'We all have to push this change that we really wanna see,' the actor tells ET.
D.B. Woodside is opening up about how the Black Lives Matter movement has affected him personally.
ET spoke with the 50-year-old Lucifer star via Zoom, where he addressed the ongoing fight for racial justice and the responsibility he feels to help make that change.
"The movement is extremely important and we all have to push this change that we really wanna see," Woodside told ET's Katie Krause. "Listen, I think [for] anybody that's Black, this has been a really challenging time. I think what we're learning is, is that there's a whole lot that white people didn't really understand, didn't know. And perhaps some of that was because they didn't take the initiative to really know, to really find out."
"So what I'm saying now to people is, if you see injustice anywhere, you have a responsibility to right that injustice. You have a moral obligation," he continued. "Those of us who are privileged enough to do what we do, I think we, especially, have a bit more responsibility to reach out and to use our platforms for good."
Woodside said that when it comes to general employment, including roles in the industry, he doesn't think most people realize what it takes for a Black man or woman to reach the same level of achievement as someone who is not of color.
"It's crazy to start talking about these stories because I think for so many African Americans, we compartmentalize so much. So much of our lives," he explained. "I think for most people, they see us -- someone who's a professional -- and they seem to be good at their job, doing well. They couldn't possibly imagine what some of us have gone through just to get to the same positions that our white allies are in."
"I could tell you all about PTSD, but I don't think I ever realized that I suffer from it until the George Floyd [death] happened. I wasn't able to get out of bed for three days," the actor, who was born and raised in New York City, added. "That's unlike me, and it just brought up a whole lot of stuff that I guess I dismissed in my childhood. Things that had happened to me constantly, consistently with the, excuse my language, the f**king police, and trying to overcome that every day has been tough."
Woodside said that he's glad to see the country finally waking up to the issues Blacks have faced for decades, though there's still a long way to go.
"With George Floyd, it wasn't anything that none of us weren't used to seeing but there was something about this particular incident that just broke the back of this country, and I don't think that we can go back," he said. "Like I said, I think that all of us have a moral responsibility to use these platforms for good, to educate people with facts and with the truth, something that we're not getting right now from our federal government. So, it falls upon us -- the citizens and those of us that have privileged positions -- to be honest, and to help in whatever ways we can to change this system from inside."
Personal matters aside, Woodside also spoke with ET about how the recent news of Lucifer's surprise season 6 renewal will affect the series' original ending. He's portrayed Lucifer's older brother, Amenadiel, since season 1.
"It was a little strange because we were all kind of wrapping it up," he admitted. "I think the writers did some reshuffling. I just had my first writers meeting a few days ago, and they are raring to go."
"Without giving too much away... they already know how it's going to end," he teased. "The ending that they had planned, now they're just going to stretch it out a little bit, and allow all of our characters some space and room and to breathe and maybe even tell some more stories about each of the characters. Our fans are going to get a chance to see us in different ways before we get to the end. So, I think the sixth season is really for the fans."
Hear more in the video below.
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