John Boyega Calls Out 'Game of Thrones' for Not Casting Black Actors

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By Mehera Bonner 2017-07-18T09:04:17Z

Game of Thrones is back, which, yay! But the show is not without its problems—from its depiction of sexual violence, to its lack of diversity—and Star Wars actor John Boyega is calling it out. During a recent interview with GQ, Boyega said "There are no black people on Game of Thrones. You don't see one black person in Lord of the Rings. I ain't paying money to always see one type of person on-screen."

He continued, "You see different people from different backgrounds, different cultures, every day. Even if you're a racist, you have to live with that. We can ruffle up some feathers."

While there are a few people of color on GOT, they're a definite minority. Even author George R.R. Martin addressed the diversity issue in the show, saying "Westeros around 300 AC is nowhere near as diverse as 21st century America, of course... but with that being said, I do have some 'characters of color' who will have somewhat larger roles in WINDS OF WINTER. Admittedly, these are secondary and tertiary characters, though not without importance."

Yeah, not exactly good enough. While shows set in historically ancient Europe, for example, tend to fall back on the very lame "but there were no black people in Tudor England" excuse (FYI, this is completely false), Game of Thrones is a fantasy show. So the fact that its core cast are more-than-predominately white is completely not based in fact, and 100 percent the result of casting directors prioritizing white actors. It's an easy fix, so get on it, HBO.