Former “Daily Show” correspondent Jessica Williams is promoting her new Netflix movie “The Incredible Jessica James”, and says she thinks there has never been a better time for actors of colour in Hollywood.
In an interview with Associated Press, Williams, 26, cites such Netflix series as “Orange is the New Black” and “Master of None” with being able to “showcase people of colour in an amazing way.”
And while she admits that the road is still not an easy one for actors of colour, she sees things moving in a positive direction.
“I think it’s a difficult time in some ways to be a person of colour, and I think the same for actors of colour, but I also think it’s a great a time,” she says. “Because I think now… there’s so much more room, I think, for us to be seen, and there’s room for us to create our own stories.”
Meanwhile, she says she remains mindful of the actors and actresses who struggled to pave the way.
“It’s like so many black actresses that came before me and my generation. They came before and they did not necessarily have this opportunity that I feel like I have now, and so I’m really grateful for that, and I really do think it’s a really great time to be an actress that is black, in a way,” she adds.
If the glowing reviews for “The Incredible Jessica James” are any indication, Williams will soon find herself among the “Daily Show” alums who’ve gone on to greater fame after leaving the show.
RELATED: ‘Daily Show’ Bids Longtime Correspondent Jessica Williams A Tearful Goodbye
“To be mentioned among people like Samantha Bee or Hassan Minaj and Steve Carrell and Steve Colbert is insane,” she says. “It’s, it’s very surreal and I think — I packed up everything to move and be on the ‘Daily Show’ and I was nervous because I was 22. I was, umm, I had a lot of big shoes to fill working with Jon Stewart. I felt like in the beginning I had a lot to prove, and it’s really an honour to be among those people.”
