Oscar-nominated, NAACP awardee Daniel Kaluuya recently sat down with TRENCH magazine to talk about a range of things, from his early Camden beginnings to his breakout role in Get Out, the Oscars, and his upcoming films Black Panther and Widows. In the interview, Kaluuya offers a candid interpretation of his thoughts regarding the realism he displayed through the plight of Chris Washington in Get Out, the way he chooses his projects, not playing the industry game, and the importance of being a British actor on the world stage.
While we suggest you read the whole interview here, we've also highlighted some of the most enlightening points down below.
On the responsibility of being a black actor and picking his projects carefully: "I have to own the fact that I'm a black man—that's why I did Black Panther and Widows because if I play the industry game, I lose... I'm not trying to hide from myself. I don't think I'm famous, but that also means audiences engage with your work first and not your status."
On being acknowledged on a mainstream level after already winning so many accolades: "These critics aren't the authority on my ability—and they certainly aren't above me—so, moretime, I try to ignore the noise."
On diversity in the film industry: "I think the word 'diverse' is a cancerous word because it's life. It's a PC way of saying 'non-white' and it ultimately suggests that white is the standard. 'Diverse' shouldn't be an actionable thing—it should just be."
On what drives him to be so committed to acting: "You've got to be purposeful and truthful. And with the idea of storytelling, where a movie is often like a short story, you have to lean outward in order to put so much in."
