(ThyBlackMan.com) The 2010-2011 TV pilot season has seen a number of A-list Hollywood talent make seamless, some might say surprising shifts to the small screen.
Don Cheadle, Angela Bassett, Forrest Whitaker, Idris Elba, Regina King, Anika Noni Rose, Kerry Washington, Taraji P. Henson, Andre Braugher, Laurence Fishburne, Terrence Howard, Jada Pinkett Smith, etc., have all taken lead or prominent supporting roles on pilots and/or series. Why are so many feature actors making the leap to TV?
The 2007-2008 Casting Data Report commissioned by the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) suggests that “The latest statistics indicate there were slight employment increases of non-Caucasian performers, with a high-watermark in 2007. However, this rise in employment is mostly represented in 
supporting roles, while the employment and representation of women and senior performers have remained relatively unchanged.”
As far as the 2010-2011 TV season goes, there is a noticeable change in the casting landscape. The increase in roles for supporting players crosses all ethnic demos, but it hardly reflects what America looks like. Says former SAG president Alan Rosenberg from the report, “While we are also pleased to announce the largest percentage share for ethnic minorities to date, we cannot be content with the current levels of representation in each category, as they do not reflect the current demographics of our country. We will continue to insist on greater access to employment opportunities and accurate depictions of the American Scene.”
Adam Moore, SAG Associate National Director of Affirmative Action and Diversity, takes it a bit further. “While the 2009-2010 Casting Report will be released this fall, the data is still being compiled and analyzed. I can’t make any predictions on what the numbers will reveal, but the last report was pretty much on target with a 15-year trend with what’s happening in the marketplace.”
Though 2007 marked a high for actors in terms of being cast, for African-American talent, that stat didn’t make the grade. The Casting Data Reports states, “African-American roles showed the largest drop in proportion to total roles, falling from 14.8 percent in 2007 to 13.3 percent in 2008. Each category of production type saw a decrease, lead by low budget films. In 2008, African Americans constituted 9.5 percent of low budget roles, which was down 6.5 percent from the 16.0 percent of roles reported in 2007.”
This isn’t exactly a surprise, but Caucasian male actors get the bulk of all parts in the industry, no matter the platform. Per the report, “Men over 40 account for 40 percent of all roles for men, whereas women over the age of 40 make up only 26 percent of all roles for women.” And this statistic stubbornly remains factual. As far as features, I can count on one hand the number of lead roles held by women, let alone women of color.
And yet, TV is often seen as a medium for women’s stories. That hasn’t stopped the tide of feature actors eager to tap into the audience that watches television, and all the other platforms that are now part and parcel of multi-platform media consumerism. “Actors work across platforms (the web, voice-overs, ads, the stage, TV) because they do it for the work, and the quality of the work,” said Moore.
It wasn’t that long ago that feature actors resisted the lure of TV — playing the same character for an indeterminate lengths of time, the consistent, though initially lower salary, the never-ending grind of series production and the stigma of moving from a prestige platform, like features, to a lower form of entertainment — these were all negatives, some were even considered career killers. Today, the tide has turned. Working in television provides a featured platform that begets you exposure, audience loyalty and consistent work — factors feature producers and financiers consider when casting their films.
There’s nothing taboo about working in television. Obviously, there’s nothing taboo about working in features. The goal is to be a working actor, doing great work. And as a fan of TV, and other platforms, I can’t wait to DVR my favorite shows with my favorite talent.
Written By Sylvia Franklin
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