Chris Rock has slammed the “slave state” of Mexicans in Hollywood and questioned why so few black women are considered for roles in film and television.

In an essay for The Hollywood Reporter, the American performer said black actors are frequently overlooked. 

“When it comes to casting, Hollywood pretty much decides to cast a black guy or they don’t,” wrote the former Saturday Night Live cast member, whose work spans stage, film and television.

Chris Rock speaks out against racism in Hollywood, saying: ‘We’re never in the mix.’ Photo: Reuters

“We’re never ‘in the mix’. When there’s a hot part in town and the guys are reading for it, that’s just what happens. It was never like, ‘Is it going to be Ryan Gosling or Chiwetel Ejiofor for Fifty Shades of Grey?’ And you know, black people f—, too. White women actually want to f— black guys, sometimes more than white guys.”

Rock also uses casting rumours about the second season of True Detective to illustrate his point about black women. 

“I never heard anyone go, ‘Is it going to be Amy Adams or Gabrielle Union?’ for that show,” he said. 

“I didn’t hear one black girl’s name on those lists. Not one. Literally everyone in town was up for that part, unless you were black. And I haven’t read the script, but something tells me if Gabrielle Union were Colin Farrell’s wife, it wouldn’t change a thing. 

“And there are almost no black women in film. You can go to whole movies and not see one black woman. They will throw a black guy a bone. OK, here’s a black guy. But is there a single black woman in Interstellar? Or Gone Girl? Birdman? The Purge? Neighbours? I’m not sure there are. I don’t remember them.

“I go to the movies almost every week, and I can go a month and not see a black woman having an actual speaking part in a movie. That’s the truth.”

Rock described Hollywood as “a white industry, just as the NBA is a black industry – I’m not even saying it’s a bad thing; it just is”. 

But he claimed that while it is “the most liberal town in the world”, it harbours racism. 

“Not racist like, ‘F— you, ni—-,’ racist, but just an acceptance that there’s a slave state in LA. There’s an acceptance that Mexicans are going to take care of white people in LA that doesn’t exist anywhere else. 

“You’re telling me no Mexicans are qualified to do anything at a studio? Really? Nothing but mop up?”

He adds that there is “probably a Mexican David Geffen” mopping the floors “who’s never going to be given a shot”. 

The essay follows a recent interview with New York magazine, in which Rock describes the notions of American race relations and racial progress as “nonsense”. 

“To say Obama is progress is saying that he’s the first black person that is qualified to be president,” he said. 

“That’s not black progress. That’s white progress. There’s been black people qualified to be president for hundreds of years.

“You know, my kids are smart, educated, beautiful, polite children. There have been smart, educated, beautiful, polite black children for hundreds of years. The advantage that my children have is that my children are encountering the nicest white people that America has ever produced. Let’s hope America keeps producing nicer white people.”