Harold Perrnieau discloses why he was fired from the Lost: I was asking for equal depth...

Harold Perrineau recently opened up on his reason to leave the ABC hit show Lost. The actor revealed after requesting that his character Michael be given "equal depth" in comparison to the other white actors, he was asked to leave. In addition to him, other cast and crew members also exposed the makers for creating a toxic work environment on the set. 

The statement was taken from an excerpt from the upcoming book, Burn It Down: Power, Complicity, and a Call for Change in Hollywood. Author Maureen Ryan spoke to writers and cast members from all six seasons of the Lost TV show who shared their experiences working at the set. Perrineau said, “It became pretty clear that I was the Black guy. Daniel (Dae Kim) was the Asian guy. And then you had Jack and Kate and Sawyer (white actors in the show).”

Perrineau asserted that he raised the matter with a producer and questioned why the white character served as the focal point of the narrative. He was told it was because the characters were "relatable," and “this is just how audiences follow stories." Similar concerns have been raised by the POC (people of colour) actors in the industry. Idris Elba talked about how he stopped describing himself as a 'black actor' when he realised they put you in a box.

Asian actress and Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh also confirmed she was seen as a minority more than an actor. She said someone even told her If they use a black male lead, there is no way for her to play a female lead because they cannot have two minorities. Yeoh eventually had the chance to win the prize in her 60s after years of battling the stereotypes in Hollywood. 

Racial bias in music industry 

The issue of racism is not limited to the acting industry. POC artists in the music field are equally marginalised. Summer Walker recently expressed her disappointment at not getting a single nomination at the Grammys even after releasing two successful albums. In past, singers like The Weeknd, Zayn and Nicki Minaj have called out the organisation for having racial bias and demanded for transparency in the judging process. 

The event has also drawn criticism for locking black artists in the "racialised" categories like R&B and Hip-Hop, while giving the main honours, including Artist of the Year, to the white performers. Beyonce, a pop icon and one of the most well-known musicians of all time, has unquestionably had a tremendous career. She holds the record for the most Grammy nominations received by an artist, having won 32 of them. However, it is important to point out that a sizable portion of her victories fall within the categories of "R&B," "Urban," or both.