Noel Clarke says racism is ‘embedded in fabric of British society’ and UK film industry

Kidulthood creator also indicated he had been deliberately left off the poster for British comedy film ‘Fisherman’s Friends’

Noel Clarke has said that racism is just as embedded in the UK as it is in the USA, and that he has been silenced by individuals in the film industry for speaking up about it.

Amid widespread US outcry and protest over the killing of George Floyd, a Minneapolis man pinned to the ground and knelt on by a white police officer, Clarke reminded his followers that such incidents are not exclusive to the US.

“People on here acting like this is just a US problem,” he tweeted. “Racism is prevalent here too. Embedded in the fabric of society, the industry I’m in. Sometimes it’s hard to keep fighting, when whenever you speak up, you’re silenced or labelled as aggressive, difficult or ‘Chippy’.”

Clarke wrote that his smash hit Sky One series Bulletproof struggled to get off the ground because it was written to be headlined by two black actors – him and Ashley Walters.

“Just remember nobody wanted Bulletproof, we were told Bulletproof would never work or sell with two BLACK leads. NEVER. Look now.”

Clarke also tweeted the poster for the 2019 British comedy film Fisherman’s Friends, which Clarke appeared in. Despite his name appearing at the top of the poster with five actor others, including Daniel Mays, James Purefoy and Tuppence Middleton, he was the only actor of the five whose actual face did not.

“I’ll just leave this here,” Clarke captioned the image. “And not one of these other actors spoke up for me and the fact I was not on here, being as well known as most of them.”

A Bafta and Olivier Award winner, Clarke has appeared in film and television including Doctor Who and Star Trek Into Darkness. He also created the Kidulthood series of films, as well as writing and directing sequels Adulthood and Brotherhood.