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Baraka G, I love this question. It's a great one. My theater background reminds me of a basic tenet of theater, and that is "there is no skin color on stage." You're not supposed to ever consider skin color when casting a character, unless the script specifically calls for it.
However, my business sense agrees with what's been said earlier - audiences will be more likely to part with the money in their wallets for a star they know rather than an unknown in a blockbuster.
I'd bet that agents follow the same procedure - if they represent a non-white client, they would be more savvy to push that client into artistic low-budget dramas or comedies and hope their talent could build them an audience that would turn into a huge fan base.
I think Denzell Washington followed the exact same career guidance by shaking up audiences when he landed the coveted role of Gray Grantham in The Pelican Brief. I would bet that almost everyone who read John Grisham's book pictured his character as white, but the director was smart enough to take a chance on Denzell and it worked.
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Living is easy with eyes closed.
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