Thursday, March 28, 2024

Ryan Reynolds is hiring up to 20 BIPOC actors in new inclusivity initiative

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BC-born actor Ryan Reynolds has pledged financial support to bring more Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) into the film industry.

The Hollywood A-lister says he is kicking off a new project called “The Group Effort Initiative” which will see him directly paying for 10 to 20 BIPOC individuals to work on an upcoming project.

“Making a film is a group effort, but for entirely too long that group has systemically excluded Black, Indigenous, people of color and several other marginalized communities,” said Reynolds in a statement.

“This is a global problem which will not be fixed overnight, but change can start locally and immediately.”

He says the project is available for people aged 18 and up who identify as BIPOC or a member of a marginalized community.

In addition to paying for the salaries of selected individuals, the Deadpool star will also directly pay for their housing and transportation costs during the film shoot.

Details for the project have yet to be announced, but Reynolds thanked Netflix and Skydance Media for their support on the initiative, suggesting it will be a joint production with the two companies.

He added that the Group Effort Initiative will hopefully provide a foundation for BIPOC individuals who wish to pursue film careers, and can serve as a model for other productions.

“Since it’s called ‘Group Effort,’ we’re hoping that people with the privilege that I’m lucky enough to experience will join in that effort,” said Reynolds.

Applications for the Group Effort Initiative are open online until 9 p.m. PST on October 1.

Tim Ford
Tim Ford
Digital staff writer with Victoria Buzz

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