British actor Daniel Kaluuya has said he doesn’t want to be defined by his race or racial issues. The Get Out and Black Panther star says that he finds it boring to talk about his work in terms of race.
The British actor and writer gained international fame for starring role in the horror film Get Out, for which he was nominated for a string of awards. He then moved on to Marvel’s Black Panther and the Steve McQueen thriller Widows.
Speaking to the Radio Times, Kaluuya, who turned 31 today; said he was resisting the racial narrative which he felt people were forcing him into. “I’m not going to ignore that I’m surrounded by [racial issues], but I’m not defined by it. I’m just Daniel, who happens to be black.”
This year’s Oscars and BAFTA shortlists received heavy criticism for their lack of diversity. But Kaluuya said he did not want fans and filmmakers to push him into becoming a spokesperson for black actors. “What is there to talk about race? It’s just boring to me. What’s the debate? I’m more of a doer. I’m just going to do what I want to do.”
Race is an issue at the centre of Get Out; which follows a series of disturbing events when an African American man meets his white girlfriend’s family. But Kaluuya emphasizes that he plays a wide variety of roles that people ignore and he did not want to become “the race guy”.
“The Fades ain’t about race. Psychoville ain’t about race. Skins ain’t about race. Chatroom ain’t about race. Johnny English Reborn ain’t about race. But that almost gets erased. There’s a narrative that is pushed,” he added.
On Queen & Slim
In his latest venture, Queen & Slim, he stars alongside Jodie Turner-Smith as a couple who become fugitives after a Tinder date gone wrong. While the pair are driving home, an aggressive policeman pulls them over. Kaluuya’s character, Slim, ends up shooting in self-defence.
Kaluuya said he might have had some reservations about taking on another role that would lead to him being asked about race. But it was the love story element of the film that attracted him. “Yes, it’s got those moments [about race] but that’s more of a catalyst.”
The British actor and writer, from north London, has previously said he started doing more American movies. He felt he was not getting roles in England because of his skin colour.
Now he has clarified that it was mainly to do with a lack of challenging roles. He said at the age of 25 he found he was too old to play children and too young to play men.
His Black Panther co-star Michael B Jordan introduced an “inclusion rider” to his production company to ensure more diverse cast and crew. His film, Just Mercy, was one of the first that they made with the rider in place. However, it just missed out on an Oscar nomination.
While he is working on another American film, Kaluuya said he would be open to doing something in the UK, such as a play upstairs in the Royal Court or at the Young Vic, but right now he wants to experiment.
“The good thing is there’s no expectation on me, so I could bomb, but I’ve had good innings!”
