Why white American actors have done movies playing rolls as Chinese, American Natives,but never as blacks?

Question

In the early '60 I saw a French movie about the KKK, and the first actor was a white folk playing a roll as a black guy

Answer 1

Actually they did use to play black people in movies but as characturtures... in black face....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_face

Answer 2

I don't understand the question. You ask your question but you then follow it with the comment: "In the early '60 I saw a French movie about the KKK, and the first actor was a white folk playing a roll as a black guy." Your comment contradicts your question. Perhaps this is a racist question.

Answer 3

It's actually looked upon as racist. They used to have white actors play black all the time in film, but only because they didn't feel blacks were worthy enough to be in pictures. They called it blackface. It is very demeaning. The only way some black actors back then could perform for some audiences was to pretend to be a white performer wearing black face. Bill "Bojangles" Robinson is an actor that had to do this. If you don't know who he is, he used to dance alongside Shirley Temple in those films. FYI they only showed those scenes up north.

Answer 4

At one time white actors did play rolls of black people on stage. As america became more race conscience they let black actors play these roles.

Answer 5

1964 movie " Black Like Me" James Whitmore plays a white man who passes himself off as a black man. Black Like Me is the true account of John Griffin's experiences when he passed as a black man. Great movie, too bad hasn't been on TV in ages. Go to this site for more info http://imdb.com/title/tt0057889/

Answer 6

In american it is considered tabu to play an african american, In the early part of the 20th century "Blackface" was common. But since has become viewed as racist.

Answer 7

Have you ever heard of Amos and Andy? Both actors were white portraying Black men.

Answer 8

Gene Wilder played a black man

Answer 9

There are light skinned asians and native americans, but there's a clear difference between white and black skin.

Answer 10

Actually, Angelina Jolie will be portraying a black woman in her upcoming film "A Mighty Heart", so this is one example.