Chris Lilley says his controversial comedy shows like Angry Boys were never cancelled by Netflix
Chris Lilley breaks his silence by stating that his controversial comedy shows like Summer Heights High and Angry Boys were never canceled by Netflix due to blackface depictions.
Comedian Chris Lilley has hit back at his critics.
The 48-year-old comedian has responded to claims he had been ‘canceled’ after Netflix removed four of his shows in 2020 over blackface depictions.
Lilley said that his relationship with the streaming giant is “excellent”, and his show Lunatics is currently available on the streaming giant.
speaking to unilada On Friday, Lilley said: ‘I feel like everything that was talked about was more a media version of the situation than reality.
Meanwhile, Summer Heights High, Angry Boys, and We Can Be Heroes are still available to viewers on local platforms, including Apple TV+.
Comedian Chris Lilley has responded to his critics in a new interview with Unilad. The 48-year-old comedian (pictured) was responding to claims that he had been ‘canceled’ after Netflix removed four of his shows in 2020 in response to blackface portrayals.
“All my shows have been and always are,” he continued. “They never went away. Take a look at some headlines, you might think otherwise.”
Claiming that his shows were “still popular”, Lilley blamed the controversy on a media thrashing.
“So no problem, it just seems to be more of a blooper,” he said.
Lilley said his relationship with Netflix is ”excellent” and that his show Lunatics is currently available on the streaming giant. Pictured: Lilley in a scene from Lunatics
Pictured: Lilley as her popular character Ja’mie King – ‘she’ now has a podcast
In June 2020, it was announced that Lilley Jonah’s shows from Tonga, Angry Boys, Summer Heights High, and We Can Be Heroes would be removed from Netflix in Australia and New Zealand. Pictured: Lilley (front) in an episode of her hit series Summer Heights High
Elsewhere in the chat, Lilley revealed that he is writing new material and teased fans that his popular character Mr.G, an obnoxious teacher from the series Summer Heights High, could be getting a spinoff.
meanwhile, lilley launched her comeback project Ja’miezing, a podcast based on her iconic schoolgirl character Ja’mie King, in 2021 after four of her TV shows were removed from Netflix for blackface portrayals.
In June 2020, it was announced that the comedy shows Jonah from Tonga, Angry Boys, Summer Heights High, and We Can Be Heroes would be removed from Netflix in Australia and New Zealand.
The shows raised questions about racial profiling, as several of the characters were portrayed with Lilley in black and brownface.
In Angry Boys, he played the African-American rapper S.mouse and performed a song called Squashed N****.
In Jonah from Tonga, he painted his face brown and wore a curly wig to play troubled teen Jonah Takalua.
Lilley’s shows raised questions about racial profiling, as several of the characters were portrayed with Lilley wearing black and brown face paint. In the photo: Lilley in Angry Boys.
In We Can Be Heroes, Lilley played Chinese physics student Ricky Wong.
Chris has defended his brand of comedy, saying the aussie weekend last year: ‘I’m not trying to do what’s hot right now.
The award-winning comedian went on to say that he would continue to make ‘smart and layered’ characters.
Defending their controversial portrayals, he added: “When you meet them, you’re like, ‘I know that kind of person,’ but then there’s a twist, something crazy.
‘[In] by the end you think, “Actually, I relate to this, she just did what I do every day.”