Samuel L. Jackson Criticizes the Casting of Daniel Kaluuya in 'Get Out'

Will Lerner
·Producer, Yahoo Entertainment

Get Out has received rave reviews, with director and writer Jordan Peele earning plaudits and rising British actor Daniel Kaluuya being praised as well. That said, one vocal star has come forward to criticize the movie for its casting.

Samuel L. Jackson went on Ebro in the Morning, a New York-based morning radio show and explained his issue with Get Out. “The thing in my mind is, I know the young brother who is in the movie,” Jackson said, referring to Kaluuya. “And he’s British. … I tend to wonder, what would that movie have been with an American brother who really understands that in a way, because, I mean, Daniel grew up in a country where they have been interracial-dating for a hundred years.”

Daniel Kaluuya in <em>Get Out</em>. (Photo: Universal Studios)
Daniel Kaluuya in Get Out. (Photo: Universal Studios)

Jackson then criticized Hollywood’s tendency to cast British actors for American roles, citing the casting of British-born David Oyelowo as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma. He explained why he thinks Brits are taking American parts. “They’re cheaper than us, for one thing,” he offered. “They don’t cost as much. … And they think they’re better trained, because they’re classically trained. I don’t know what the love affair is with all that.”

At least one black British actor has responded. Star Wars: The Force Awakens star John Boyega, born in London, wrote:

In an earlier interview with the Guardian, Peele admitted that he had wanted an American at first. “I didn’t want to go with a British actor, because this movie was so much about representation of the African-American experience,” he said before explaining Kaluuya won him over in the audition process.

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