WE’VE KNOWN that Hollywood has a diversity
problem. And that problem extends to roles offered to minorities. Actress Kerry Washington has been at the forefront of calling for more diversity—and her work on Scandal is credited with opening doors for more black actors challenging stereotypes on TV. But even Olivia Pope herself has dealt with racial typecasting. She told Variety that she was fired from two TV pilots because she wasn’t “hood” or “urban” enough. She said, “For both [pilots], it was because they wanted me to sound more ‘girlfriend,’ more like ‘hood’ more ‘urban.’”
KERRY WASHINGTON LOST A TV ROLE BECAUSE SHE DIDN’T SOUND ‘HOOD’
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