Emmy-nominated actor Billy Dee Williams says he has no problem with non-black actors wearing “blackface” and says actors should take on any role they want to take on. He said he felt it.
Mr. Williams, 87, came to national attention in 1971 with a tear-jerking TV movie. brian’s songHe established himself in pop culture with his role as Lando Calrissian in the movie. Star Wars He was this week’s guest on the Bill Mahers show in the 1980s. club random Maher was shocked when Williams spoke positively about performing in blackface during comments on the podcast.
Williams told Marr that when Laurence Olivier played Shakespeare’s seminal black character Othello in 1965, he “laughed out loud” when Olivier wore black face paint to play the role. Told. Williams added that she thought it was funny that Olivier stuck out his butt because “black people are supposed to have big butts.”
“I thought it was hysterical. I loved it so much,” Williams told Maher. “I love that kind of thing.”
Williams went on to question the logic of banning blackface performances today.
“Why not? We should do it,” Williams exclaimed. “If you’re an actor, you should do whatever you want.”
Maher was a little surprised and pointed out that Williams was old enough to have lived in a time when black actors couldn’t even play certain roles.
Williams, who began acting in 1959 and was a mainstay on television throughout the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s, rejected victimhood.
“The important thing is not to go through life feeling like a victim,” Williams said. “I refuse to go through life saying to the world, ‘I’m angry.’ I’m not going to be angry 24 hours a day.”
He also defended the right of actors and entertainers to be creative.
“If I’m going to be creative, let me be creative as an individualist. “I don’t want to do anything. I’m an artist. I’m a creative being in this life,” he explained.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Facebook: facebook.com/Warner.Todd.Hustonor truth social @WarnerToddHuston
