Were there any actual Black actors in Birth of a Nation?
It is well known that white actors in blackface played African Americans in the 1915 movie Birth of a Nation, but I have the vaguest memory that there may have been some actual Black actors playing extras. Is this the case?
I could also see, given the subject matter and the time, that not only were no Black actors hired but none would be willing to act in such a movie.
Best Answer
Some of the black characters are played by white actors with make-up, particularly those characters who were required to come in contact with a white actress. The person playing the Cameron's maid is not only clearly white, but is also obviously male.
Indirectly, this confirms that not all black characters were portrayed by white actors.
I also found some screenshots from the movie. The two men in the middle do not appear to be white actors in costume:
I could also see, given the subject matter and the time that not only were no Blacks hired but none would be willing to act in such a movie.
This is touched on in the quoted IMDb trivia. The issue wasn't so much that black people didn't want to be in the movie (at least, it's not mentioned, as far as I can find on Google), but rather that the white actors didn't want to come into contact with real black people.
Pictures about "Were there any actual Black actors in Birth of a Nation?"
Is Birth of a Nation based on a true story?
The Birth of a Nation, about the 1831 uprising of a slave community in the American south, is a fiery account of a rebellion against injustice and oppression. Based on a true story, the film offers an unflinching look at the brutal event.Who were the heroes in The Birth of a Nation?
Cast- Lillian Gish (Elsie Stoneman)
- Mae Marsh (Flora Cameron)
- Henry B. Walthall (Colonel Ben Cameron)
- Miriam Cooper (Margaret Cameron)
- Ralph Lewis (Austin Stoneman)
- George Siegmann (Silas Lynch)
What was the importance of the 1915 film Birth of a Nation?
New Eras, New Audiences Long after 1915, the silent film continued to find audiences. Immediately after the film's release, the Ku Klux Klan experienced a surge in membership, and it continued to use the film as a recruiting tool for decades after that.Did Woodrow Wilson Screen Birth of a Nation in the White House?
In March, 1915, under President Woodrow Wilson, \u201cThe Birth of a Nation\u201d became the first film to be screened at the White House.Birth of a Nation - The reason Black people are still viewed the way they are today
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