'When we're talking about diversity, you do it in the casting of the film, not in the casting of the show,' so the 'Martian' actor says.
- Sep 15, 2015
AceShowbiz - Matt Damon caused controversy with his comments on the racial diversity in Hollywood filmmaking. "When we're talking about diversity, you do it in the casting of the film, not in the casting of the show," the actor said in the premiere episode of "Project Greenlight" season 4 on HBO.
Damon returned with his buddy, Ben Affleck, to search for an aspiring filmmaker to direct a pre-chosen script titled "Not Another Pretty Woman" about a man who marries a black prostitute after being left at the altar. The duo gets a help from a panel dominated by white producers.
Effie Brown, the only black person in the panel, said, "I want to urge people to think about whoever this director is, the way they are going to treat the character of Harmony, her being a prostitute, the only black person [in the film] being a hooker who gets hit by her white pimp."
That's when the "Dear White People" producer got interrupted by Damon. "Wow! Okay," she said, clearly shocked by "The Martian" actor's argument.
Matt Damon speaking over the only black person in the room so he can explain diversity to her is SO WHITE it hurts pic.twitter.com/iaQStYZ0ij
� Glen Coco (@MrPooni) September 14, 2015"Smart quick summary of the incident: Matt Damon Doesn't Get Why Diversity Behind the Camera Is Necessary," one Tweep ripped the actor. Another wrote, "Effie Brown's face when Matt Damon tried that ish, tho? LOLOLOLOL." Many other similar comments flooded the internet.
Later in the episode during an on-camera confessional, Damon said, "I'm glad Effie flagged the issue of diversity for all of us." While he agreed that "filmmaking should throw a broader net," he insisted that they should choose someone for "this job based entirely on merit" and left "all other factors out if it."
Matt Damon hasn't responded to the backlash that he received online but Effie Brown reached out to her Twitter followers shortly after the show, "Ooof! Wow! Okay. Thank you for watching the show and getting a great conversation started. I can't wait to hear you on the other episodes!"
