Daniel Radcliffe On Racism In Hollywood: “It’s Undeniable”

Daniel Radcliffe, 27, appeared on the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire program this week to promote his new film Imperium, and weighed in on the topic of race in Hollywood.

DANIEL RADCLIFFE SAYS RACISM EXISTS IN HOLLYWOOD

The interviewer asked Radcliffe if he thought Hollywood was racist, and the actor responded in the positive. “It’s pretty undeniable,” he said. “We like to think of ourselves as being a very, very… a progressive industry. But we have been lagging behind in all kinds of areas.”

Radcliffe also mentioned the struggles of those actors that fall outside the realm of the heteronormative, saying he understands why gay actors might feel afraid to come out. “I suppose then people just want to cast you as gay,” he said.

Hollywood has been under fire recently for its lack of diversity. Specifically, the #OscarsSoWhite campaign back in February shed light on the issue of race at the Oscars. All 20 acting nominations went to white actors at the 2016 Oscars. As a result, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (AMPAS) has increased the number of female and minority voters.

Radcliffe’s new film, Imperium, follows an undercover FBI agent as he infiltrates a white supremacist group, which is how the conversation on race began in his interview. The actor also spoke on his willingness to play Harry Potter again some time in the future, perhaps decades in the future.

“It’s only been six years [since he’s played Harry Potter] and I’m really enjoying being able to do lots of different stuff at the moment.”

See the Imperium trailer below.