Samuel L Jackson slams number of black British actors in American roles

Samuel L Jackson has strongly criticised the casting of black British actors in American roles, suggesting many are hired simply because they are cheaper.

The iconic Hollywood star argued that recent films about American race relations would have been better served by having an American actor as their lead, citing the newly-released satirical horror film Get Out starring British actor Daniel Kaluuya.

“There are a lot of black British actors in these movies,” Jackson told New York radio station Hot 97. “I tend to wonder what that movie [Get Out] would have been with an American brother who really feels that."

• Scroll to 25'40 for Jackson's comments about black British actors

Jackson also pointed to David Oyelowo's role as Martin Luther King in the historical drama Selma as another example.

“There are some brothers in America who could have been in that movie who would have had a different idea about how King thinks,” the 68-year-old said.

Black British actors such as Oyelowo have taken the American box office by storm in recent years, landing major roles in big-budget productions.

Asked why he believed black UK stars were being cast in American roles, Jackson replied: “They’re cheaper than us, for one thing. They don’t cost as much. And they [directors] think they’re better trained, because they’re classically trained.”

Star Wars actor John Boyega - another Briton making their mark on Hollywood -condemned Jackson's comments on Twitter, accusing him of starting an unnecessary debate.

Gil Robertson, the president of the African-American Film Critics Association, told ITV News: "We at AAFCA are overjoyed whenever a film honours diversity and uses talented actors from any country in those efforts."