Light Girls director: ‘I was considered ugly because I was so dark’

Predator star Bill Duke’s new documentary about black women obsessed with lightening or darkening their skin is personal to him, because he has always been cast as the villain due to his look. The actor/director is the brains behind the film Light Girls, which premieres on Oprah Winfrey’s OWN network on Monday night (19Jan15), and he admits he’s the perfect person to make the project, because he has suffered due to the perception of African-American skin tone.
He tells U.S. news show Access Hollywood Live, “Men have a similar issue… I was always considered the big black, scary, bad guy many times.”
And Duke reveals he missed out on his high school prom because he wasn’t considered a handsome, light-skinned teen.
He adds, “In those days, the lighter-skinned guys… were the pretty boys, but people like me were considered ugly.
“I saw my sister and my niece go through some things that were not pleasant because of the darkness of their skin.”
Duke’s film features stars like Raven-Symone and Amber Rose talking about their skin tone. The That’s So Raven star confesses she tried to tan her skin because she felt she would be more beautiful darker.