Jeffrey Wright Refused to Censor N-Word in 'Ride With the Devil', Studio Hired Replacement

The actor's refusal to alter a crucial dialogue in the film has sparked discussions about Hollywood's portrayal of Black stories.

Jeffrey Wright, during a discussion with his 'American Fiction' co-stars, revealed that he refused to censor a powerful moment in the 1999 Civil War-era film 'Ride With the Devil' where his character, a former slave, uses the N-word in a self-empowering statement.
The studio asked Wright to replace the N-word with a more palatable word for the 'airplane version' of the film, a request he declined.
The studio subsequently brought in another actor to dub that single word, a decision Wright criticized as catering to 'the darkness of their own ignorance around the language of race.'
Wright's revelation has sparked discussions about Hollywood's treatment and portrayal of Black stories, with criticism directed at the studio's decision to censor language that was crucial to the character's evolution.
Wright is currently receiving acclaim for his role in 'American Fiction,' earning a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.