Lin-Manuel Miranda and Billy Porter were among those who called for better representation in a new commercial.
The 60-second PSA, which was titled ‘See All’, also featured Daniel Dae Kim, Nicole Scherzinger, Isis King and Jamie Chung and aired during the Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday (20.09.20) evening.
The stars each alternated lines from a script, which included: "We appreciate the dialogue. We see the effort from Hollywood but we need more. We are here. We’ve been here".
‘Mary Poppins Returns’ actor Lin-Manuel asked: "Do you see me in this industry?"
Billy said: "We are more than a splash of colour on your white canvas."
And Isis said: "We’re not your quota,."
The group argued diverse stars should not be seen as a "quota" but instead considered "quotable".
They also asked: "Would you rather breathe life into stereotypes or stand up against them? Because what I know of my culture isn’t who you portray me to be.
"We’re not your quota. We are quotable. So show me — me. Not your me. Me."
The PSA – which was created by the Alliance for Inclusive and Multicultural Marketing (AIMM) – concluded that it was "time" to unite to create change.
It said: "Let’s come together so we can create waves of change. It’s time, see all."
Model Isis shared a clip from the advert on her Twitter page and insisted there is still "more work to be done" in tackling the lack of diversity in showbiz.
She wrote: "The Emmys should be applauded for the 33% increase in black nominees this year; but there’s much more work to be done. It’s time for the entertainment industry to have more diverse and fair cultural representation in programming, advertising and recognition."