When Audra McDonald was nine, she was offered to play “the little Black servant girl” in a production of William Gibson’s “The Miracle Worker.”
McDonald desperately wanted the part, but her parents stepped in and refused.
“They said no, it’s a demeaning role, you don’t have to do that, there are other roles you can do. You may not be happy with this now, but one day you’ll understand that you don’t have to perpetuate that stereotype. I was furious at the time, but boy do I understand it now,” McDonald said.
The legendary Broadway actor recounted the anecdote (one she’s previously shared) and revealed how her parents’ decision has “played into a lot of my role choices” during a wide-ranging keynote conversation at Series Mania.
Having accepted the festival’s first ever Etoile Award, which honors an international star in the TV industry,...
McDonald desperately wanted the part, but her parents stepped in and refused.
“They said no, it’s a demeaning role, you don’t have to do that, there are other roles you can do. You may not be happy with this now, but one day you’ll understand that you don’t have to perpetuate that stereotype. I was furious at the time, but boy do I understand it now,” McDonald said.
The legendary Broadway actor recounted the anecdote (one she’s previously shared) and revealed how her parents’ decision has “played into a lot of my role choices” during a wide-ranging keynote conversation at Series Mania.
Having accepted the festival’s first ever Etoile Award, which honors an international star in the TV industry,...
- 8/28/2021
- by Will Thorne
- Variety Film + TV
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