(RepublicanDaily.org) – Oscar Award-winner Daniel Kaluuya has recently recounted an instance where he turned down a project from a certain brand because he would be paired up with white actors who “had not achieved as much” in their careers compared to himself.
Kaluuya made the revelation during an interview with British GQ, “They wanted to put me against two white actors,” he said. However, he noted that the said actors “hadn’t achieved as much as me.”
He explained that he wanted to be by himself and that if he said yes, it was not going to “look good.”
He further explained that given his resume and accomplishments, he is now at “certain position” that allows him to say no to offers.
Kaluuya first came into the mainstream spotlight after appearing as one of the late Chadwick Boseman’s allies in the Marvel movie franchise film “Black Panther” but won an Academy Award for his role of Fred Hampton, the leader of the African-American movement the Black Panthers in the 2021 biopic “Judas and the Black Messiah.”
That Academy Award win has apparently given the actor more freedom to be true to his artistic sensibilities. In the GQ interview, he relates being told to be somebody else – “I’d become what people around me wanted from me,” he said. He added that he became a person “people had paid for,” instead of being true to himself.
He cited his authenticity as an artist as the reason why he has become more selective with the projects, brands, and organizations he associates himself with.
Kaluuya said that from now on, he will not “shrink” himself just to make other people more comfortable.
As for future plans, Kaluuya provided no specifics, but said that he wants to do more projects that are “good, cool”, and “amazing things.” He also said that he wants to give back by helping people and giving people jobs, as well as helping other artists “grow artistically.”
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