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Noel Clarke says racism is "prevalent" in the UK and isn't just a "US problem"

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Noel Clarke has spoken out about racism in the UK saying that it isn’t just a “US problem.”

The Star Trek Into Darkness actor made the statement following the death of George Floyd earlier this week after an altercation with police officers. Floyd, who was African American, was killed when a white police officer appeared to kneel on his neck as he lay on the ground during an arrest.

“People on here acting like this is just a US problem,” he tweeted yesterday (May 29). “#Racism is prevalent here too. Embedded in the fabric of society, the industry I’m in. Sometimes it’s hard to keep fighting, when whenever you speak up, you’re silenced or labelled as aggressive, difficult or ‘Chippy’.”

He went on to claim that his hit Sky One series Bulletproof, in which he starred alongside Ashley Walters, struggled to get off the ground because it was written to be headlined by two black actors.

“Just remember nobody wanted bulletproof, we were told #Bulletproof would never work or sell with two BLACK leads. NEVER. Look now.”


Clarke also shared the poster for the 2019 British comedy Fisherman’s Friends, which he appeared in. Despite his name appearing at the top of the poster with five actor others, including Daniel Mays, James Purefoy and Tuppence Middleton, he was the only actor of the five not featured.

“I’ll just leave this here,” Clarke wrote. “And not one of these other actors spoke up for me and the fact I was not on here, being as well known as most of them.”

Last December, Stormzy reaffirmed that Britain still has a major problem with racism, while also suggesting that Boris Johnson’s position as Prime Minister has helped to enable those attitudes.

In an interview with the Italian newspaper La Repubblica – with translated quotes via The Guardian – the paper asked Stormzy if he thought Britain was still racist.







“Definitely, 100%,” he replied, adding that some elements of that racism were still “hidden” within British society.

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