Justice Smith is among the breakout stars of “The Get Down,” Baz Luhrmann’s Netflix series charting the early days of hip-hop. In a new Vulture interview, the 21-year-old details the highs and lows of his experience on the show, which was an exception to the rule for him as a biracial actor.

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Smith, whose mother is white and whose father is black, said he’s been told he’s “not black enough for the black roles” and “not white enough for the white roles.” By contrast, “The Get Down” embraced his mixed background.

“As a mixed kid, people want to categorize you as one thing or the other, and I’m proud to be black and I’m proud to be white, because I’m both of those things,” he said. “I’m a biracial human being.