Daniel Kaluuya poked fun at the Royal Family in his “Saturday Night Live” debut last weekend amid recent racist claims against the monarchy.
Kaluuya, who is from London, began his opening monologue Saturday with a reference to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s bombshell interview, in which the Duchess of Sussex claimed the royal family had “ concerns ” about how dark son Archie’s skin might be.
‘I know you hear my accent and think,’ Oh no, he’s not black, he’s British. “Let me reassure you I’m black,” Kaluuya said. ‘I am black and I am British. Basically, I am what the royal family feared the baby would look like. “
Last month, Markle, 39, spoke candidly with girlfriend Oprah Winfrey about her struggles as a royal. Among the bombshell revelations from the interview, Markle claimed that while she was pregnant with son Archie, there were “conversations about how dark his skin might be when he’s born.”
Following the explosive interview, Buckingham Palace released a statement noting that the “issues raised, particularly those of race,” although “memories may vary.”
Prince William also spoke out in March declaring that the royals are “not a racist family at all.”
As Kaluuya’s monologue continued on Saturday, the 32-year-old actor also addressed the differences between American and British racism.
“People ask me, ‘What’s worse, British racism or American racism?’ Let me put it this way, British racism is so bad that the whites have been left behind, ”said Kaluuya. “They wanted to be free, free to create their own kind of racism. That’s why they invented Australia, South Africa and Boston. “
Kaluuya, who was recently nominated for an Oscar for his performance in “Judas and the Black Messiah,” also looked back on his Golden Globes win in February, complete with a Zoom audio failure.
‘I was muffled! Can you believe it? “Said the actor.” I told the best joke of my life and I was amazed. “
Kaluuya concluded his monologue by thanking his loved ones and also revealed how current “SNL” cast member, Kenan Thompson, influenced his childhood.
“When I was 9 years old I wrote a play that was performed at Hampshire Theater with real actors and all that. This is a true story, that piece was based on ‘Kenan & Kel’. That piece led me down a path that took me to this stage tonight with Kenan now backstage, ”said Kaluuya. “I just want to take this moment in front of Kenan and the whole world to say thank you mom, thank you God, and thank you Kel.”