Another "ism" we MUST PAY FOR!-----Vanessa Bell Calloway Says Colorism Cost Her The Role Of Lisa In 'Coming To America': 'I Just Wasn't Light Enough' - SHADOW & ACT

Vanessa Bell Calloway Says Colorism Cost Her The Role Of Lisa In 'Coming To America': 'I Just Wasn't Light Enough' - SHADOW & ACT

"Vanessa Bell Calloway is well-known for her role as "queen to be" Imani Izzi in Coming to America, but as she told Page Six, she originally auditioned for the role of main character Lisa McDowell. However, she said that colorism played a role in her not being cast as Prince Akeem's (Eddie Murphy) love interest.

"When you have white people hiring Black people in movies, sometimes a certain look is wanted," she told Page Six. "I just wasn't light enough, even though Eddie had the final say on who played Lisa. [But] I didn't want the part of Imani, I wanted to be Lisa--I had read the script and I wanted the bigger role."

She said how colorism is something that Black people constantly have to deal with, adding, "A lot of men were indoctrinated by having a white woman or light-skinned woman on their arm."...Read all!