Taye Diggs has one major regret about his time as a Hollywood actor. The actor shared the key piece of advice he’d give his younger self and dove into some beliefs he used to hold onto about racism in the industry.
“[I’d tell myself] to just slow down,” Diggs says on Viceland’s “Desus & Mero” Tuesday, June 12. “I was real quick with, ‘OK, I’m doin’ it. I want these roles. How come I’m only getting the Black roles? I wanna be this and that and that. I started switching agencies and I didn’t realize how racist the business was early on. I felt like I was a little bit above it.”
He explained there was “a reason why I didn’t have Matt Damon’s career.” And that no one explicitly told him the business was racist. Despite switching agents who continued to promise the “Set It Up” actor they’d get him the big roles, they failed to nab them.
“I wish I could have just chilled out and just sat back and waited just a little longer,” Diggs says. “Because there was a lot of unrest and me chasing s— instead of just being aware of what I had and then working with that.”
Still, fans were hung up on Diggs’ ideas about race in the acting business.
“Watching Taye Diggs talk about racism and all he really said was he was sad that he wasn’t ‘above’ being treated that way was #awkward.”
“It was dope to see @TayeDiggs on @desusandmero talk about how he wished that he could’ve slowed down when he first started and realize that racism plays a huge part in the Hollywood industry. Great interview.”
