The REAL Reason Daniel Kaluuya Quit Acting For Over A Year Before 'Get Out' Role

"Get Out" star Daniel Kaluuya just opened up about some hardships he faced before landing his breakout role. The actor acted in the Jordan Peele-directed film in 2017, earning him his first Oscar and widespread fame.

According to Peele, he first noticed the actor's acting prowess in an episode of "Black Mirror" and was convinced he was the one for the job. The duo came together once again to release a new film titled "Nope."

While talking about their relationship as actor and director, Kaluuya revealed that before Peele reached out to him to act on "Get Out," he was "really disillusioned" about the acting industry. The actor mentioned why he wanted to opt-out of the profession and the changes to his career after working with Peele.

Kaluuya reportedly shut down his acting career before being contacted by Peele. The duo first worked together in 2017 on "Get Out." The two men appeared in a recently released interview with Essence magazine and talked about what went on at the time.

"I've never told you this, but when you reached out to me, and we had that Skype, I was really disillusioned with acting," Kaluuya said. He revealed that before Peele reached out to him, he was on the verge of quitting because of "racism" and other issues.

He recalled, "I had stopped acting for like a year and a half. I checked out because I was just like, this isn't working. I wasn't getting roles because racism and all this kind of stuff — so you reaching out was like, 'OK, I'm not crazy. It's proper. It's going to be all right.'"

Kaluuya first caught Peele's eye when the actor appeared in an episode of Netflix's popular "Black Mirror." The actor's performance in the "Fifteen Million Merits" episode impressed the director so much that he contacted him for "Get Out," which gave Kaluuya his breakout role.

Besides giving the British actor his much-needed publicity, "Get Out" also became a huge hit and earned Peele an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. The psychological thriller currently has a 98 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes and grossed over $255 million internationally.

"Get Out" also awarded Kaluuya his first Oscar nomination for the best actor award, and by 2021, the 33-year-old actually won an Oscar. He earned the best supporting actor award for his applauded performance in "Judas and the Black Messiah."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=In8fuzj3gck&t=2s

Kaluuya and Peele recently collaborated on a movie that the director described as "a Black UFO movie." The film titled "Nope" is set to hit theaters on July 22 and will see the actor act alongside stars like Keke Palmer.

In their Essence interview, Peele reflected on Kaluuya's career since "Get Out," commending the actor for making wise choices. He also revealed that after the project, the actor showed "real intention" with his career and how he wanted to shape it.

In response, Kaluuya said, "I did. I was just like, If it's not a 'F--k yeah,' it's a no—that kind of cleaned house. A 'F--k yeah' to me is when you're doing plays, you're doing it for 400 pounds a week. That's pre-agent, pre-tax, pre-everything. So I was like, 'Would I do this for 400 pounds a week?' And if the answer was yes, then all right, cool, I'll do it."

Kaluuya shed light on how different he thought the audience in the US was compared to the one he faced at home. He recounted the press run period after releasing "Judas and the Black Messiah" and his shock when more attention was paid to the interview with the actors rather than the movie itself.

The 33-year-old said, "It's something I learned on the press run for Judas and the Black Messiah," he said. "A lot of times, people think I'm guarded, but I'm just new. I'm in a new country. Then, when I was being more open, people were talking to me about the interviews — and I'm like, Why are you talking about the interviews? They weren't talking about the film."

According to Kaluuya, back home in England, the audience mostly focused on the actor's talent, whereas in America, they mostly saw the person's character. "In England, it's about talent, and I think in America, it's about the character of a person," he said.