Reel Inequality was the first book to systematically document how Hollywood's institutional racism shapes the lives and careers of actors of color. In this updated edition, Nancy Wang Yuen again translates academic research on structural racism into an engaging, accessible narrative for general readers. Connecting personal stories from actors of color, industry data and practices, and historical patterns, she reveals how racism operates both behind the scenes and on the screen. She also examines Hollywood’s retreat from diversity efforts amid the broader backlash against DEI. 

Yuen draws on newly released industry data and recently published interviews with actors of color, showing how racism continues to shape who gets cast, who gets hired, and who gets to tell their own story. She looks closely at the pressures actors of color face, including typecasting, financial precarity, and racial burdens, even as many push back and forge their own paths. She also uses the lens of Hollywood to explore broader issues of race, inequality, and representation.

Nancy Wang Yuen is a professor of ethnic studies at Crafton Hills College and the author of Reel Inequality: Hollywood Actors and Racism (Rutgers University Press, 2016). As a media commentator and speaker, she bridges academic research and public discourse on race and Hollywood.

Introduction
1 Hollywood's Whitest
2 Hollywood's Colorblind Racism
3 Hollywood's Typecasting
4 Hollywood's Double Bind
5 Surviving Hollywood
6 Challenging Hollywood
7 Diversifying Hollywood
Appendix: Methods
Notes
Selected Bibliography
Index