Chris Rock doesn’t think Jimmy Fallon was trying to be hurtful when he impersonated the comedian while in blackface back in 2000 on Saturday Night Live.
The actor, 55, defended Fallon, 45, in a new interview with the New York Times, calling the late night host a good friend and ‘great guy’ who would never aim to offend.
‘Hey, man, I’m friends with Jimmy. Jimmy’s a great guy. And he didn’t mean anything,’ Rock told the paper.
Not malicious: Chris Rock called Jimmy Fallon a ‘good guy’ who didn’t ‘mean anything’ malicious by his 2000 impersonation of Rock wearing blackface. He is seen in January above
‘A lot of people want to say intention doesn’t matter, but it does. And I don’t think Jimmy Fallon intended to hurt me. And he didn’t.’
Earlier in summer a 2000 SNL sketch where Jimmy imitated Rock in blackface resurfaced online, prompting #JimmyFallonIsOver to trend of Twitter and earn massive attention from the media.
Other celebrities like Jimmy Kimmel, Sarah Silverman, Robert Downey Jr., and Ted Danson were called out over using blackface around the same time.
Fallon apologized on social media at the end of May, tweeting: ‘In 2000, while on SNL, I made a terrible decision to do an impersonation of Chris Rock while in blackface. There is no excuse for this.
‘I am very sorry for making this unquestionably offensive decision and thank all of you for holding me accountable.’ he wrote.
No ill will: ‘Hey, man, I’m friends with Jimmy. Jimmy’s a great guy. And he didn’t mean anything,’ Rock told the paper. Jimmy is seen in 2019 above
Yikes: Earlier in summer a 2000 SNL sketch where Jimmy imitated Rock in blackface resurfaced online, prompting #JimmyFallonIsOver to trend of Twitter and earn massive attention from the media
While Chris deemed Jimmy’s actions harmless, Rock was not condoning blackface in the slightest.
Asked if he thought the idea of removing past instances of blackface in media was being taken ‘too far,’ Chris dismissed the idea of even having to condemn something so obviously wrong.
‘If I say they are [taking it too far,] then I’m the worst guy in the world,’ he replied. ‘There’s literally one answer that ends my whole career.’
‘Blackface ain’t cool, OK? That’s my quote. Blackface is bad. Who needs it? It’s so sad, we live in a world now where you have to say, I am so against cancer.
‘”I just assumed you liked cancer.” No, no, no, I am so against it. You have to state so many obvious things you’re against.’
‘No excuse’: Fallon apologized on social media at the end of May, tweeting ‘In 2000, while on SNL, I made a terrible decision to do an impersonation of Chris Rock while in blackface. There is no excuse for this’
Problematic: Other celebrities like Jimmy Kimmel (above), Sarah Silverman, Robert Downey Jr., and Ted Danson were called out over using blackface around the same time
In a separate profile for The Hollywood Reporter, Rock brushed off Fallon’s blackface as simply ‘bad comedy,’ saying Jimmy ‘doesn’t have a racist bone in his body.’
He also shared how Fallon personally reached out to him after issuing his public apology.
With no bad blood between them, the old friends will be teaming up for some late night soon.
Rock is set to appear on The Tonight Show soon to promote Fargo in the coming weeks.
Pals: In a separate profile for The Hollywood Reporter , Rock brushed off Fallon’s blackface as simply ‘bad comedy,’ saying Jimmy ‘doesn’t have a racist bone in his body.’ They’re seen together in 2009 above
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