Daniel Kaluuya scoffed at the royal family over the weekend on his Saturday Night Live debut amid recent allegations of racism against the monarchy.
Kaluuya, who comes from London, opened her opening monologue on Saturday with a reference to the bombshell interview by Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, in which the Duchess of Sussex claimed that royalty raised “concerns” about how her son’s skin Archie’s brunette could be.
“I know you are hearing my accent and thinking, ‘Oh no, he is not black, he is British.’ Let me assure you that I am black, ”said Kaluuya. “I am black and I am British. Basically, I am what the royal family was concerned about with the baby’s appearance. “
Last month, Markle, 39, spoke openly with friend Oprah Winfrey about her struggles as royalty. Among the bombshell revelations in the interview, Markle claimed that while she was pregnant with their son Archie, there were “conversations about how his skin can turn dark when he is born”.
After the explosive interview, Buckingham Palace issued a statement noting that “the issues raised, especially those of race, are of concern”, although “memories may vary”
Prince William also spoke in March, saying that royalty “is not a racist family”.
While Kaluuya’s monologue continued on Saturday, the 32-year-old actor also addressed the differences between American and British racism.
“People ask me, ‘What’s worse, British racism or American racism?’ Let me put it this way, British racism is so bad that whites stayed, ”said Kaluuya. “They wanted to be free, free to create their own type of racism. That’s why they invented Australia, South Africa and Boston. “
Kaluuya, who was recently nominated for an Oscar for his performance in “Judas and the Black Messiah”, also looked back on his Golden Globe victory in February, with Zoom’s audio failure.
“I was speechless! Can you believe that? ”Said the actor. “I told the best joke of my life and I was speechless.”
Kaluuya ended his monologue by thanking his loved ones, also revealing how the current “SNL” cast member, Kenan Thompson, impacted his childhood.
“When I was 9, I wrote a play that was performed at the Hampshire Theater with real actors and everything. This is a true story, that piece was based on ‘Kenan & Kel.’ That play took me on a path that took me to this stage tonight with Kenan backstage now, ”said Kaluuya. “I just want to enjoy this moment in front of Kenan and the whole world to say, thank you mom, thank you God and thank you Kel.”