Part 3/5:
Den's observations touch upon a critical debate in contemporary Hollywood: the zero-sum nature of diversity and inclusion efforts. She explains that when more roles are allocated to underrepresented groups—be it based on age, ethnicity, or background—the pool of roles available to others shrinks accordingly. This, she asserts, creates a situation where not everyone can benefit simultaneously.
"When you give more roles and more jobs to underrepresented groups, you take it away from another," she notes, emphasizing that casting decisions often involve trade-offs. The industry, she suggests, struggles to balance these competing priorities, leading to a landscape where some actors may feel sidelined as others gain prominence.