View Full Version : Why couldn't a multiracial actor play one of the Willis children?


Yong Fang
10-08-2014, 09:30 AM
Pretty much the question, why couldn't the show cast someone who was of mixed black and white parentage? The girl who played Jenny is black and the actor who played Alan was white. To me in Middle America, is that a white person and a black person can either have a kid who is either black or white and it is a crapshoot which one.

Were there just no actors that are multiracial who could have filled in these roles? Now, there would have been lots of actors who could have done it. The Jeffersons could have done better, me thinks.

As an aside, why was Alan mad at his father? For being half black? I forgot his backstory. He sort of comes in, has serious daddy issues, leaves, comes back and leaves forever. When was Alan first mentioned "Oh by the way, we have a white son with issues. Laughs galore."

gidgetgrape
10-08-2014, 11:07 AM
I always thought the first Alan looked Puerto Rican. My interpretation of the casting was that Jenny took after her mother and Alan took after his father. I think the creators did the best they could do at the time. Alan was first mentioned and seen in season one, "Jenny's Low."

Here's more info about him:
http://the-jeffersons.wikia.com/wiki/Allan_Willis

TVFactFan
10-08-2014, 09:13 PM
Yes, Jenny was not realistic to be so dark and have a white dad

ILuvCarolBurnett
11-08-2014, 03:10 AM
I wasn't a fan of either Alan's really. I wonder if the second one was intended to be long-term, but he only lasted one season.

waichingliu81
11-08-2014, 11:10 AM
this is just an assumption, but maybe because there wasn't many multi-racial actors around at the time. but i do agree with you.