Daniel Kaluuya has said he turned down fashion campaigns because a brand wanted to team him with white actors who “had not achieved as much” as he has.
The Get Out star, 34, who won an Oscar for his role in Jesus And The Black Messiah, said he wanted to make sure he was “representing right.”
Discussing the offers from the fashion industry, he told British GQ: “I said no to them. I didn’t understand it. If it’s not a f*** yeah, it’s a no.”
He added: “They wanted to put me against two white actors that hadn’t achieved as much as me.
“And I was all, ‘I wanna be on my own. Because that’s not gonna look good’.
“I’ve done things. I just feel like I have a certain position. It’s not like, ‘Oh, I’m so cool.’ I’m just like, ‘I don’t like that.’
“It’s got to be because of what it means, because I want to be out there and make sure I’m representing right.”
Kaluuya, who makes his directorial debut with the upcoming Netflix film The Kitchen, has also been named associate artistic director of The Roundhouse in Camden.
His first act in the role was announcing the formation of a new youth theatre company that would create pathways into the industry for actors of all background and he said: “Bro, chest out. Let’s f****** do this shit.
“No one’s gonna make me feel like that. I thought, Why would I shrink myself ? My mum didn’t raise me like that. Why do I shrink myself to make people feel comfortable?
“I want to do some good, cool shit. I want to help people, and I want to bring jobs. I want everyone to grow artistically. I want to do amazing things.
“Why would I shrink? Why would I dim?”
Shortly before the global racial reckoning that came with the death of George Floyd in the US, Kaluuya said he did not get roles in England because of the colour of his skin.
Asked if things are better now, he referenced the debut films of black British directors Savanah Leaf and Raine Allen-Miller, Earth Mama and Rye Lye, saying: “I’ve seen a lot of positive change, but that’s a product of positive change behind the camera.”
The February issue of British GQ is available via digital download and on newsstands on January 30th.
