Noel Clarke has claimed that he would not have landed a role as a black action star in a British film had he not cast himself.
The 38-year-old London actor directed and produced his new sci-fi movie The Anomaly.
Clarke, who played Mickey Smith in Doctor Who, gave himself the lead in his film alongside Ian Somerhalder, Luke Hemsworth and Brian Cox.
When asked if a black actor would have been cast in the movie under normal circumstances, he said: “No, they wouldn’t have been. I wouldn’t have been cast if I hadn’t been making the movie.
“Sometimes, obviously, if there are more talented people then that’s fine and that’s not an issue. But sometimes it’s just the way it is.”
Clarke, also known for his roles in Kidulthood and Star Trek Into Darkness, added: “You’ve got to not make it a thing and get on with your work — that’s what I do.”
It comes after Labour MP Chuka Umunna recently claimed that British black actors like Idris Elba could not achieve mainstream success in the UK without first breaking America.
In The Anomaly, Clarke plays an ex-soldier who wakes up in the back of a van to find he has just minutes to work out how he got there.
Soho VFX studio Lipsync Post were brought in to add a series of futuristic skyscrapers to the London skyline. Clarke added: “Those buildings that you see were all my idea.
“I wanted a future London that is far enough away to look cool but familiar enough so it’s not impossible to imagine.”
The actor said he would welcome a return to Doctor Who — as a director. He said: “If they ever ask me then there would be a discussion.”
The Anomaly is released in cinemas this Friday.
