“Star Wars” actor Billy Dee Williams (87) apparently has no problem with blackfacing being used in film and theater. The Lando Calrissian actor explained in a podcast with Bill Maher (68) that, in his opinion, an actress should do whatever he or she wants.
Blackfacing refers to the painting of the face of light-skinned people with dark paint to portray black characters on stage or in films and series. Blackfacing is considered racist due to often derogatory previous representations and the use of negative stereotypes and prejudices.
Williams apparently sees things differently. In an edition of “Club Random with Bill Maher” the two talk about the British actor Laurence Olivier (1907-1989) and his role of Othello with blackface in a film adaptation of the Shakespeare play from 1965. Williams practically fell over laughing when he saw this. “He stuck his butt out and walked around like that because black people are supposed to have big butts. […] I thought it was hilarious. I loved it. I love that sort of thing.”
When Maher notes that this wouldn’t be possible for actors today, Williams asks, “Why not? They should do it. If you’re an actor, you should do whatever you want to do.” The moderator also points out that the 87-year-old “lived in a time when he couldn’t play the roles he should have played.” Williams sees it this way: “The point is that you don’t go through life feeling, ‘I’m a victim.’ […] I refuse to go through life saying to the world, ‘I am pissed off.’ I’m not going to be mad 24 hours a day.”
