a stereotypical role about a black maid who gets help from a white woman. This role, while stereotypical, led to her biggest acting job yet, How To Get Away with Murder, a non-stereotypical role that breaks the stereotypes of a female defense attorney.
It is a transformation and stages that Riz Ahmed had to personally go through while building his acting career. It is a great explanation and eye opening look into Hollywood’s casting process.
You can check out the full video below:
Related:
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Study: How Hollywood Casting Directors are Reinforcing Gendered Racial Stereotypes
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More Whites are Watching and Interested in Black Dramas Breaking Hollywood Stereotypes
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