WTF?! Billy Dee Williams Is About to Piss Everyone Off With These Blackface Comments

Billy Dee Williams, 87, has been giving outspoken interviews left and right since the release of his memoir, “What Have We Here?: Portraits of A Life,” in February. But his latest comments about the use of blackface in acting might get him into a whole lot of trouble with Black Hollywood.

Speaking in a new interview on the “Club Random with Bill Maher” podcast released over the weekend, the legendary actor revealed that he believes actors should do “anything you want,” including donning blackface in performances. Blackface, of course, refers to the offensive and outdated minstrel-show practice of white actors using paint, burnt cork, shoe polish etc., and emphasizing/enlarging their lips to incorrectly and stereotypically portray Black characters that dehumanized African-Americans as a whole.

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The conversation that spawned Williams’ admission stemmed from a discussion about the 1965 film “Othello,” in which actor Laurence Olivier wore blackface.

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“When he did Othello, I fell out laughing,” Williams told Maher. “He stuck his ass out and walked around because Black people are supposed to have big asses. I fell out laughing. I thought it was hysterical. I love that kind of stuff.”

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When Maher asserted that actors today couldn’t get away with doing that, Williams responded, “Why? He should do it. If you’re an actor you should do anything you want to do.”

He later added: “The point is you don’t go through life feeling like, ‘I’m a victim.’ I refuse to go through life saying to the world, ‘I’m pissed off.’ I’m not gonna be pissed off 24 hours a day.”

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While his latter comments may hold some truth and merit, his views on blackface are in stark contrast to how he felt about it just a few months ago. Speaking in an interview with The Guardian in February, the “Star Wars” icon said at the time:

“You don’t have to do blackface. There are lots of things you can do. Most people in my mind are very provincial and myopic in their vision of the world. All you have to do is use your imagination and, if you’re good at using your imagination, you can do some really interesting stuff without doing the obvious to achieve whatever it is you’re trying to achieve.

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We suppose people are allowed to change their minds, but yikes.