Billy Dee Williams told Bill Maher hes fine with actors doing blackface.

Williams made the comment while praising Laurence Oliviers portrayal of Othello during an appearance on Sundays episode of Club Random with Bill Maher.

When he did Othello, I fell out laughing, Williams said of Olivier, who wore blackface in the 1965 screen adaptation of Othello, the Shakespearean tragedy.

He stuck his ass out and walked around because Black people are supposed to have big asses, the Star Wars actor went on, prompting Maher to jokingly reference the controversy Bradley Cooper received for wearing a prosthetic nose to play composer Leonard Bernstein in Maestro.

Williams then continued to applaud Oliviers performance, saying, I thought it was hysterical. I loved it.

When Maher reminded Williams that, in todays climate, an actor wouldnt be able to do blackface, the Batman actor replied, Why not? You should do it.

Thats your point of view, Maher responded.

If youre an actor, you should do anything you want to do, Williams said.

Thats a great point of view, but the theater would be bombed, Maher replied before noting that Williams actually lived in a period where you couldnt play the parts you shouldve played.

The point is you dont go through life feeling like, Im a victim, Williams said. I refuse to go through life saying to the world, Im pissed off. Im not going to be pissed off 24 hours a day.

Williams podcast appearance comes as hes been promoting his memoir, What Have We Here? Portraits of a Life, which came out in February.

Watch Mahers full interview with Williams on YouTube.