Perrineau’s daughter decided to become an actor to follow in her father’s footsteps.
In October 2015, when she won the part of the lead character in Jem and the Holograms as Jem's African American bandmate, Shana, it should have been a joyous point in her career.
But the actress revealed critics were biased toward her casting. Labeling her as “not black enough” for the role. She also faced online criticism but did not know how to deal with it.
Perrineau spoke out against the racist criticism his daughter faced in an essay published on The Wrap.
“The reason I’m so angry right now (and I’m sure that many people will be able to understand this) is that I feel like my daughter — MY CHILD — is being attacked,” he wrote. “She is being harshly and unfairly judged during a time when she should be relishing her accomplishments.”
He even mentioned that some fanatics even suggested Aurora 'kill herself' for taking the role. But the actor didn’t meet these remarks with negativity. Instead, he redirected his negative energy into something creative.
“Can we stop looking to Hollywood to define who we are and find ways that we can define ourselves?” he wrote.
Harold Perrineau with his wife Brittany Perrineau and two younger daughters, Wynter Aria and Holiday Grace. (Source: Instagram)
He hoped that the people criticizing her daughter rather put their energy into creating characters that look, sound, and feel like humans rather than focus on someone’s blackness or lack thereof.
At the end of the essay, the actor asked, “What do you create?”
