Woody Allen explains why there's no black people in his moviesWoody Allen Explains Why There's No Bl

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Woody Allen Explains Why There's No Black People In His Movies ... Sort Of
BY CHRISTOPHER SPATA
16 HOURS AGO
COMMENTS (11)
SHARES (77)

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People have been pointing out the lack of black faces in Woody Allen movies for years.

The director, who's far from universally beloved as a person, but is beyond critically respected as a filmmaker, answered the question in a recent interview with the New York Observer ... sort of.

Here's the quote from what the reporter described as a "horrified" Allen when he was asked about not casting black actors in his movies:

"Not unless I write a story that requires it. You don’t hire people based on race. You hire people based on who is correct for the part. The implication is that I’m deliberately not hiring black actors, which is stupid. I cast only what’s right for the part. Race, friendship means nothing to me except who is right for the part."

Uh, that still doesn't really explain why after making movies for five decades a meaningful role in one of Allen's films has never been "right" for a black actor, but OK.

Is this just Allen being honest in saying he doesn't think about black roles at all when he's writing? Is this a problem?

The profile goes on to report that Allen does what most white people when they're confronted with an accusation of racism: list their black friends, which in Allen's case apparently includes Chris Rock and Spike Lee.


It's worth a read if you have a few minutes.

[Via Indiewire]

 

[TRIPLE M]

He only writes Jewish men or women in the leads 99%
And most of his movies had him as the male lead anyway

 

[kp404]

Make movies set in urban America and deliberately not show any black or brown people ANYWHERE, brehs

 

[BXKingPin82]

doesnt this pasty fukk lil girls or some shyt

that Midnight in Paris shyt was fresh tho lol

 

[Master Teacher]

I've never seen one woody allen movie

 

[Milk N Cookies]

doesnt this pasty fukk lil girls or some shyt

that Midnight in Paris shyt was fresh tho lol

The movie with Rachel McAdams? That's his movie ? If so that's the ONLY Woody Allen movie I've EVER seen. Anyway, at him.

 

[sun raw]

Now his next character is gonna be a nebbish neurotic Jew living in New York, also he's Black

 

[Norrin Radd]

Not even surprising.

 

[Supercoolmayo]

This is the first team I heard about Woody Allen

 

[mrken12]

"Don't hire people based on race?"

 

[ORDER_66]

Man this guy is a fukking idiot. Your telling me when youve filmed in manhattan you've never seen a black person or latino or even asian person living in these places and thus have characters that represent them. gtfoh... with this bullshyt...

 

[Jello Biafra]

Woody Allen is a creepy piece of shyt and he doesn't hire black people for his movies because he is one of those liberal subtle racists who would only think of a black (or latin) actor is the part called for a thug or homeless person or domestic of some sort.

 

[OneManGang]

I always just viewed it as him not really being around black ppl like that. Its very possible in Brooklyn and Manhattan. You see them but dont really know anything about them or their lives...his movies like to portray everyday life in the city from his perspective. Jews have their own communities where they dont have to leave their own couple of blocks in the city. Jews and blacks could live across the street and never interact with one another.

Do we really want him to write a movie with a person he's never interacted with as the lead? Never really seen the big deal with his movies anyway. I respect his work though.

 

[wire28]

the time just hasnt been right, you cant force art

 

[Jello Biafra]

I always just viewed it as him not really being around black ppl like that. Its very possible in Brooklyn and Manhattan. You see them but dont really know anything about them or their lives...his movies like to portray everyday life in the city from his perspective. Jews have their own communities where they dont have to leave their own couple of blocks in the city. Jews and blacks could live across the street and never interact with one another.

Do we really want him to write a movie with a person he's never interacted with as the lead? Never really seen the big deal with his movies anyway. I respect his work though.

His movies are not all about Jews and the Jewish way of life in New York.
Race barely comes up in the majority of his films and he could have cast any number of roles with minority actors if he wanted to because many of the parts he has written don't really factor in more than quirks of character and that is it.