In 1987, Robert Townsend wrote, directed, and starred in the comedy Hollywood Shuffle that satirized the then-popular blaxploitation films. He played aspiring actor Bobby Taylor and the limited range of roles that that he was able to audition for and the expectations the filmmakers had about how black people behave, as shown in this funny scene from the film.

In this next clip, actor Mamoudou N’Diaye auditions for the eleven stereotypical roles often offered to blacks today. It looks like things haven’t changed that much for black actors since Townsend’s satire 30 years ago, notwithstanding a few high profile ones who get good roles.