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Latinos and blacks looked over for acting gigs

11:51 H | Topics: Entertainment - Race

No hoorays for Hollywood. Hispanic Tips linked to a story today with the headline "Study: Whites get majority of acting jobs" and added "is anyone surprised by these findings?" My answer is no, not surprising. Even with more Latino, blacks and Asians in television and film these days, it's clear to anyone that whites dominate the entertainment business. According to the UCLA study:

Ethnic minorities were not cast in about 80 percent of first-, second- and third-billed leading roles in Hollywood films last year, according to a study released Wednesday.

This level of representation of Latino, black, Asian-American and American Indian actors is based on a review of the 171 commercially released films in 2005 that reported a gross of at least $1 million.

In addition, the first-time study from the UCLA School of Law and the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center showed that 69 percent of all casting notices for three months this summer specifically asked for white actors. Roles advertised for a specific ethnicity other than whites ranged from 0.5 percent to 8 percent of the total, it found.

Also during that three-month period, white actors could compete with minorities for an additional 8.5 percent of total parts - beyond the nearly 70 percent that specifically sought white actors.

Where are the Latinos in TV and film? According to the National Hispanic Media Coalition, in all the crappy, stereotyped roles:

"Latinos are great for staying behind at the titles to see if we can identify any Latinos. When we get to the bus captains and the busboys, then we get into the Latinos."

At least one casting director disagrees:

Jane Jenkins, a casting director on such films as "The Da Vinci Code," "Friday Night Lights," "Apollo 13" and "When Harry Met Sally" said an "enlightened" casting director will work to diversify a cast in parts that are not specified as being a specific ethnic type or gender.

"As a casting director, you are directed to cast by the nature of what is written," Jenkins said. "I do believe the majority of the casting directors I know try to open up to as much a variety of the film population as possible. But it is so dictated by what is written."

The author of the UCLA study claims that "casting directors take into account race and sex in a way that would be blatantly illegal in any other industry."

How important is Latino visibility in the entertainment industry? Does it matter to you if Latinos are cast in major roles in TV and movies? Leave us your comments.

Via / Hispanic Tips and L.A. Daily News

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