Rampling, 69, who is nominated for the Best Actress Award for her role in “45 Years”, called the decision by some actors to boycott the Oscars “anti-white racism”.
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During an interview with French radio network Europe 1 she was asked about the current outcry over that fact, and the lack of diversity in the nominations and Hollywood in general. Adding on to that, Rampling said that she meant to say that in an ideal world, every performance will be given equal opportunities for consideration.
When the interviewer asked, “Really?” she added: “Yes, because you can never know if it’s really the case, but sometimes, perhaps, black actors did not merit being on the finishing line”.
The interview brought up the suggestion some have made that the Academy introduce quotas, to which Rampling said, “Why classify people?” “We live now in countries where anyway people are more or less accepted”, she said. It has prompted directors Spike Lee, Michael Moore and the actor Will Smith among others to boycott next month’s ceremony in Los Angeles.
“Diversity in our industry is an important issue that needs to be addressed”, she said.
Meanwhile, The Telegraph, which may be biased towards the Brit, argues that Rampling should win the Oscar because she isn’t “blonde and under 35”.
Isaacs unveiled the organisation’s plans for the future on Friday, saying in a statement: “The Academy is going to lead and not wait for the industry to catch up. There is always someone who says ‘You are too…’ So are we going to say, ‘We will categorise all that to make lots of minorities everywhere?”‘
Oh, so that’s what “someone will always be saying “You are too” [this or that] …” All this years acting nominees are white.
Caine, a two-time Oscar victor and four-time nominee, also advised that black actors simply “be patient” about getting Academy Award recognition, using himself as an example.
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Cheadle, who was nominated in 2005 in the best actor category for his performance in Hotel Rwanda, had previously joked with Oscars host Chris Rock that he was attending the evening as a valet. Idris Elba is up for a Golden Globe and a Bafta for his career-topping work as an African warlord in the child-soldier drama Beasts of No Nation. In addition, members will receive lifetime voting rights after three ten-year terms; or if they have won or been nominated for an Academy Award.
