Two new documentaries wonder, What did it take for Black professionals in Hollywood to get to the top?“At the same time, you go, ‘We’ve come a long way. What’s left to do? To make a better environment for the best artists?’ ”“There are still some barriers that are structural within the industry and the way […]
Two new documentaries wonder, What did it take for Black professionals in Hollywood to get to the top?“At the same time, you go, ‘We’ve come a long way. What’s left to do? To make a better environment for the best artists?’ ”“There are still some barriers that are structural within the industry and the way things work. So I had to figure out a way to measure it or to see it.“I knew it was going to be an issue,” Lynch said. “I didn’t realize how foundational it is. How you look is very important. Black skin and Black hair has different requirements. Gabrielle Union is so good about all of it in the film. And also Meagan Good.“And the Academy Award provided this incredible metric to look at and to raise the question.”“I was fortunate enough to make a documentary ‘Sydney’ several years ago. Sydney Poitier is the Big Bang, the Alpha of Black cinema,” Hudlin said in a Zoom interview. “And all the people in both these movies stand on his shoulders.Another compelling issue: Stories about makeup and hair, a basic fact of life for anyone in front of a camera. Yet years ago as Black women became more visible in film and TV, no one was equipped to work with their hair or skin tone.“So you go, What’s changed in all that time? How did it change? What were the paths?“And you get to hear these amazing men and women who all have taken very different paths but are all successful. Whether you’re interested in entertainment or not, you want to hear a winner’s mentality.Produced by Jamie Foxx and Kevin Hart, the companion pieces, streaming on AppleTV+ March 28, are: “Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Men in Hollywood” directed by Reginald Hudlin and Shola Lynch’s “Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Women in Hollywood.”“Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Men in Hollywood” and “Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Women in Hollywood ” stream on AppleTV+ March 28The contributors range from Angela Bassett, Halle Berry and Viola Davis to Morgan Freeman, Denzel Washington and Dwayne Johnson. The call sheet is the daily line-up for films filming. The actor at Number 1 is usually the highest-paid and the star.“When you’re comfortable, you can exhale and be focused on the work.”“The way I approached it,” Lynch said, “I wanted to take the temperature. I was amazed that we had 17 Black leading ladies to work with, women who’ve been incredibly successful.”Yet no Black woman has ruled the box-office for decades as Black men have. Lynch’s doc pointedly asks, Why is Halle Berry so many years ago Oscar’s only Black Best Actress?
