Daniel Kaluuya Says He Doesn't Want to Be 'Defined' by Race: 'I'm Just Daniel, Who Happens to Be Black'

The 'Get Out' star recently said he feels it's "boring" to be asked the same questions about the topic over and over again.

Daniel Kaluuya
Getty

Image via Getty

Daniel Kaluuya

Don't ask Daniel Kaluuya about race.

The Get Out star recently told the UK’s Radio Times that it is "boring" to be asked the same questions about the topic over and over again, according to The Guardian. That might be difficult considering he's reportedlyset to play the Black Panther Fred Hampton in a forthcoming film, but alas.

"What is there to talk about race?" the 30-year-old actor asked. "It's just boring to me. What's the debate? I'm more of a doer — I'm just going to do what I want to do."

"I'm not going to ignore that I’m surrounded by [racism], but I'm not defined by it," he continued. "I'm just Daniel, who happens to be black."

Kaluuya is perhaps best known for his roles in movies that center around race and racial issues like 2017’s Get Out, 2018’s Black Panther, and 2019's Queen and Slim. However, he appears to be tired of answering questions about race and wants to be known as more than just "the race guy."

The actor recently said that he wasn't able to get certain roles due to the color of his skin in England. "I was going for a lot of stuff [in England]," the Queen and Slim star told the Sunday Times. "But I wasn't getting roles because of the color of my skin. It wasn't fair. It was a trap."

Back in 2018, he wanted to make fans aware that he doesn't consider himself a spokesperson for racial issues. "I'm not a spokesperson, I'm an individual," he told The Guardian at the time. "Who's the spokesperson for white people? There isn't one. No one's expected to speak up for all white people. I'm just living my life. I'm a black man, I'm proud of it, but I'm just living my life."

People had plenty to say about Kaluuya's latest comments:

I wish everyone dragging Daniel Kaluuya would just read the fucking article instead of getting outraged at a headline

— 👩🏾‍🦯 (@boujiewlw) January 28, 2020

Daniel Kaluuya: I'm tired of talking about race.
Also Daniel Kaluuya when it's time to make money from movie roles based on race: pic.twitter.com/ggO7heePjv

— MEMELAND - RAFFLE NOW!!! (@memelandpttz) January 28, 2020

I'm a bit conflicted about what Daniel Kaluuya is saying. On one hand I completely understand cause being the "black spokesperson" is exhausting. On the other hand look at the roles he chose to play, he kind of put this upon himself.

— Thursday (@MYSTERIOUX_) January 28, 2020

Daniel Kaluuya is “tired of talking about race and doesn’t want to be defined by it” but he’s steady taking racially powerful roles. . Isn’t he about to play Fred Hampton? pic.twitter.com/8F92xgM6We

— ENDÍA (@EndiaTheMuse) January 28, 2020

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