Alia Shawkat has apologised for using a racist slur during a 2016 interview.
The actor, best known for playing Maeby Bluth on the comedy series Arrested Development, claimed she was quoting a Drake song.
In the unearthed clip, which has gone viral in recent days, Shawkat is promoting a film at the 2016 SXSW Festival when she describes celebrating a career achievement. “Everyone was so excited when we came back and we were in the penthouse together, and everyone was looking around like, ‘N***** we made it!’”
Shawkat appeared to be referencing Drake’s single “We Made It".
In a lengthy apology posted to her social media, Shawkat apologised for using the slur and vowed to improve herself in the future.
“I am deeply sorry and I take full responsibility,” Shawkat wrote. “It was a careless moment, one I’m ashamed and embarrassed by but vow to continue to learn from. I regret using a word that carries so much pain and history for black people, as it is never a word to be used by someone who is not black.
“I have been learning so much about what it truly means to be an ally. The voices of black people must be amplified and heard clearly. As an Arabic woman, who can pass for white, I’m working hard to process this nuanced access I’ve been afforded and I realise how important it is to be hyper vigilant in the spaces I exist in.”
She then pledges to “support the black community” moving forward, writing: “Silence is violence, and so are the words we irresponsibly throw out. I plan to stay engaged and learn from my friends who are helping me understand.”
Shawkat, a former child actor, is also the star of the cult comedy series Search Party, and has appeared in films including Animals, 20th Century Women and Whip It.
