Vincent Kartheiser: I'm A Lucky, White American

Unlike some of Hollywood's put-upon celebs, Vincent Kartheiser is well aware of his good fortune.

Most famous for his role as the stuck up Pete Campbell on "Mad Men," Kartheiser also features in the upcoming Justin Timberlake sci-fi actioner, "In Time," in which he plays Amanda Seyfried's evil rich father, and as he told The Hollywood Reporter, it isn't hard to get into the mindset of a well-off character. All he has to do is look in the mirror.

"It's pretty easy. I'm a white America," Kartheiser said. "We're all kind of born with a silver spoon in our mouth. We're all much luckier than people born in Bolivia or West Africa."

The 32-year old actor has made this point before, bringing up the history of the western hemisphere to make his point.

"I'm the luckiest guy in the world. I would love it if you would put this in your magazine," he told Vulture (of NY Magazine) last October. "I realize that my career is 99 percent luck, if not 99.9 percent luck. The fact that I'm born in America, and America has control over all these other colonies, and enslaved all these other countries -- I mean, there are so many things that have happened in my life that make me so lucky."

Kartheiser also spoke about the stories that sprang up about his not having a car for environmental reasons; all that and more over at The Hollywood Reporter.

Comments

[NYC619]

09:39 PM on 10/25/2011

Dang it, knew he looked so familiar. Connor from Angel is all grown up.

[danglines]

11:29 PM on 10/24/2011

At least some people are grateful for their luck

[EbonyCali]

07:54 PM on 10/24/2011

Sounds like this guy is arrogant. Well he'll never know what it's like to work hard so therefore he'll never appreciate anything. I came from a family where we all worked hard for everything we have. I remember When I first graduated college, as soon as I got home I hung my degree up on the wall with such joy. I'm very blessed to have been able to go to college and get a decent job. But this guy is so arrogant and doesn't appreciate anything. The only thing my parents always taught me is to always remain humble and this guy doesn't even know the meaning of the word humble. Just like he got this so-called "white privilege" it can be taken away in a flash. This guy needs to re-think his words and learn to be thankful for what he has instead of being arrogant about it.

I work for the dept of mental health as a case worker and I have seen quite a few white people who are having a hard time, where was "white privilege" to save them?

[Kirsty McLaren]

11:54 PM on 11/07/2011

Thank you!

[Mitzy]

06:33 PM on 10/24/2011

Yeah, I'm always intrigued by people who just fall into the well. Absolute nobodies who wind up in a series that lasts forever, while other talented people who've been trodding the boards for years never seem to get that kind of a break. Invest wisely, Vinnie. Luck doesn't last forever. Just ask David Schwimmer.

[sandrita mason]

01:56 PM on 10/24/2011

Didn't anyone notice that the vast majority of the have-nots demonstrating at the Occupy-fill-the-blank cities are white Americans? White Americans have joined the ranks of those underwater and underpaid in this country. I don't think any of those people feel lucky to be a white American nowadays. Does this young actor think his whiteness will protect him from economic woes? I suggest he save his money while he has some.

[Myoho Mod]

02:48 PM on 10/24/2011

Slowly and saddly the only color anyone cares about anymore is green. =(

[FTracy3]

01:39 PM on 10/24/2011

OK Vince, but you kind of put up a straw man comparison. Are you saying it's not easier for an Asian-, Latino-, or African-American than someone born in Bolivia or West Africa?

[Nikki Rivers]

12:43 PM on 10/24/2011

I've always believe that the American people are the most kind and tolerant people in the world because they are most advanced and for that reason they don't believe better than the rest, and this kind of comments made wonder Am I wrong about them? Well I gotta go to finish my paper to my private college give me my college degree. bye

[Nikki Rivers]

12:43 PM on 10/24/2011

I was born in Argentina but i live in Bolivia and i if you want me to be fair with this guy that before this i admired, he's right in saying that living in the US and been white in the US has its privileges fine he's right, no one can denied that, but he doesn't know absolutly nothing about this country, everybody believe that we are a really really poor country but that is absolutly not true, we have so many natural resources that we could have been one of the most develope countries of the region, but we have the bad luck that all the goverments the only thing that cares to them was become themselves rich, you know, if this comment would of been made for some middle class white person, I wouldn't said anything, but him it's a rich guy who have everything he wants, here we have to work hard to have food, electricity, water, cable, internet, education, I'm sure this things are familiar for many of you who have to work hard for the same things, so Vincent Kartheiser do me a favor and please don't ever speak of the Bolivian people again because in the context that you put us, sound it very racist to me,

[Susanne Cembala]

10:00 AM on 10/24/2011

He's so funny!!

[Matthew Servello]

04:43 AM on 10/24/2011

m

[TresJolie7]

04:36 AM on 10/24/2011

A white male who gets it! You don't find those often.

[Matthew Servello]

04:45 AM on 10/24/2011

"A white male who gets it! You don't find those often." - TresJolie7

Yet you choose to live in a country ran almost entirely by White men.

So why not move to a third world African country if you are so racist towards White men? Yeah, we won't see that happening any time soon!

[TresJolie7]

05:11 AM on 10/24/2011

hehehe! Truth hurts.

[Kimiko Austin-Rijs]

06:23 AM on 10/24/2011

Why should the poster move to another country just for admitting that there are injustices in the one that he or she lives in? Your attitude stinks.

[Madbunny]

01:16 AM on 10/24/2011

He's essentially pointing out that birth is a lottery.
Nobody gets to choose where and when they're born but it's the single largest determinant of how their lives will be.

It might not seem like much, but the ability to walk into a room, flip a switch and have light come on is a luxury that many around the world can't count on. Being born in the the USA is a huge advantage where this is concerned. Even in America, there are many who have advantages others don't purely through the accident of their birth.

[Atim-moot Tugayak]

03:05 PM on 10/23/2011

Imagine this. If you have a roof over your head, clean water, food in your fridge, a few bucks in your pocket and bank, education up to high school minimum even if you didn't finish, clothes to change into, you are better off than 6 billion other people on the planet. If you have a college degree, a house and car you are in the top 1% of the world, yet the bitching never ends. Now, excuse me while I cook up some sausage, potatoes and eggs, make some coffee in my natural gas warmed house with truck in driveway and relax today before I go to work tomorrow. I live paycheck to paycheck but I'm grateful for what I have. And the guy is right, being born white in North America you are a great advantage over everyone else. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOHbDTIOiPI

[Matthew Servello]

04:46 AM on 10/24/2011

Maybe you should read the comments from that YouTube clip before posting garbage on here.

Yeah, and go live in Sudan if you hate White men so much. Then tell me how horrible it is when we White men are in charge.

[LuLuFlynn]

03:21 PM on 10/24/2011

Lol! You are the best example of what makes other white people embarrassed to be white. What's even funnier is you actually believe your statements of telling people to move to these "scary" third world countries will not make you look like a ginormous fool!

[NYC619]

09:41 PM on 10/25/2011

Change your icon, fool. You aint a real man if you spout that nonsense no matter how "macho" you try to look in your fool picture.

[ninjacb]

12:42 PM on 10/23/2011

how refreshing to see such an acknowledgement. this guy is not only talented and smart - ja, smart. living off the grid as much as he does most of us would find impossible. but it appears he is honest and courageous enough to use his voice. bravo. on amc.

[siena allen]

11:09 AM on 10/23/2011

he is right, but it is very sad!