Aziz Ansari doesn't mince words when it comes to race and Hollywood.
After screening his new Netflix series, "Master of None," at EW Fest on Saturday, Vulture reported the actor discussed the lack of opportunities for minorities in Hollywood during a post-screening Q&A.
He said he had to create his own show because no one was offering him dynamic roles.
"Look, if you’re a minority actor, no one would have written this show for you. No one would have been like, 'Hey, how about we get Aziz to do this 10-episode show and have him play this thoughtful character.' At best they would just write something that’s a character based on the qualities people have seen already like Tom [Haverford]."
The reason there are so few roles in TV for minorities, Ansari said, is that TV casts with racial quotas.
"That’s a real thing that happens," the 32-year-old actor said. "When they cast these shows, they’re like, 'We already have our minority guy or our minority girl.'"
In fact, Ansari said he knows TV's racial quota numbers:
"There would never be two Indian people in one show," he explained. "With Asian people, there can be one, but there can't be two. Black people, there can be two, but there can't be three because then it becomes a black show. Gay people there can be two, women there can be two, but Asian people, Indian people, there can be one but there can't be two."
"Master of None" premieres on Friday, November 6 on Netflix.
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