Amidst his Oscar nomination for his role in “The Imitation Game,” Benedict Cumberbatch has made headlines for referring to black actors as “colored” during an interview on the Travis Smiley show on PBS, according to The Guardian.
Despite the criticism the “Sherlock” actor is receiving, Cumberbatch was actually reportedly trying to address racial inequities in acting, according to Mercury News.
“I think as far as colored actors go it gets really different in the U.K., and a lot of my friends have had more opportunities here (in the U.S.) than in the U.K., and that’s something that needs to change,” explained the recently engaged actor.
He added, “Something’s gone wrong. We’re not representatives enough in our culture of difference races, and that really does need to step up apace.”
The anti-racism charity, Show Racism The Red Card, reportedly applauded Cumberbatch bringing attention to the issue of inequality in the acting industry, but stated that he “also inadvertently highlighted the issue of appropriate terminology and the evolution of language,” according to the Huffington Post.
Cumberbatch had reportedly previously been in a race controversy last year when Stacey Cumberbatch, the city commissioner in New York, told the New York Times that she believed the actor’s fifth great-grandfather had owned her ancestors, who were held at a sugar plantation in Barbados.
“I’m devastated to have caused offense by using this outmoded terminology,” Cumberbatch told People magazine in a statement.
He added, “I offer my sincere apologies. I make no excuse for my being an idiot and know the damage is done. I can only hope this incident will highlight the need for correct usage of terminology that is accurate and inoffensive.”
