When Chadwick Boseman was first approached to play James Brown in “Get On Up,” his first thought was “I definitely do not want to do another biopic.” The actor was coming off playing Jackie Robinson in “42” and was looking for something “more contemporary, maybe something that was more action oriented,” he told HuffPost Live in an interview on Monday.

But black actors are denied such opportunities, Scott Mendelson argued in a piece for Forbes.com. He wrote:

“Chadwick Boseman may be being courted for every would-be biopic of every famous black historical figure around, but why is the obviously talented and painfully charismatic actor not being courted for the kind of projects that routinely end up starring the likes of Ryan Reynolds or Chris Pine?

Boseman recognizes this reality, but doesn’t entirely agree.

“There definitely is a starring vehicle, but this is a business and a machine, to a certain degree,” he explained. “It’s all about the machine realizing that it’s a viable thing to make a black actor a star, and I think that’s a struggle.”

And while the 37-year-old regrets the ongoing challenge of securing certain parts as a black actor, he chooses not to harp on it.

“It’s always been a struggle,” he said. “I know I’m up against odds that are not necessarily as fair or the same, but I can’t focus on it.”

Watch the rest of Chadwick Boseman’s conversation with HuffPost Live here.

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