“They said, ‘You might want to give some real consideration to changing your name.’ Now imagine someone giving that advice to an actor out loud today, with the climate and cancel culture. That’s it; they’re done. But this is the late ’90s. It was a different time and, frankly, my first two experiences kind of proved the point that they were making,” James added.
After eventually deciding to reclaim his last name, James told TVLine in 2020, “I realize I essentially perpetuated an institutionalized element of what’s broken about this industry, which is, of course, a microcosm of the world we are living in. I can’t excuse the decision because of youth or naiveté or ambition. The bottom line is, I sold out my heritage in about 15 seconds to have a shot at being an actor… [Now] I want to be the best, most honest ally and amplifier that I can be for my own community and for my friends of color. I don’t think any of us could do that if we’re not even putting the truest versions of ourselves out there.”
