Bret Easton Ellis can kvetch all he likes about the perceived idiocy of victim culture and the so-called “snowflakes,” but the fact is, it’s a good thing that we’ve at least started to have the conversation about fair and accurate cultural representation in popular film and television. I’m not saying we’ve become a 100% liberal, tolerant culture, but starting a dialogue is at least taking a step in the right direction.
Aziz Ansari and Kerry Washington are two actors who probably know this well. Ansari has been funny and memorable in projects ranging from “Parks And Recreation” to “Observe And Report” to his early work with comedy collective the Human Giant. Kerry Washington, meanwhile, has been giving quietly powerful and mesmerizing turns for some time now, and her magnificent work as Anita Hill — the Oklahoma-born attorney who accused Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Clarence Thomas of gross sexual misconduct back in 1991 — in “Confirmation” is the culmination of a career’s worth of fine, understated performances. Though they come from different backgrounds and possess different skill sets, both Ansari and Washington clearly know what it’s like to be unjustly relegated to bit parts because the actors who have lighter complexions are deemed more likely to sell tickets.
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Hollywood’s current race problem is just one of the many topics discussed between Ansari and Washington during this latest installment of “Actors On Actors.” Both Ansari and Washington agree that the new business model for actors/writers/creatives of color is to make one’s opportunities for oneself, since Hollywood is seemingly not interested/not doing such a hot job at offering meaningful work to non-Caucasian actors. Each actor also discusses the level of passion and commitment that went into their latest projects. Washington talks about how she came to the role of Anita Hill and projects her sincere admiration for her “Confirmation” co-stars Jeffrey Wright and Greg Kinnear (side note: both actors are rightly enthused by Kinnear’s pitch-perfect Joe Biden imitation). Ansari, meanwhile, discusses his working relationship with fellow ‘Parks and Rec’ writer Alan Yang, his plans to keep it multicultural on season two of “Master Of None” (which, in spite of some tiny, juicy tidbits, seems very much under wraps), and the joys and frustrations of working with his real-life parents. It’s a fascinating and illuminating discussion from two actors you wouldn’t think to pair together, and who, perhaps not surprisingly, make for some riveting and insightful conversation when paired together.
Watch the full conversation between Aziz Ansari and Kerry Washington below.