Vanessa Williams dismisses Hollywood light-skinned bias: 'It's hard to get roles no matter how fair your skin is'

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Singer-actress Vanessa Williams stars alongside the legendary Cicely Tyson in the Lifetime original movie Trip to Bountiful.

Williams and Tyson reprise the roles they played in last year’s Broadway revival of the show, which earned Tyson a Tony Award.

In an interview with theGrio’s Chris Witherspoon, Williams discussed Lupita Nyong’o’s groundbreaking Oscar win, and weighed in on the issue of colorism in Hollywood.

“Getting a good role is hard no matter what you look like, and Lupita did a phenomenal job,” the Soul Food actress said. “[12 Years a Slave] was the first thing she did out of her tutelage and she’s a brilliant actress… she’s amazing because she embodied that role and made you feel.”

“It’s hard to get good roles anyway, no matter how fair your skin is…no matter how brown your skin is. It’s up to you to make the best out of each opportunity that you’re given.”

Follow Chris Witherspoon on Twitter for more Entertainment news at @WitherspoonC