The Bold Type star Aisha Dee calls for more diversity on show
Aisha Dee, who plays Kat in The Bold Type, called for more BIPOC team members behind the scenes on the show.
The Bold Type actor Aisha Dee has criticised the lack of diversity behind the scenes on the show, in which she plays Kat Edison.
In a post on Instagram, Dee said that she had been inspired by her character's outspokenness to call for the "diversity of the creative team behind the camera" to better reflect the diversity in front of the camera.
Speaking about her role in the Amazon show, she said that her character "wasn’t just the white character’s ‘best friend.’ She was empowered and confident, she approached the exploration of her queer identity with an open heart".
She continued, “I’m ready to take a cue from my girl Kat. What would Kat do? She would take a stand and advocate for herself and all other marginalized voices to influence change. I am ready to push harder and speak louder for what matters to me: The diversity we see in front of the camera needs to be reflected in the diversity of the creative team behind the camera.”
The actor revealed that it had taken "two seasons to get a single BIPOC in the writers’ room for The Bold Type", before adding the caveat that "even then, the responsibility to speak for the entire Black experience cannot and should not fall on one person."
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She said, "We got to tell a story about a queer Black woman and a lesbian Muslim woman falling in love, but there have never been any queer Black or Muslim writers in the room. In four seasons (48 episodes) we’ve had one Black woman direct two episodes.”
Dee went on to criticise the “heartbreaking” creative decision to pair Kat with a "privileged conservative woman," and said it had taken three seasons before the show's hair and makeup department had hired someone who could work with Dee's textured hair.
Producers of the show released a statement to Variety applauding Dee's statement, adding that they "look forward to continuing that dialogue and enacting positive change."
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