POC roles are often written by and presented by POC. Oprah Winfrey, Spike Jones, Forrest Whittaker, Steve McQueen, Alfre Woodard and other "POC" film makers who obviously feel we need to see years of plight from POCs points of view. These movies are the concepts of POC themselves and are either based on true stories in history or experiences portrayed in fiction. Nothing new...dates back to Alex Haley's Roots, Sounder with Cicely Tyson and Backstairs at The White House, to name a few. There's obviously a substantial and supportive audience—and as long as there is, these films will continue. On the flip side, several flicks come to mind, which have absolutely NOTHING to do with POC stereotypes such as Philadelphia with Denzel Washington, and about 20 films for actors Morgan Freeman, Laurence Fishburn, Samuel L. Jackson and Halle Barry, off hand. These actors have excelled in their craft without being cast in stereotypical roles based on race. It's based on their appeal across audience demographics. I'm a fan of all of these actors. The industry has provided ample opportunity.
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