60th London Evening Standard Theatre Awards 2014 held at the London Palladium
Benedict Cumberbatch has apologized for use of the outdated term “colored” when referring to black actors.
Cumberbatch appeared on the Tavis Smiley show on PBS promoting his Oscar-nominated turn in The Imitation Game when he weighed in on the diversity problems in the UK film industry. “I think as far as colored actors go, it gets really different in the UK, and a lot of my friends have had more opportunities here [in America] than in the UK, and that’s something that needs to change,” Cumberbatch said on the show.
Though the sentiment of Cumberbatch’s comment was well-received, his use of “colored,” a term that’s long been out of use, was considerably less so.
One anti-racism charity, Show Racism the Red Card, admitted that by using the word “colored,” Cumberbatch may have caused offense, but that the overall point he was trying to make was a worthy one.
“Benedict Cumberbatch has highlighted a very important issue within the entertainment industry and within society. In doing so, he has also inadvertently highlighted the issue of appropriate terminology and the evolution of language,” the charity told the Independent. “It has the potential to cause offence due to the connotations associated with the term and its historical usage.”
In response to the mild backlash, Cumberbatch offered an unequivocal apology:
“I’m devastated to have caused offense by using this outmoded terminology. I offer my sincere apologies,” said the British actor. “I make no excuse for my being an idiot and know the damage is done.”
Prince Harry’s wife, Meghan Markle, has reached out to her father-in-law, King Charles III, to…
Relatives of passengers aboard the flight previously expressed excitement and hope that the new search…
Meyer and Stewart first met while on the set of the 2019 movie American Ultra.…
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem's Gucci bag, which contained nearly $3,000 in…
Weinstein has requested that he be allowed to sleep in the hospital for the duration…
Over the years, The Eagles have been awarded six Grammy’s, sold over 150 million albums…