Regina King says Kingsley Ben-Adir as Malcolm X is best actor for the role

“One Night in Miami” director Regina King defended the cast of British actor Kingsley Ben-Adir as Malcolm X in his film.

At a BAFTA masterclass on Tuesday, King was in conversation with British actor and presenter Reggie Yates, who asked the director about her stance on the transatlantic casting debate.

In “A Night in Miami”, Ben-Adir portrays the civil rights leader at an imaginary evening with Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown and Sam Cooke. The actor is no stranger to playing American icons, having portrayed President Barack Obama in “The Comey Rule”. On Monday, Ben-Adir won the Gotham Prize for Revolutionary Actor.

Asked about the ongoing conversation about British actors playing American icons, King said: “In my opinion, I think the best actor for the role should be playing the role; the actor who really understands the role they play.

“And of course I had my own moments of reflection: ‘How are people doing [react]? ‘because, as you say, this conversation is ongoing and it is continuing, ”King added. “But until then, if I was moved by a performance, I didn’t care where a person came from because as a member of the audience, to me, they really understood what they were doing. , which she embodied.

King said some “feelings and experiences” shared by black people in the UK and countries like Brazil reflect the experiences of the black community in the United States. “Although, yes, the story of the creation of a country may be different, but the marginalization of a black man is the same… in all of these places.

Last year, “Judas and the Black Messiah” writer and director Shaka King also defended the cast of Daniel Kaluuya as US civil rights leader Fred Hampton.

Yates, whose directorial debut “Pirates” is slated for this year, asked King about her wearing a t-shirt depicting Breonna Taylor – who was fatally shot by plainclothes police in her Louisville apartment, Ky. March 13 – while collecting the outstanding main actress works in a limited series or Emmy movie for her role in “Watchmen”, and whether world events have inspired her future endeavors, or whether she rather calms down.

“I’m definitely developing things that are lighter on topic, but yes, a lot of the other projects I’m developing reflect what’s going on in our world,” King said. “So that’s something that I can’t help. But, you know, I’m a fun person. I laugh.

Voting for the BAFTAs began on Tuesday after a lengthy diversity review. Long lists will be announced on February 4. “One Night in Miami” is contested in most major categories.

Regina King’s masterclass was part of BAFTA’s learning and events program throughout the year.