Daniel Kaluuya responds to Samuel L. Jackson’s British comments

In an interview with GQ, "Get Out" star Daniel Kaluuya responded to Samuel L. Jackson's lamentation of African-American roles going to black British actors.

TheGrio Staff

Mar 14, 2017

Daniel Kaluuya, the star of Jordan Peele’s Get Out, recently gave an interview to GQ, in which he responded to Samuel L. Jackson’s lamentation of African-American roles going to black British actors.

“I see black people as one man… I resent that I have to prove that I’m black. I don’t know what that is. I’m still processing it,” Kaluuya said in response to Jackson’s suggestion that his role in Get Out should have gone to an African-American actor.

He refuted Jackson’s suggestion that only an African-American could speak to the discrimination shown in the film, noting that he was born to Ugandan parents and faced discrimination when he was growing up in England, too.

“I really respect African-American people. I just want to tell black stories,” he said.

“This is the frustrating thing, bro — in order to prove that I can play this role, I have to open up about the trauma that I’ve experienced as a black person. I have to show off my struggle so that people accept that I’m black. No matter that every single room I go to, I’m usually the darkest person there. You know what I’m saying? I kind of resent that mentality. I’m just an individual.”