Zoe Saldana: Racism in Hollywood

Hollywood is a place where dreams are created for the public to enjoy, but the film industry has been accused of racism by one of its own.

Rising actress Zoe Saldana believes she has been the victim of discrimination and overlooked for film roles because she doesn't fit the picture.

The 33-year-old, who has played leading roles in films such as Avatar, Star Trek and The Losers, said she had witnessed racism throughout her life and that when it came to Hollywood, she was still judged on her skin colour rather than her acting abilities.

Saldana believes that racism is prevalent in wider society saying,

“Of course there’s racism and discrimination in Hollywood. You go for a part and they say, ‘Oh, we really liked her, she’s amazing, but we wanted to go with something more traditional.’ As if I’m not a traditional American! I feel sorry for people like that. They need to educate themselves. Mostly you move on and say, ‘Well, I wasn’t meant to work with you or be around someone like you…’ Other times you might say, ‘You’re ignorant, you’re a racist. That’s it. I’m out of here!’"

There have always been grumblings that actors and actresses from a Black or Minority Ethnic background are often limited to the roles they can play. For instance, you could more often than not expect an ethnic face to play a "Middle-Eastern terrorist", which plays on society's fears and preconceptions.

Should we not expect films and other forms of popular culture to start reflecting all members of society without resorting to lazy stereotyping. Maybe Hollywood could take the lead from comic books, where recently, Marvel Comics introduced a half-Black, half-Hispanic boy to play the next Spiderman.

It is sad that even now, some of the leading actresses in the industry feel their creativity is being stifled due to the colour of their skin. Surely in the 21st century this should be a thing of the past.

Picture: Zoe Saldana