For those on this thread who accuse me of race baiting, this article tells me all I need about where this country is when it comes to race. There are many other examples but this is a very big tell.
This guy, D. Patel, more than any other character in the film 'carried' Slumdog Millionaire. He is definitely leading man material.......good looking, charismatic, smart and a good actor. And yet, the sucker can't get a job except as an Indian bad guy or mafioso. However, if he had blue eyes, he would be getting the kinds of roles Zac Efron, whose name carefully hides the fact that he is Jewish, is getting......leading man roles for films that cater primarily to tweeners in preparation for more meatier roles in more adult films.
And this careful screening of actors for films is not done for the hometown crowd......to people in LA they would love to see Patel as a lead opposite Blake Lively.......but middle America would never approve.
I admit things are changing.......its further along than it was ten years ago when I lived in LA and we see young actors like the anglicized Selena Gomez coming down the pike but the change is painfully slow as is the change in racial attitudes in this country. And the only way to make progress is to keep talking about it and point out when racism rears its ugly head.
Dev Patel: Hollywood only wants Asians to play terrorists, taxi drivers or geeks
Hollywood is institutionally racist, according to the Slumdog Millionaire star Dev Patel, who claims Asian actors are limited to roles as terrorists, taxi drivers or geeks.
When the story of a boy from the Mumbai slums became the surprise hit of 2009, winning eight Oscars, it was expected that Patel's career would take off.
However, the 20-year-old from Harrow, north-west London, has been frustrated by the lack of decent roles on offer and is currently jobless.
"Because Slumdog was such a big hit there was a lot of pressure in terms of what I did next. For my second film I wanted a role that would stretch me, but all I was getting offered were stereotypical parts like the goofy Indian sidekick," he said.
"Asian actors tend not to be sent Hollywood scripts that are substantial or challenging. I'm likely to be offered the roles of a terrorist, cab driver and smart geek... I want to show that I have versatility. You have to remember that, before Slumdog, the last film about India that went big at the Oscars was Gandhi, as played by Ben Kingsley. The fact that me and Freida have any kind of platform in Hollywood is a big step forward."
Freida Pinto played Patel's love interest in Slumdog Millionaire and is now his real-life girlfriend. The Indian-born former model has had more success than Patel, winning a role in Woody Allen's latest film.
Patel said he was hoping to overcome prejudice. "I'm buzzing with adrenaline and raring to go, but I have to be realistic. Being an Asian actor, it's never going to be easy. Hopefully the industry is changing and the casting directors will be less focused on colour so that people like myself can get through the door."
He was plucked from the relative obscurity of Channel 4's teen drama, Skins, to make his film debut in Slumdog Millionaire. Directed by Danny Boyle, it became a box office phenomenon and won the best picture Oscar.
Unfortunately, the film Patel chose for his second role has been mired in accusations of racism. The Last Airbender is based on a children's television cartoon in which the main characters are Asian. The £100 million Hollywood adaptation, released in the UK this week, has white actors playing the roles and the Asian actors - including Patel - are limited to playing baddies.
When the film premiered in the US last month, protesters demonstrated outside the cinema in Los Angeles.
The young actor still lives at home with his parents and travels on public transport. He said: "One time I was on the Tube and I picked up a free newspaper. Inside was a big article with the headlines, 'Dev Patel, the new rising star' along with a picture of me. This woman got on and started reading the piece. She looked up at me and did a classic double take."
telegraph.co.uk |
