Justin Simien Hopes ‘Hollywood Black’ Inspires Filmmakers to Pursue Independent Projects ‘Even if You Don’t Have All the Answers’

Justin Simien hopes his new historical documentary series “Hollywood Black” will build confidence in upcoming Black filmmakers to pursue their independent projects, even if they don’t have all the resources in the beginning. The writer-director is also hopeful that the doc will help combat competitiveness among higher profile Black creatives in the industry.

“All you got to do is go after it, even if you don’t have all the answers,” Simien told TheWrap. “I’m hoping that this documentary inspires people to have the nerve to just take the shot and to be OK with not having the connections or the financing or whatever. Just go, just get it made.”

In Simien’s four-part docuseries — the first doc he’s ever directed — the filmmaker peels back the history of Black creatives in Hollywood and how their impact helped shape the entertainment industry in spite of the onslaught of bigotry they faced. The show was inspired by historian Donald Bogle’s book “Hollywood Black: The Stars, the Films, the Filmmakers.” The first episode tackles the industry’s earliest portrayals of Black people in media, including minstrels and stereotypical characters. It also spotlights Black leaders like legendary filmmaker Oscar Micheaux, who set out to change the narrative.

While giving his opinion on the current state of Hollywood and how it’s treated Black talent and creatives, Simien shared that he’s frustrated by how the industry has historically ostracized Black people over the years and how it’s convinced some Black creatives to believe there’s no room for ideas or stories.

“I hate to see in this current era is we sort of believe the B.S., that we don’t really belong and that we are having to fight our way in,” Simien said. “I think that I’m even more emboldened and angry than I’ve ever been about the state of the industry. It’s sort of … it’s been robbed from us.”

He continued: “This is not something that we didn’t invent or trying to find a way into, we absolutely invented it — every aspect of it. From the time a movie lasts to what we expect from an entertainment perspective, about what should be in a movie, music styles, dance styles, acting styles, fashion styles; the list is endless that Black people didn’t just contribute — they literally also came up with it. And it was taken generation after generation, element after element.”

For Simien, who boasts a hefty résumé of credits and creations, including “Dear White People” on Netflix and “Bad Hair” on Hulu, telling Black stories while calling out the status quo is nothing new for him. The massive success of his 2014 independent film “Dear White People,” is what helped cement his spot in Hollywood — and Simien says others like him can do it too, even in the midst of an industry shutdown.

“There’s a space where, if only you have the nerve, you may not even realize that’s all you need, but if only you have the nerve, you can actually push through something right now that you couldn’t maybe last year,” Simien explained. “And that is exactly what happened with ‘Dear White People.’ The film and the series, actually. Everything I’ve made, maybe with a couple exceptions, have come during a moment of industry crisis, where either no one’s paying attention over on this side, or there’s just somebody willing to take a chance, it just takes the nerve to know that it’s yours.”

In addition to his hopes that “Hollywood Black” will encourage Black creatives, Simien is hopeful that the series will tighten the bond between Black Hollywood notables.

“What I hate to see — happens all the time — is that the more successful people will become, and the more work we have on our plates, we become really siloed and that ‘crab in a barrel’ thing is real. It sucks, but it’s real,” Simien said. “You just feel like everything is scarce, and if I collaborate with that person or reach out to that person it will take something away from me. I absolutely see that happening in real time, and I’m hoping that this can be some small part of blowing that up and keeping us in community and keeping us reaching back to the new generations to bring new folks into the conversation. I think it’s super vital.”

“Hollywood Black” premiered its first episode, “Built On Our Backs,” on Sunday, Aug. 11 on MGM+ . The remaining episodes will air on the streamer over the next three Sundays through Aug. 25.

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