The actor known for his portrayal of Stanley Hudson on the hit comedy series finds himself the target of hateful messages after he launched an initiative to help bring its spin-off to the small screen.
- Aug 18, 2020
AceShowbiz - "The Office" star Leslie David Baker is exposing the racist attacks he has been subjected to as he pushes for a series spin-off.
The actor has been accepting donations via Kickstarter to help fund a new show revolving around his character Stanley Hudson, titled "Uncle Stan: Coming Out of Retirement".
The initiative has more than 1,500 donors, who have pledged over $360,000 (£275,000) to help bring the show to the small screen. Unfortunately, the 62-year-old also found himself the target of hateful messages.
"For those of you who don't believe racism is still alive in the world... here's the proof," he wrote alongside screenshots of offensive messages in an Instagram post last week, ends August 14.
Baker also discussed the unsettling comments with USA Today, in which he insisted racism has "gotten worse."
"Racism doesn't care whether or not you're an actor on TV or if you won awards," he added. "This is something that faces minorities on any job, not just because they're in showbusiness... We would have thought that these issues would have been rectified years, decades ago. They have not. As a matter of fact, they've gotten worse."
He adds that online harassment allows for covert attacks that are difficult to trace.
"It's not riding down the street in the hood with the burning cross, but instead it's been replaced with the new technology," Baker shared.
Baker's "The Office" co-star Angela Kinsey has offered up her support and expressed her excitement for the new series.
"Leslie, I am so sorry," she writes. "That is horrible and makes me sad. I love you so much. You bring so much joy to so many. I can't wait to see the Uncle Stan show!"
