Colorism is real in Hollywood and Tyrese recently sat down with Leah A. Henry of Leah’s Lemonade and discussed losing out on a few roles because of his darker complexion to Terrence Howard. The “Sweet Lady” hitmaker recalled being teased as a child as well and the complexes it places on kids.
“Throughout my whole childhood, it was not cool to be dark skin in the hood. It was always the light-skinned Black people that seemed to have gotten all the attention and all the love and considered pretty, attractive, or handsome. And since I’ve been in Hollywood we dealt with the same thing. I just did a film with Terrence Howard — we’re able to joke about it now — but I was the star of the film, and they had an idea to go with someone else, who I won’t mention, and then I suggested Terrence Howard. And he thanked me for like, a week straight. Terrence Howard has no idea how many roles that I was about to book and they went with him because he’s the lighter-skinned Black man with the green eyes,” explained The Fast & Furious star.
Tyrese and Howard will be starring in the upcoming film The System which will also star Jeremy Piven from “Entourage” and rapper Lil Yachty. The action-thriller centers on a former marine, played by Gibson, who is recruited by authorities to go undercover in a notoriously dangerous prison, following a drug bust. After discovering an underground fight ring, he has to fight to stay alive, and to take down the corrupt system,” according to the film’s synopsis obtained by Deadline.
Dallas Jackson wrote and directed the film, which was shot in Jackson, Mississippi and Tyrese is a producer of the project as well. Take a look at Tyrese explaining his battles with colorism throughout his life and Hollywood below.
