Martin McDonagh Reevaluates His Use of N-Word, Racist Language in Prior Works: 'My Heart Was in the Right Place'

Marin McDonagh took a closer look at past use of racist language in his work while speaking with the New York Times on Saturday, saying that slurs like the N-word have been used "to be either outrageous or to be truthful" and that his "heart was in the right place" when he wrote such material. Sitting with the filmmaker and playwright for the Times' "The Interview" podcast, co-host David Marchese asked McDonagh if past criticisms of his brash language have inspired him to change his approach to writing - and more pointedly, if he thought the barometer of acceptability with such . . .