Laurence Fox slams black and working class actors for only complaining after becoming famous

Laurence Fox has accused black and working-class actors of only complaining about bias in the industry after they have become established.

The actor told a podcast presented by the right-wing commentator James Delingpole: “The most annoying thing is the minute a black actor – it’s the same with working class actors – the minute they’ve got five million quid in the bank, every interview they do is about how racism is rampant and rife in the industry.

“And with working class actors, ‘There’s not enough working class actors’. You weren’t saying that when you didn’t have a f****** pot to piss in were you?”

The comments come following an appearance on Question Time during which he defended the media against calls of racism over the Duchess of Sussex.

He attracted criticism on social media after accusing university lecturer Rachel Boyle of “being racist”.

When Ms Boyle suggested Meghan had suffered racist treatment at the hands of the press, Fox replied: “It’s not racism… we’re the most tolerant, lovely country in Europe.

“It’s so easy to throw the charge of racism and it’s really starting to get boring now”.

He went on to say being “white privileged male” did not lock him out of the debate, and that it was “an immutable characteristic” and so to attack him as such was “racist”.

Following the row, the actors union Equity appeared to call him a “disgrace to our industry” and urged its members “to unequivocally denounce [him] and his comments”.

The union has told Sky News they were not “official comments”, but were posted by “members from a committee… on their account” before being subsequently deleted.

Some Equity members replied online saying the union did not speak of their behalf.

Fox, who is the son of actor James Fox and part of the Fox acting dynasty, is not a member of Equity.

Following his debate appearance, he posted the Martin Luther King quote: “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin, but by the content of their character”.

He says this is both the position he took on the BBC show, and which he “lives by in life”.

The actor also suggested on Delingpole’s podcast that white people may become a minority. He said: “I’ve got nine nephews and nieces and none of them are white. So, it’s not like we’re dealing with a world where the white man is going to be around for that many more generations.”

The actor first stepped into the debate over skin colour following a backlash against the recent Oscar nods, in which just one black person made it into an acting category.

On the morning of the nominations, Fox jokingly tweeted: “As a privileged, posh white “actor” of slightly pinkish hue, I’m starting to come to the realisation that I cannot “act” with any authenticity, because I’ve never REALLY, understood what it is to be oppressed. I will no longer accept parts unless they are racist colonials”.

The RADA trained actor, whose Twitter following has nearly tripled since his TV appearance, has said he is enjoying “winding up the wonderful wokies” – in reference to people who consider themselves aware of social and racial injustice.

Sky News has contacted Fox for comment.

(c) Sky News 2020: Laurence Fox slams black and working class actors for only complaining after becoming famous