Bill Cosby’s interview in the documentary “Painted Down” has been removed.
Do you keep an entertainer’s personal life and work separate? Everyone who reads that is going to have a different answer. Some see any affiliation as an act of support for whatever the artist may have done, others feel you have to keep these things separated from one another in your mind. Director Marques Miles recently had to face this question head on with whether or not to include an interview with Bill Cosby for the documentary “Painted Down.” For those who don’t know, the title refers to a practice that did (and sadly still does) occur with a white stuntman being painted to pass as a person of color to be their stunt double as opposed to hiring a stunt-man or woman who actually matches the ethnicity.
“Cosby is no longer attached to the project,” said the film’s producer, Nonie Robinson. “We were the last project standing behind him, but now with Whoopi (Goldberg) and CAA pulling the plug, we must also disassociate and cut all ties with Cosby. It’s the right thing to do in light of the recent court deposition being made public.”
Why interview Bill Cosby about this in the first place? Well it’s because he was one of the biggest advocates against this practice. During the making of the groundbreaking show “I Spy” Bill Cosby was one of the most popular television stars around. It was quite the feat since he was an African-American and this was a time when African-Americans did not get lead roles. Cosby used that clout to make huge strides for black stuntmen to get work and be treated seriously. The Black Stuntman’s Association most likely wouldn’t exist without him. Even this organization had to face the question and after a long time considering, they removed a tribute to Bill Cosby from the main site, though he remains on the site’s official history.
For those living under a rock lately, Bill Cosby has been accused by 35 different women of raping and/or drugging them. Many people still don’t know how to reconcile this with what he has done for the black community and the film business in general. And it doesn’t look like most people will be coming to a decision any time soon.
Do you think that Bill Cosby should have been removed from “Painted Down?”
[Source: Deadline]