Kelli Amirah went viral on TikTok last month after revealing her skin was darkened by the makeup team on HBO’s Lovecraft Country, and now the network is responding.
Amirah, 23, portrayed a younger version of Osberta (Carol Sutton) who was featured in a wedding photo in the seventh episode of the series.
The actress revealed that she noticed her makeup getting darker and darker during production, with HBO making it clear that behavior is not tolerated by the network.
Responding: Kelli Amirah went viral on TikTok last month after revealing her skin was darkened by the makeup team on HBO’s Lovecraft Country, and now the network is responding
‘We were very disappointed to learn of Ms. Amirah’s experience. This should not have happened, and we are taking steps to ensure this doesn’t occur again in the future,’ an HBO spokesperson told People on Monday.
The original video was in response to another TikTok video by @jeanellsunshine, asking others who have been hired as extras or background actors what was the ‘craziest thing you’ve witnessed.’
In the first of three videos, Amirah said she had debated telling this story ‘for the longest time’ before revealing she was booked as an extra in her hometown of Atlanta, one of her last jobs before moving to New York.
Video: The original video was in response to another TikTok video by @jeanellsunshine, asking others who have been hired as extras or background actors what was the ‘craziest thing you’ve witnessed’
She said she applied to play ‘the younger version of an actress for a wedding photo’ and she booked the job, but things got strange when she was in makeup, which she revealed in the second video that went viral, with over 4.1 million views to date.
She said she was sitting between two of the stars of the show, revealed in the third video as Courtney B. Vance and Jurnee Smollett.
Amirah revealed that she overheard the makeup artists talking, and heard one of them mention, ‘She’s a little lighter than the other actress,’ referring to Sutton.
Lighter: Amirah revealed that she overheard the makeup artists talking, and heard one of them mention, ‘She’s a little lighter than the other actress,’ referring to Sutton
The other makeup artist added, ‘Yeah, you’re right, but facial features wise, right here, she’s a dead match.’
When they started doing her makeup, though, she noticed, ‘my foundation is getting darker and darker.’
She clarified that she has ‘no clout’ and this was her first job with her own trailer,’ adding that this made her ‘so uncomfortable.’
Dead match: The other makeup artist added, ‘Yeah, you’re right, but facial features wise, right here, she’s a dead match’
Darker: When they started doing her makeup, though, she noticed, ‘my foundation is getting darker and darker’
‘I had no idea they were gonna do this to me and if I knew beforehand, I would have have accepted the job, Amirah added.
The video ends with her sharing four photos of her in the 1930s wedding gown with much darker skin, adding, ‘Who thought this was a good idea?’
She clarified in the third video that the show was Lovecraft Country, showcasing the scene where her wedding photo is briefly featured.
No idea: ‘I had no idea they were gonna do this to me and if I knew beforehand, I would have have accepted the job, Amirah added
Photos: The video ends with her sharing four photos of her in the 1930s wedding gown with much darker skin, adding, ‘Who thought this was a good idea?’
Clarified: She clarified in the third video that the show was Lovecraft Country, showcasing the scene where her wedding photo is briefly featured
Amirah also took to Twitter to clarify some details, after the video went viral over the weekend, because she had gotten some, ‘very valid critiques’ of her ‘complacency in allowing Lovecraft Country to darken my skin as a photo double for some set photography briefly featured in an episode.’
She added there was, ‘no mention of me being too light when I was caster nor when I went in for my fitting days before.’
Even when they were applying the makeup, she thought, ‘maybe they just meant a couple shades,’ but they kept going darker.
‘So here I am, in the makeup trailer of a major network production with the lead stars of the show, and they’re putting me in blackface,’ she said.
No mention: She added there was, ‘no mention of me being too light when I was caster nor when I went in for my fitting days before’
Darker: Even when they were applying the makeup, she thought, ‘maybe they just meant a couple shades,’ but they kept going darker
Blackface: ‘So here I am, in the makeup trailer of a major network production with the lead stars of the show, and they’re putting me in blackface,’ she said