Movies

Seth Rogen apologizes for the use of blackface on Good Boys set

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Published on August 4, 2018 12:37PM EDT

Seth Rogen, a producer on the comedy film Good Boys with Evan Goldberg, has issued an apology after leaked photos from the set showed a stand-in for a child actor wearing blackface makeup.

"I should start by saying this shouldn't have happened, and I'm terribly sorry it did," Rogen said in a statement obtained by EW. "I won't give excuses for why it happened. I'll just say that as soon I was made aware of it, I ensured we put an end to it – and I give my word that on any project my team and I are involved in, we will take every precaution to make sure something similar does not take place again. I'm engaging in conversations to make sure I find the best way to do that. It's on me to be proactive. Reacting isn't enough."

Representatives for production company Good Universe and directors Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky could not be reached, while distributor Universal did not immediately have an official comment to make at this time.

TMZ had published photos on Thursday that revealed the child stand-in for 11-year-old Keith L. Williams sitting on the Vancouver set wearing darkened face makeup. Sources connected to production company Good Universe told the site it's "not uncommon for lighting purposes to match actors' skin tones." Cinematographers speaking with IndieWire under the condition of anonymity explained this is an "unorthodox" practice.

"It is important for me to cast a person with similar complexion and physical stature to the actors they are standing in for," one cinematographer said. "In regards to makeup, I've seen wigs used and powder to take down shine, but maybe not as extreme as what is being suggested here. I personally would never ask for someone to be made up in a darker tone. You would just compensate for what you understand to be lighter or darker while lighting."

Williams stars alongside Jacob Tremblay, Molly Gordon, and Brady Noon in Good Boys, about four boys on a mission to fix a broken toy.

The film will open in theaters in 2019.