Hollywood ‘undeniably racist’: Daniel Radcliffe

Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe has said it is “pretty undeniable” that Hollywood is racist.
Speaking to the BBC, Radcliffe, 27, was asked if racism was present in Hollywood today.
“I mean yes, I think it’s pretty undeniable,” he said.
“We like to think of ourselves as being a very, very progressive industry but we have been lagging behind in all kind of areas that have been very well documented.”
The actor, who is on the panel that decides the Oscar winners, referenced the #OscarsSoWhite controversy in his explanation.
The dispute came about after black actors were excluded from winning the acting awards for the second year running.
“I think there’s lots of things about the Oscars, there’s lots of amazing performances every year that don’t get recognised,” he said.
“I feel like there’s a lot that is kind of unseen about the process.”
He also voiced concern on the Hollywood gender pay gap, highlighting Hunger Games actress Jennifer Lawrence’s essay in 2015.
His comments came only weeks after the University of Southern California’s annual Hollywood diversity report.
It found that inequality in roles for women and non-white actors in 2015’s top 100 films was at the same level as they were in 2007.
“Jennifer Lawrence was the person who wrote that letter and started that whole conversation,” he said.
“It’s crazy that that still goes on, and it’s also in department to department around the the industry as well.”
Radcliffe also spoke of the discrimination gay actors felt, saying they feared of being typecast for specific roles.
“I suppose because then people just want to cast you as gay,” he said.
“Neil Patrick Harris has made a career as playing the straightest guy on television [Barney on How I Met Your Mother], which is fantastic.
“It is sad, but there is a kind of line where people say ‘Oh no, people won’t buy him as straight anymore.”
However, Radcliffe believes things are starting to change for the better in Hollywood.
“Now that these conversations have come up, I feel like things are going to start changing. I’m starting to see it in scripts I read, particularly for female characters. You just see people make more of an effort.”
Watch the full interview below: