Slumdog Millionaire star Dev Patel, who has been doing press for his role as Zuko in “The Last Airbender”, recently spoke out to CNN Entertainment about Hollywood’s institutional racism, saying that “Asian actors are limited to roles as terrorists, taxi drivers or geeks.” He added, “Because ‘Slumdog’ was such a big hit there was a lot of pressure in terms of what I did next. For my second film I wanted a role that would stretch me, but all I was getting offered were stereotypical parts like the goofy Indian sidekick … Asian actors tend not to be sent Hollywood scripts that are substantial or challenging,” Patel told the paper. “I’m likely to be offered the roles of a terrorist, cab driver and smart geek.” Not that he would mind playing a terrorist, he added, as long as “the part gave me something to sink my teeth into.”
