In case you didn't know, Daniel Kaluuya is British. And a no-holds-barred comedian, apparently!
The 32-year-old British Golden Globe-winning actor, known for roles in Get Out, Black Panther and the new film Judas and the Black Messiah, joked about the U.K. royal family's racism scandal in his Saturday Night Live monologue.
"I know you're hearing my accent and thinking, 'Oh no, he's not Black. He's British.' Let me reassure you that I am Black. I'm Black and I'm British," Daniel said. "Basically, I'm what the royal family was worried the baby would look like."
In a tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey in March, Meghan Markle said she and Prince Harry, now parents of 23-month-old son Archie Harrison and with a baby on the way, learned that their future first child would not receive a royal title or be given security and also said there were "concerns and conversations" among her husband's family "about how dark his skin might be when he's born."
Following the airing of Oprah's interview with Meghan and Harry, Queen Elizabeth II said in a statement that "the issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately." Harry's brother Prince William, the third in line to the throne, later told reporters when asked, "We are very much not a racist family."
The scandal, coupled with Meghan and Harry's unprecedented royal exit, has fueled discussions about racism and the royal family among people in the U.S. and U.K.
"People ask me, 'What's worse, British racism or American racism?'" Daniel continued in his SNL monologue, before joking, "Let me put it this way. British racism is so bad, white people left. They wanted to be free. Free to create their own kind of racism. That's why they invented Australia, South Africa and Boston."
Watch sketches from Daniel's SNL debut:
"Proud Parents":
In this skit, Daniel and cast member Ego Nwodim play the parents of a son (Chris Redd) who shocks them by announcing he has changed his college major.
"Viral Apology Video":
In what appears to be a parody of Jensen Karp's recent Cinnamon Toast Crunch-shrimp tails scandal, Daniel and cast member Kyle Mooney play YouTubers who go viral after revealing finding something gross in their cereal. Then the latter gets canceled for past offensive acts.
"Vaccine Game Show":
Daniel plays a doctor working on the front lines of COVID-19 who hosts a game show and tries to coax the contestants, his unvaccinated family members, to agree to take the vaccine.
"Frat Trip":
Daniel and cast members Kyle, Chris, Beck Bennett, Alex Moffat, Mikey Day and Bowen Yang play excited fraternity members planning a trip to Lake Tahoe. But the mood changes when one of them has an unusual suggestion.
St. Vincent was the musical guest, performing the songs "Pay Your Way in Pain" and "The Melting of the Sun."
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