Is Morris Chestnut’s gripe legitimate or is this just an excuse for the stagnation in his career?
Do you ever wonder if there is a color complex in Hollywood? The issue is a big one in the black community, but we never discuss whether or not it could limit the options for talented black actors and actresses. For example, Cicely Tyson recently won her first Tony Award in her late 80s, but some say that she could have won something sooner had she been a light-skinned beauty like Halle Berry.
Morris Chestnut appeared this week at the Essence Music Festival, stating that the color complex is very real for black actors, even in the year 2013.
Chestnut, who is appearing in the latest installment of the film, ?The Best Man,? said that coming up, it was very difficult for dark-skinned actors to get opportunities.
?You?re talking to the right person because when I was coming up, it was all about Prince, Michael Jackson, Jesse Jackson. So it was really difficult for me coming up. Matter of fact, my first production company was called ?Dark Skin Productions,? because it was difficult breaking in. And then, Wesley Snipes broke through and he opened it up for us dark-skinned brothers. Some of my boys, Shemar Moore, they?re light-skinned and they get theirs too. There?s enough for everybody,? Chestnut said in response to a question he was asked.
So, what do you think? We recently saw Oprah?s documentary about dark girls, but is there an issue also being faced by men? At the same time, dark-skinned men have been fashionable for far longer than dark-skinned women. Is Chestnut?s gripe legitimate or is this just an excuse for the stagnation in his career?
Source-blackbluedog
