During a podcast with Bill Maher, Billy Dee Williams defended the use of blackface by actors, citing Laurence Olivier’s portrayal of Othello in 1965 as an example. “Why not? You should do it,” he said. “If you’re an actor, you should do anything you want to do.” Williams expressed amusement at Olivier’s performance and emphasized the freedom he believes actors should have. “The point is that you don’t go through life feeling like, ‘I’m a victim,’” he explained. “I refuse to go through life saying to the world, ‘I’m pissed off.’ I’m not gonna be pissed off 24 hours a day.” Known for his role as Lando Calrissian in Star Wars, Williams has been promoting his memoir, chronicling his life from Harlem to Hollywood.
