I read a headline the other day about success in Hollywood for black movie stars is limited. It said “despite Denzel Washington and Halle Berry.”
Okay, so you mean that actors (not “stars” – there’s a difference) like Morgan Freeman and James Earl Jones don’t get good parts? What about Wil Smith? I mean, what are Men In Black or Independence Day? Not exactly bombs, you know. I suppose Samuel L. Jackson is a slouch for Pulp Fiction, or the zillion of other great movies he’s made. Or L.L. Cool J., who has turned into a great actor in movies like In Too Deep, playing far away from his type.
Then there are the actors like Cuba Gooding, Jr., who had a good thing going after Boyz ‘N The Hood and Jerry Maguire and wasted it on that stupid dog movie Snow Dogs. Or the Wayans brothers, who have scored with witless hits like I’m Gonna Git You Sucka and Scary Movie. Those types of movies give brothers a bad name. As dumb as those movies are, though, SOMEONE is paying to see them. They ARE making money.
Whoopi Goldberg… don’t get me started. She has her moments, like in Ghost and The Color Purple, but all too often she makes some real bombs. She should break out of character once in a while. Other than the few movies where she actually shows she has acting talent, she’s mostly the Adam Sandler of black movie stars. In other words, how does she still have a career?
Laurence Fishburne. Now that guy’s had a career! He’s currently riding high as Morpheus in theMatrix franchise, but his career stretches back to the 1970’s. That guy knows how to act and he knows how to pick his movies.
And whatever happened to Rob Brown, the fresh young actor who had a lead in Finding Forrester? I’d have thought he’d be clocking G’s after that one, but he pretty much disappeared.
Who would’ve ever thought Ice-T, who once sang NWA’s anthem F**k Tha Police, would play a cop on TV’s Law And Order: Special Victims Unit? And be damn good at it, too? Of the former rap stars who have branched into acting, Ice-T is by far the most talented. In fact, he’s one of the most talented black actors out there today.
I think what’s really wrong with Hollywood is that most movies and TV shows suck, not just the ones starring blacks. With few exceptions, Hollywood is bankrupt of good ideas. In that regard, Hollywood doesn’t discriminate.