Two-time Academy Award winner George Clooney has weighed in on the #OscarsSoWhite controversy.
The actor told Variety he believes the Academy is moving backwards when it comes to diversity progress.
"If you think back 10 years ago, the Academy was doing a better job. Think about how many more African Americans were nominated," he told the trade mag. "I would also make the argument, I don’t think it’s a problem of who you’re picking as much as it is: How many options are available to minorities in film, particularly in quality films?
"I think we have a lot of points we need to come to terms with. I find it amazing that we’re an industry that in the 1930s, most of our leads were women. And now a woman over 40 has a very difficult time being a lead in a movie," he continued. "We’re seeing some movement. Jennifer Lawrence and Patricia Arquette have made the loud pronouncement about wage disparity, have put a stamp on the idea that we got to pay attention. But we should have been paying attention long before this. I think that African Americans have a real fair point that the industry isn’t representing them well enough. I think that’s absolutely true."
Clooney cited four films where 2016 Oscar nominations were potentially missed.
"Let’s look back at some of the nominees. I think around 2004, certainly there were black nominees — like Don Cheadle, Morgan Freeman. And all of a sudden, you feel like we’re moving in the wrong direction. There were nominations left off the table," he said. "There were four films this year: 'Creed' could have gotten nominations; 'Concussion' could have gotten Will Smith a nomination; Idris Elba could have been nominated for 'Beasts of No Nation;' and 'Straight Outta Compton' could have been nominated. And certainly last year, with 'Selma' director Ava DuVernay — I think that it’s just ridiculous not to nominate her."
And the lack of opportunity isn't limited for just African Americans, according to Clooney.
"But honestly, there should be more opportunity than that. There should be 20 or 30 or 40 films of the quality that people would consider for the Oscars. By the way, we’re talking about African Americans. For Hispanics, it’s even worse," he said. "We need to get better at this. We used to be better at it."
As previously reported on AccessHollywood.com, Jada Pinkett Smith called for a boycott of the star-studded awards show after all 20 acting nominees were white. Spike Lee announced he will neither attend the show nor watch the broadcast.
Following the Oscar nominations, Access Hollywood's Liz Hernandez spoke to Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs about yet another year with very little diversity among the nominees.
"Well, it is disappointing, I have to say. This is something that's very important to the Academy and important to me and we are going to continue this fight of the discussion and the discussion is a good one," she told Access at the time. "But, it is not just about talking, it is about doing and we are very much still in that seat to drive this issue, to have more inclusion of people of color and women to participate in one of the greatest art forms there is."
