I was represented in (nearly) every show I watched growing up,

What do Cinderella, Elle Woods, Luna Lovegood, Quinn Fabray, Cassie Howard and Sophie Whitehouse all have in common? They are all blonde white European female blonde characters. I’ve just picked six characters that I grew up with across film and tv. I assume that you will struggle to think of a show or movie made in the western world without a white European blonde female character as either the lead or supporting role – I mean, they do have them in Disney films like Aladdin and Mulan, but they aren’t widespread. I know most of these shows are American, but the American/British film and tv industry overlaps and people in both countries should be represented. In the UK, there is a solid connection to India – this is why a show like Bridgerton is groundbreaking, and this is why a show like Skins and Bend in Like Beckham did so well back in the day. They managed to connect to people who aren’t represented in the media even though they make up a large part of our population.

Take the six characters I’ve mentioned above; how many of them have Indian characters as main or supporting characters. Cinderella – zero. Legally Blonde – Zero. Harry Potter – zero, Padma and Parvati don’t exactly count as main or supporting characters as they were background characters. Glee – Zero, the character of Kurt, replaced the Indian character who was written. I do believe the best person should get the role, and I understand that Chris blew the room, but I do wonder why they didn’t have both? Euphoria – zero and Anatomy of a Scandal- Olivia Lytton, but many people say that Naomi is “too white.” Now I have chosen mainly American shows which don’t have the same connection to India as Britain does, and Glee’s representation is groundbreaking. There are still shows being made now that don't have that representation. Euphoria is doing a decent job in that department, but the rest have a long way.

Every show I watched growing up had a character that looked like me, and it was often a character I would initially be drawn to, even if they acted like a bitch - I would feel connected with them, and they didn't have to say or do anything. Elle Woods showed me that being blonde was amazing; Quinn Fabray was another character I adored straight away. I wasn’t necessary like these characters but based on my first impression, I would be connected to a show, and everyone deserves to have that feeling.

Me saying stuff like “I just want the actors to be based on talent, not a race.” demonstrates the privileged I have. Take Riverdale – that show is a shit show with a primarily white cast - any one of the core cast members could be replaced, and it has minimal impact on the performance because the writing is still terrible. Yes, we should aim for a society where most shows don't need race attached to the character, and once you have the cast, you maybe we work the surface. Another thing which Glee did okay - while the characters were written in advance, the actors also shaped their feelings, and the experiences were portrayed, which is a brilliant way to connect with an audience. However, we are still at the stage where race needs to be mentioned in casting calls to encourage minorities, and that isn’t a bad thing if it gets them auditioning. Still, we need to get to the point that if you are throwing a character where race isn’t a component of the show, then you can do a basic character description. Like so many rom-coms from the ’00s had two white leads, I wonder if casting pushed to get minorities at the auditions or let them assume this wasn't a role they could get - something which still happens today.

This leads me to another point, this time about Brooklyn 99 - which thinking about it, doesn't have a white blonde female character as a core member of the cast, but despite that, it is still one of my favourite shows. Stephanie Beatriz did an interview talking about filming the pilot; she thought either she or Melissa Fumero would be fired because there was no way they would have two Latina actresses on a show. This isn’t fear. I feel like the average white actor or actress in films. I doubt it has even crossed their minds. Sure, people get replaced - Pretty Little Liars replaced a few of their cast mainly because they didn't think the actors were suitable. Still, I doubt the actors thought they would be fired because of the colour of their skin - this feeling is something familiar for minorities. I can't imagine B99 without Rosa or Amy. Imagine if they had cut one because they were like, “well, we can't have two Latina women.”

Sometimes race is essential for a character, but most of the time, it isn’t; we need to encourage good representation in media; we need to promote actors who are minorities to try out for any role which doesn't race attached. We also need to encourage casting directors to try and attract people from all backgrounds to the auditions. You don't need to do open auditions to do this, and one of the most important things is I feel like writers need only to write foundations of characters which they can build on with the character. Like you write a character then cast an actor who is Caribbean origins. They say, “look, I never had someone from my background to look up to as a child. Would it be okay if we write some of my family traditions into the show?” or equally, you cast an actor with Kenyan parents who has never shown interest in their roots, and that could be a demonstrated on screen as well. Film and TV are collaborative efforts, and this should be encouraged.

Nearly every show and film I watched as a kid had someone like me; it drew me to that character. It made me sympathise with them straight away, and that is a feeling that I think every child deserves to have growing up.