Adjoa Andoh, who plays Lady Danbury in the Regency-era Netflix series “Bridgerton,” says the show still doesn’t adequately shine a light on black skin, despite its diverse cast.
“The conversation about lighting up black skin continues — every show, nothing has changed,” she said on a recent podcast.
Andoh, who also had roles in the films “Invictus” and “Fractured,” expressed that and other frustrations during the latest episode of “Stirring It Up.” Despite playing one of the smartest and most influential women on “Bridgerton,” Andoh said she doesn’t feel empowered in her career.
She said she now feels comfortable speaking out, but noted that the burden black actors face in asking for what they deserve can be exhausting, especially compared to their white counterparts.
“I guess I feel powerful because I can now say, ‘Am I blonde?’” she said. “But I hate doing it because part of me is like, ‘Oh, I don’t want to do it. I don’t want to make a fuss.’”
Both “Bridgerton” and its spinoff series, “Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story,” have casts packed with people of all colors, with Black actors in many key roles: Danbury is a towering widow despite being forced into an arranged marriage in her youth; the formidable queen is played by Golda Rosheuvel, who is mixed-race; and two Black men, played by Regé-Jean Page and Victor Alli, have married into the Bridgerton family, which is white. In the second season, the eldest Bridgerton son marries a character of Indian descent. Yet Andoh still has to ask for lighting that complements his complexion, crucial to how a character is portrayed.
The “Invictus” actress said those details are important because she wants to “come and do my job. I want to stay in character… I just want to come and be Lady Danbury and do what she needs to do and be totally involved with that,” rather than worrying about how she’s lit.
“When people say we're aggressive or militant or whatever, what I mean is, 'I'm just a human being and I just want to live out the gift I've been blessed with. I want to do it freely, like I see a lot of other people doing.'”
Andoh also said facing racial bias in the industry can take a mental toll and lead to self-doubt.
“It's a double-psyche thing that happens all the time, isn't it? I got that job because… [of my race]I didn't get that job because? [of my race]—I don’t want to think about that. I just want to get the job because I’m great, or not get it because I’m a piece of shit.”
A representative for Andoh did not immediately respond to The Times' request for further comment.
