Daniel Kaluuya poked fun at the royal family over the weekend on his “Saturday Night Live” debut, amid recent accusations of racism against the monarchy.
Kaluuya, who hails from London, kicked off her opening monologue on Saturday with a reference to the explosive interview with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, in which the Duchess of Sussex alleged royals expressed “concerns” about how dark it could be the skin of son Archie.
“I know you hear my accent and think, ‘Oh no, it’s not black, it’s British.’ Let me assure you that I am black, ”said Kaluuya. “I am black and I am British. Basically, I’m what the royal family were concerned about the baby showing. “
Last month, 39-year-old Markle spoke candidly with her friend Oprah Winfrey about her struggles as royalty. Among the explosive revelations in the interview, Markle alleged that while pregnant with her son Archie, there were “conversations about how dark his skin could be when he is born.”
Following the explosive interview, Buckingham Palace issued a statement in which it noted that “the issues raised, particularly race, are worrisome”, although “memories may vary.”
Prince William also spoke out in March, saying that royalty is “not a racist family.”
As Kaluuya’s monologue continued on Saturday, the 32-year-old actor also addressed the differences between American and British racism.
“People ask me: ‘Which is worse, British racism or American racism?’ Let me put it this way, British racism is so bad that white people left, ”said Kaluuya. “They wanted to be free, free to create their own kind 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 recalled his Golden Globes victory in February, with an audio glitch from Zoom.
“I was silent! Can you believe it? “Said the actor.” I told the best joke of my life and they shut me up.
Kaluuya concluded her monologue by thanking her loved ones, and also revealed how current “SNL” cast member Kenan Thompson impacted her childhood.
“When I was 9 years old, I wrote a play that was performed at the Hampshire Theater with live actors and everything. This is a true story, that play was based on ‘Kenan & Kel’. That play took me down a path that led me to this stage tonight with Kenan backstage right now, “said Kaluuya. “I just want to take this moment in front of Kenan and the whole world to say thank you Mom, thank God and thank you Kel.”