Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker has responded to criticism from fans that the show is full of "famous people now".
The dystopian anthology series, which began life as a Channel 4 show, moved to Netflix in 2016, and has since included bigger Hollywood names. Case in point, the newly-released seventh season showcases the likes of Issa Rae, Paul Giamatti, Chris O'Dowd and Awkwafina.
Speaking exclusively to Digital Spy, Brooker defended this aspect, quipping: "Sometimes I've seen people go, 'Oh, it's all famous people now, Black Mirror!' That's my impression of how they sound!
"I think, well they've not noticed that we also have lots of episodes that showcase other talents that they don't know yet."
The show boss also spoke a bit about the general casting for the series, admitting they are "blessed in many ways in that sometimes people do approach" them.
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Executive producer Jessica Rhoades recalled: "An agent called me and said, 'He would play a trash can in the series for Charlie'. We just couldn't find a trash can. We considered it!"
Brooker revealed that sometimes when he writes, he has someone in mind "in his head", adding: "Sometimes occasionally that person has ended up being the person who's in it, which is amazing."
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"So hopefully we've got a really good mix," he continued. "We're a fairly short commitment for an actor as well, so we get quite a lot of big names. But also it's important that we have people that you don't know yet."
In other news, Brooker recently opened up about how the sequel to season 4's 'USS Callister' came about in the new season.
Black Mirror seasons 1-7 are streaming on Netflix now.
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Freelance film & TV writer, Digital Spy
Critic and writer Jo Berry has been writing about TV and movies since she began her career at Time Out aged 18. A regular on BBC Radio, Jo has written for titles including Empire, Maxim, Radio Times, OK!, The Guardian and Grazia, is the author of books including Chick Flicks and The Parents’ Guide to Kids’ Movies.
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