--- title: 'Get Out' Star Responds To Casting Criticism description: Samuel L. Jackson had criticised the choice to cast a black British actor and not an African-American canonical: https://time.com/4700669/get-out-addresses-samuel-l-jackson/ author: Entertainment Weekly article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-03-14T12:47:22.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:02:54.092Z og:title: Get Out Star Addresses Samuel L. Jackson's Criticism og:description: "I resent that I have to prove that I'm black" og:url: https://time.com/4700669/get-out-addresses-samuel-l-jackson/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6743c75fa6a03770/6988be457cdbac15a2d57781/gettyimages-643531706.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Build Series Presents Jordan Peele, Allison Williams and Daniel Kaluuya Discussing "Get Out" og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Get Out Star Addresses Samuel L. Jackson's Criticism twitter:description: "I resent that I have to prove that I'm black" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6743c75fa6a03770/6988be457cdbac15a2d57781/gettyimages-643531706.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # _Get Out_ Star on Samuel L. Jackson: 'I Resent That I Have to Prove That I'm Black' by [Derek Lawrence/EW](https://time.com/author/entertainment-weekly/) ## Derek Lawrence/EW Mar 14, 2017 12:47 PM UTC  Daniel Kaluuya attends the Build Series to discuss his new film "Get Out" at Build Studio on February 21, 2017 in New York City. Daniel Kaluuya attends the Build Series to discuss his new film "Get Out" at Build Studio on February 21, 2017 in New York City.Jenny Anderson—WireImage by [Derek Lawrence/EW](https://time.com/author/entertainment-weekly/) ## Derek Lawrence/EW Mar 14, 2017 12:47 PM UTC _Get Out_ has been a smash success since its release last month. The film from Jordan Peele, which cost less than $5 million to make, has passed the [$100 million mark](http://ew.com/movies/2017/03/12/box-office-report-kong-skull-island/) and currently sits at an astonishing [99 percent on Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/get%5Fout/). Yet, it found a high-profile critic when Samuel L. Jackson [criticized the decision to cast British actor Daniel Kaluuya](http://ew.com/movies/2017/03/08/samuel-l-jackson-thinks-get-out-should-have-starred-an-american-actor/) instead of an African-American actor in the lead role. Kaluuya, who was born in London to Ugandan parents, is now voicing his frustration with having to “prove I’m black.” In an [interview with GQ](http://www.gq.com/story/daniel-kaluuya-get-out-interview), Kaluuya, who stars as Chris in the thriller about a black photographer meeting his white girlfriend’s parents, responded to the comments from Jackson, whom he describes as having “done a lot so that we can do what we can do.” “When I’m around _black people_, I’m made to feel ‘other’ because I’m dark-skinned,” he said. “I’ve had to wrestle with that, with people going ‘You’re too black.’ Then I come to America, and they say, ‘You’re not black enough.’ I go to Uganda, I can’t speak the language. In India, I’m black. In the black community, I’m dark-skinned. In America, I’m British. Bro!” Kaluuya went on to reference the racism that he and other black people have experienced in England, including police violence similar to events that have taken place in the U.S. “I really respect African-American people. I just want to tell black stories,” he continued. “This is the frustrating thing, bro — in order to prove that I can play this role, I have to open up about the trauma that I’ve experienced as a black person. I have to show off my struggle so that people accept that I’m black. No matter that every single room I go to, I’m usually the darkest person there. You know what I’m saying? I kind of resent that mentality. I’m just an individual.” Last week, while promoting _Kong: Skull Island_ on [New York radio station Hot 97](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6r3NDSUZkhM), Jackson wondered if _Get Out_ would have benefited from an African-American in the lead role. “There are a lot of black British actors that work in this country. All the time,” he said. “I tend to wonder what would that movie have been with an American brother who really understands that in a way. Because Daniel grew up in a country where they’ve been interracial dating for a hundred years. Britain, there’s only about eight real white people left in Britain. … So what would a brother from America made of that role? I’m sure the director helped. Some things are universal, but everything ain’t.” Kaluuya concluded, “I see black people as one man… I resent that I have to prove that I’m black. I don’t know what that is. I’m still processing it.” Read his full interview [at GQ.](http://www.gq.com/story/daniel-kaluuya-get-out-interview) _This_ [_article_](http://ew.com/movies/2017/03/13/get-out-daniel-kaluuya-samuel-l-jackson/) _originally appeared on_[ _EW.com_ ](http://www.ew.com) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4700669/get-out-addresses-samuel-l-jackson/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4700669/get-out-addresses-samuel-l-jackson/"},"headline":"Get Out Star on Samuel L. Jackson: 'I Resent That I Have to Prove That I'm Black'","datePublished":"2017-03-14T12:47:22.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T08:02:54.092Z","description":"Samuel L. Jackson had criticized the casting of a black British actor instead of an African-American","url":"https://time.com/4700669/get-out-addresses-samuel-l-jackson/","keywords":["Newsfeed","celebrities","Samuel L. 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