THE INSIDER EXCLUSIVE | NAACP NOMINEES OPEN UP ABOUT DIVERSITY IN DAYTIME TELEVISION

February 18, 2014 (Los Angeles, CA) – THE INSIDER’s Kevin Frazier sat down exclusively for a roundtable discussion with seven of the ten NAACP Image Awards nominees for the “Outstanding Daytime Actor and Actress” categories,  from CBS’ The Bold and the Beautiful  and The Young and the Restless, to discuss diversity.  In these categories, CBS’ actors and actresses represent 90% of the nominees.  During the revealing interview at Hollywood’s illustrious The Sayers Club,Frazier spoke with nominees from CBS’ The Bold and the Beautiful’s Aaron D. Spears, Lawrence Saint-Victor, Karla Mosley, as well as, CBS’ The Young and the Restless’ Kristoff St. John, Redaric Williams, Angell Conwell and Christel Khalil.       

St. John, who has been on daytime the longest and who has also won nine NAACP Image Awards, describes his experience twenty years ago when he would receive hate mail for being in an on-screen interracial relationshipexplaining, “It really wasn't accepted that well by the audience at that time.  I'm not just going to say the white audience, but maybe black and white.  Unfortunately, I received a lot of hate mail. It was right in my home mailbox and that was really disheartening to me, to open my mail [and] in between the gas and the electric bill was this ‘I hate you because of your skin color [letter.]’”

While discussing the enlightening conversation he was able to conduct Frazier states, “It’s important to recognize these outstanding actors and actresses from daytime dramasbecause they make such a huge contribution.  They aren’t movie stars like Halle Berry or Forest Whitaker, but every single day they are in people’s homes, shaping perceptions; not just entertaining, but becoming part of people’s lives.”  

Frazier’s discussions with the “Outstanding Actor” nominees will air this evening, Tuesday, February 18th, and his conversations with the nominees for “Outstanding Actress” will air Wednesday, February 19th.

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PHOTO CREDIT: VINCENT SANDOVAL