WILL TOLD: YOU ARE NOT BLACK ENOUGH
Williams role decision slammed
WILL Smith sparked a race row after critics moaned he was not black enough to play the dad of tennis aces the Williams sisters.
The 50-year-old is set to take on the role of Venus and Serena’s father Richard in a Hollywood biopic.
But the move was slammed on social media because of the lighter colour of Will’s skin.
One critic wrote: “Sure Will Smith is black BUT he is a light skinned black man who is palatable to white audiences.
“Richard Williams is an outspoken dark-skinned black man. Skin tone matters on how you are treated in society.’’
Another said: “I dig Will immensely but plenty other brothas that could better portray Mr Williams in appearance.’’
Some fans asked why the role in the movie King Richard had not gone to an actor with darker skin such as Brit Idris Elba or Mahershala Ali, who won a best supporting actor Oscar for his role in Green Book.
One said: “This shouldn’t happen. Will Smith is NOT dark enough to play this role.
“So, what we shouldn’t do is erase the fact that Richard was received the way he was in tennis because he was a darkskinned black man.”
But others claimed that it was “really pathetic and sad” that Will – who has twice been nominated for Oscars – was DAILY STAR, Thursday, March 7, 2019 being attacked over his skin colour.
One Twitter user said: “So now you’ve got to be black as coal to be black. Will Smith is a fantastic actor.”
While another fan wrote: “I cannot believe people are actually saying he is not dark enough.
“People have just lost their minds.”
The biopic will follow the story of how coach Richard, 77, helped his two daughters rise from the courts of Compton, California, to tennis superstardom.