Christiana Ebohon-Green meets Wunmi Mosaku: 'It's exhausting being the non-threatening black woman'

The TV director and actor talk candidly about how racism is draining, limiting and ingrained. But is leaving to work in the US the answer?

The director Christiana Ebohon-Green (EastEnders, Call the Midwife, Soon Gone: A Windrush Chronicle) and the actor Wunmi Mosaku, 33, (Luther, End of the F**king World and Jordan Peele's upcoming HBO drama series, Lovecraft Country) have met before. In fact, they have worked together, on Ebohon-Green's Bafta-longlisted short, Some Sweet Oblivious Antidote. They both have fond memories of the sun-dappled shoot by the Thames, with a (mostly black) cast of actors. But not every experience on set has been so joyful. Amid some laughter, a few tears and many weary sighs, they swap horror stories of industry racism, discuss solidarity among black creatives, and the opportunities and risks involved in a move to the US.

CEG: I've worked on a lot of mainstream television drama, so I've often been the only [black person] on set. For me [having this wider conversation about racism] is a relief. Sometimes, you air issues and people are like: Oh yeah, we know! We've solved that! Can you stop going on?" So I've been very careful about what I said and assumed people understood.