Sarah Silverman says she was recently fired from a movie for wearing blackface in a 2007 sketch


Sarah Silverman's old sketch in which she wears blackface recently came back to haunt her and cost her a movie role, she has now revealed.
The comedian recently appeared on The Bill Simmons Podcast and during a discussion about online criticism over old comments and jokes brought up an experience from her own life that had not been previously revealed. According to Silverman's account, she was recently set to appear in a small role in a "little" movie but was fired the night before over a photo of her wearing blackface from a 2007 episode of The Sarah Silverman Program.
"It was so disheartening," Silverman said. "It just made me real, real sad, because I've really kind of devoted myself to making it right."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
While Silverman said she is "not that person anymore" and has previously expressed regret over the sketch, she also noted the context, saying that she didn't go to a "Halloween party in the '80s in blackface" but was "doing an episode about race," also saying the show was supposed to be making fun of an "ignorant" character trapped "in a liberal bubble."
Silverman went on to decry the fact that the person who was ultimately hired to replace her on the movie is someone who has "never stuck her neck out." She did not name the actress nor the movie itself. More generally, Silverman on the podcast spoke against the idea of holding a comedian accountable for old material "if they've changed with the times," adding, "if you're putting yourself out there, it's not going to be timeless. It's just not." Listen to the full interview with Silverman on The Ringer.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Nashville dining: Far more than barbecue and hot chicken
Feature A modern approach to fine-dining, a daily-changing menu, and more
-
Music Reviews: Coco Jones and Viagra Boys
Feature "Why Not More?" and "Viagr Aboys"
-
Visa wants to let AI make credit card purchases for you
The Explainer The program will allow you to set a budget and let AI learn from your shopping preferences
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposes
speed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wife
speed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
-
Giant schnauzer wins top prize at Westminster show
Speed Read Monty won best in show at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club dog show
-
Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar take top Grammys
Speed Read Beyoncé took home album of the year for 'Cowboy Carter' and Kendrick Lamar's diss track 'Not Like Us' won five awards
-
The Louvre is giving 'Mona Lisa' her own room
Speed Read The world's most-visited art museum is getting a major renovation
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talks
Speed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tour
Speed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada
-
Drake claims illegal boosting, defamation
Speed Read The rapper accused Universal Music of boosting Kendrick Lamar's diss track and said UMG allowed him to be falsely accused of pedophilia