Seth Rogen apologizes for use of blackface on set of ‘Good Boys’

WESTWOOD, CA - APRIL 03: Seth Rogen attends the premiere of Universal Pictures' "Blockers" at Regency Village Theatre on April 3, 2018 in Westwood, California. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images)

Actor Seth Rogen has issued an apology after a stand-in for a child actor was spotted on the set of his Good Boys movie rocking an afro wig and blackface.

Photographs first emerged this week from the Vancouver-based production set showing photos of the stand-in for 11-year old actor Keith L. Williams wearing brown makeup to darken his skin along with the wig to closer resemble Williams, movieweb.com reports.

Rogen, 36, in a statement obtained by Indiewire, said the incident “shouldn’t have happened, and I’m terribly sorry it did.”

“I won’t give excuses for why it happened,” he continued. “I’ll just say that as soon [as] I was made aware of it, I ensured we put an end to it — and I give my word that on any project my team and I are involved in, we will take every precaution to make sure something similar does not take place.”

He added, “I’m engaging in conversations to make sure I find the best way to do that. It’s on me to be proactive. Reacting isn’t enough.”

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The incident was first reported by TMZ on Wednesday when sources connected to the production company, Good Universe, shared with the tabloid news site that it was “not uncommon for lighting purposes to match actors’ skin tones.”

However, as noted by People, a director of photography explained that using makeup to darken an actor’s skin was unorthodox.

“It is important for me to cast a person with similar complexion and physical stature to the actors they are standing in for,” the director of photography told Indiewire. “In regards to makeup, I’ve seen wigs used and powder to take down shine, but maybe not as extreme as what is being suggested here.”

Seth Rogen is producing Good Boys along with Evan Goldberg. The story centers on a group of boys entering adolescence who set out on a quest to fix their broken toy before their parents arrive home.

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