Since our last publishing of this report in late 2021, the latest data shows that one of the biggest trends pertaining to diversity and representation on screen is the creation of stories that reflect intersectionality. The idea that each individual is defined by multiple identities across race, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, ability, etc., is a reality that seems to be increasingly taken into consideration by Hollywood’s content creators, allowing films and series to better explore and reflect the nuances of the human experience.

For example some of the biggest standouts in Black representation in film were centered around the stories of Black women (see Woman King and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever). Hulu’s Fire Island is another great example that showcases a broad spectrum of the queer experience, including cast members who identify as gay, nonbinary, bisexual and from a full range of racial and ethnic backgrounds.

The other clear trend that has emerged is the proliferation of non-English language content availability in the United States. The growth of available “primetime” content in languages like Spanish, Korean, Arabic, and Japanese has meant a marked increase in the representation of talent from those backgrounds and has provided multilingual audiences with relevant content. However, this doesn’t fix the problem of lack of diverse domestic casting and potentially risks segregation of talent from various racial/ethnic backgrounds to non-English-language content.

Streaming platforms are the core of what’s driving the foreign-language content. Netflix is having an outsized impact on this representation, driven largely by its ability to distribute foreign language films in the United States as well — constituting anywhere from 17-28% of all series regular roles for Latin/Hispanic, Asian, and Middle Eastern/North African talent. Both Amazon and Disney+ have also premiered foreign language content in the past two years, several of which have 6+ series regular roles played by actors from the respective racial/ethnic groups (Asian, Latin/Hispanic, etc). 

The following report presents the data behind the aforementioned trends, plus others, in an effort to objectively show where Hollywood stands in regards to representation. More specifically, our goal is for this progress report to be used as a reference point to see where and how improvements already have been and still need to be made as studios, networks, streamers and production companies continue to make promises surrounding the increased cultural conversations about the need for more nuanced diversity on and behind the screen.