UK
Watch Eric Kolelas’ French Drama Short ’50 Pence’ (VIDEO)
French filmmaker Eric Kolelas stars in a gripping mafia crime drama short, 50 Pence, which he also wrote and directed. The short film made it’s official debut on the internet yesterday. In the short, Kolelas navigates through the historic streets of Paris with a mysterious woman (Anoushka Ravanshad) after he is ordered to bring her to his dangerous boss... Read More »
Idris Elba Says His Mandela Biopic Is ‘Hands Down The Best’
Idris Elba sat down with UK’s Guardian for a very insightful interview about his career at the launch of the Tanqueray Gin Palace in London. The Thor actor discussed, among other things, his role as the legendary political activist-turned-South African president Nelson Mandela in the upcoming biopic, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom. Here are some of the highlights from the interview. On comparing his portrayal of Mandela with that of Morgan Freeman (Invictus) and Terrence Howard (Winnie):... Read More »
All-Black ‘Julius Caesar’ at BAM
BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music) will present an all-black production of William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, to run April 10 through Apr 28, 2013 at the BAM Harvey Theater. Gregory Doran will direct a cast that includes Paterson Joseph as Brutus (pictured), Jeffrey Kissoon as Julius Caesar, and Ray Fearon as Marc Anthony. Brooklyn, NY—The world-renowned Royal Shakespeare Company returns to BAM with a new twist on Shakespeare’s Julius... Read More »
Lucien Laviscount Joins CW’s ‘The Selection’
CW’s The Selection has recast the role of Aspen for it’s second pilot. British actor Lucien Laviscount has landed a leading role in the network’s retooled drama pilot The Selection – a Hunger Games-esque drama based on a book series by Kiera Cass. Set 300 years in the future, an epic romance centering on a working class young woman chosen by lottery to participate in a competition with... Read More »
‘Downton Abbey’ to introduce it’s first black character
Dowton Abbey is on the verge of diversifying it’s cast by adding a black character into the mix. The upcoming season of the Emmy Award-winning period drama will feature it’s first black cast member, Blackactors.net has learned. According to British tabloid The Sun, a casting notice was sent out to top agents searching for a black actor in their late 20s to portray a Jazz singer named Jack Ross. The notice describes the character... Read More »
Watch David Oyelowo track down a terrorist in ‘Complicit’ preview trailer
The preview trailer for UK’s Channel 4 upcoming telepic Complicit has hit the web and one thing is clear—this is a serious drama about terrorism. The drama, directed by Niall McCormickm, will see David Oyelowo as an MI5 agent facing a moral dilemma when he tracks down a suspected terrorist. The official synopsis reads: In fighting the War on... Read More »
Adrian Lester Wins Best Actor at UK’s Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards
Adrian Lester has won the best actor award at the Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards for his role as pioneering African-American actor Ira Aldridge in Red Velvet. Lester is the first black actor to recieve the honor. The winners were announced earlier today at an informal ceremony at the Prince of Wales Theatre in London. Each member of the Drama Section independently casts his or her vote based on... Read More »
Thandie Newton in DirecTV’s ‘Rouge’ Trailer (VIDEO)
A trailer for DIRECTV’s original suspense-drama series “Rogue,” starring Thandie Newton (Mission Impossible 2, Crash) and Marton Csokas (The Debt, Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring), has made it’s way online and it looks pretty kick ass. “Rogue” revolves around Grace (Newton), a morally and emotionally-conflicted undercover detective who is tormented by the possibility that her... Read More »
Watch the trailer for ‘The Bodyguard’ musical
Following the official opening of the new West End musical The Bodyguard at the Adelphi Theatre earlier this month in London, comes a dazzling video preview trailer for the critically acclaimed stage drama. Watch it below! Based on Lawrence Kasdan’s 1992 Oscar nominated film, The Bodyguard, centers on Heather Headley as Rachel Marron, a platinum selling recording artist. The... Read More »
Watch Jordan Pitt and Ty Bankinson’s Short Film ‘Lost Words’ (Video)
Modern technology is making it much easier for black actors to show off their talent to the masses. British actors Jordan Pitt and Ty Bankinson star in the beautiful drama short Lost Words, a film they co-produced and wrote. Filmed in Cannes last year, Lost Words is described as “a powerful drama that explores the theme of forgiveness, and... Read More »
‘Homeland’ star David Harewood in talks to play Paul Robeson in Indie Biopic
David Harewood, who curretly stars on Showtime’s Homeland, is in talks to play Paul Robeson in the indie biopic “Robeson.” The news was exciting at first until we researched the producers and writers behind the project. Robeson will be produced by Richard Akel and Greg Carter (Thug Life) with a script by Akel and Terry Bisson. The producers and writers have no real... Read More »
Black James Bond? David Oyelowo Joins the Secret Service in ‘Complicit’ (Photos)
Move over, Idris! We may have found the black James Bond. While he’s not quite meeting with Bond executives, British actor David Oyelowo is rising to the occasion with a more public audition—filming a new telepic as a secret service agent in Guy Hibbert’s Complicit. Many Rivers Films announced last week that principal photography on the action thriller Complicit... Read More »
David Oyelowo Featured in Vogue
David Oyelowo, who currently stars in Lincoln, is featured in Vogue‘s December issue. The article touches on many topics, but it mainly addresses the plight of being black in Hollywood and Oyelowo’s meteoric rise to fame. “As a black actor,” says British-born Oyelowo, “I have an allergic reaction to playing the obligatory est friend or the peripheral detective who... Read More »
First Look at ‘Blackcta,’ Nathaniel Martello-White’s play about black actors, now playing at London’s Young Vic
British actor Nathaniel Martello-White‘s new play Blackta, which runs through Nov. 24 at the Young Vic in London, sheds light on the experiences black actors face in the United Kingdom. Most of the experiences and themes examined in Blackta include an overwhelming lack of opportunities for black actors and intense competition. “I think Blackta is looking at the collective... Read More »
British actor Noel Clarke says the world isn’t ready for a black James Bond
British actor Noel Clarke (Storage 24, Kidulthood) doesn’t believe the world is ready for a black James Bond, The Sun reports. Last week, media outlets reported that Skyfall actress Naomie Harris confimred that Idris Elba had met with movie execs to allegedly discuss taking over the James Bond 007 role in a future production. Clarke doesn’t buy it, explaining:... Read More »
David Oyelowo Will Play Sugar Ray Robinson
In another fascinating example of black actors creating their own opportunities, David Oyelowo will reportedly executive produce and star in Sweet Thunder, a new biopic about legendary boxer Sugar Ray Robinson. The film, which Wil Haygood has adapted from his biography Sweet Thunder: The Life And Times Of Sugar Ray Robinson, will focus on Robinson’s early career and possibly... Read More »
