Photo: Spokesman
James Patterson, who has an estimated net worth of $800 million and is best known for his thrillers translated into more than 40 languages worldwide, says it’s hard enough for white men to get a job in publishing or Hollywood.
In an interview with The Times, the novelist said that older white men are in a tough spot, suffering from “another form of racism.”
“What’s that all about?” Patterson said. “Can you get a job? Yes. Is it harder? Yes. It’s even harder for older writers. You don’t meet many 52-year-old white males.”
The publication observes that this author’s success is owed to his having a black detective, Alex Cross, in his crime series. Additionally, Morgan Freeman played the role for two movie adaptations; Kiss The Girls (1997) and Along Came A Spider (2001).
Read Also: Leah Remini Sits at So You Think You Can Dance Judges’ Table in Replacement of Matthew Morrison
“I just wanted to create a character who happened to be Black,” Patterson stated. “I would not have tried to write a serious saga about a Black family. It’s different in a detective story because plot is important.”
The author said he is “almost always on the side of free speech,” noting that he was shocked when workers at Little, Brown and Company – his publisher, made a walkout stunt in 2020 to rail for the publication of Woody Allen’s memoir.
Dylan Farrow, an adopted daughter of Allen, accused him of child sexual abuse, which the writer vehemently denied.
“I hate that,” Patterson states of the Little, Brown outcry. “He has the right to tell his own story.”
In March, Patterson published a recent novel called Run, Rose, Run. Dolly Parton co-authored it. The thriller ranked No. 1 on the New York Times’ best-seller roster at its release that month and will later be adapted into a movie starring Parton, who also stands as the film’s producer.
The 20th Victim by Patterson is the most recent addition to his Women’s Murder Club series with Maxine Paetro – it also reached the Times’ best-seller after its 2020 debut.
Read Also: Bob Saget Talked About Coming to Terms with Mortality in One of His Last Interviews
