The Real Reason BD Wong Left Law And Order: SVU

Publish date: 2024-01-10

While BD Wong has expressed nothing but gratitude when it comes to Law and Order: SVU, the 59-year-old actor recognizes that Hollywood offers few opportunities for those who aren't cisgender white men. "There will always be a majority — a majority that has power and can make decisions—and that's not really going to change," Wong told GQ in 2018 as he pondered how American politics impact all aspects of our social order. "Do we need to feel that there's an end to white privilege in order to work against it?"

And, as Wong added, this dilemma isn't something that those who are deemed "different" can ever truly escape. Some stars, such as actress Reese Witherspoon, have taken it upon themselves to develop the roles they wish to play and the characters they wish to see on-screen, but not everyone has that luxury.

"Very few of us are really self-generating," Wong explained. "The whole notion that women over 40 have a tremendous challenge getting parts that are right unless they're self-generating is an example of how there are things built into the system that are inherently extremely challenging for actors of all different types. We're always going to be feeling like we have to suck up to people."

It's impossible to deny Hollywood's lack of diversity, but as more stars speak out against such injustices, we hope to see their efforts reflected on-screen soon.

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