Iconic actor Billy Dee Williams is pushing back against the notion that blackface is harmful.
Best known for portraying Lando Calrissian in the earlier “Star Wars” franchise, Williams came up during a time when blackface in film productions was normal. Though the practice is mostly outlawed in the films of today, Williams recently shared his views on the technique. During a chat with Bill Maher’s “Club Random” podcast, the 87-year-old reflected on the 1965 film “Othello,” which featured white actor Laurence Olivier as the lead character while painted in Black from head to toe. While the role sparked conversations about William Shakespeare and racism in his works, Williams thought the idea of using a non-Black performer in blackface instead of an actor of color for the role was funny.
“When [Olivier] did ‘Othello,’ I fell out laughing. He stuck his a** out and walked around with his a** because Black people are supposed to have big a**es,” Williams explained at the 58-minute mark, later adding, “I thought it was hysterical. I loved it. I love that kind of stuff.”
Even with Maher pointing out that blackface is problematic, Williams maintained he doesn’t see the issue. In fact, he believes all actors should do whatever type of content they feel comfortable with. Instead of Black consumers focusing on the harmful history of the practice, Williams believes people should move beyond it.
“The point is that you don’t go through life feeling like, ‘I’m a victim.’ I refuse to go through life saying to the world, ‘I’m pissed off.’ I’m not gonna be pissed off 24 hours a day,” he added.
