Best Actress Nominee: Oscars Controversy Is ‘Racist to Whites’

“There will always be someone who’s too attractive, too black or not white enough”, she said, when asked if Hollywood should enforce quotas for minorities. Rampling (69) told France’s Europe 1 radio yesterday that, while it’s impossible to know for sure, “maybe the black actors didn’t deserve to be in the final stretch”.

Rampling gave her statement to CBS because she recently sat down for an interview with Sunday Morning’s Anthony Mason to discuss 45 Years.

Perhaps it would, but that’s not a good reason for her to win, and I infer from Rampling’s statement about classifying people that she agrees with awarding Oscars based on merit, not identity politics. What she really meant, she said, was that “in an ideal world every performance will be given equal opportunities for consideration”. “I am very honored to be included in this year’s wonderful group of nominated actors and actresses”, Rampling said.

The Academy announced a new aim to double the number of female and minority members by 2020.

Oscar winners Lupita Nyong’o, George Clooney, Reese Witherspoon and Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs have also voiced their disappointment. People will always say ‘Him, he’s less handsome.

Actors such as Will Smith and wife Jada Pinkett-Smith previously announced they would be boycotting this year’s ceremony amid the row.

In an interview on French radio station Europe 1, Rampling said the uproar was “racist to white people”.

I’ve been a fan of Charlotte Rampling ever since I saw “Georgie Girl” almost 50 years ago.

She went on to say: “These days everyone is more or less accepted”.

When the interviewer then explained that black members of the film industry feel like a minority, Rampling responded, “No comment”.

At one point, Caine appeared to be unaware all 20 acting nominees this year were white, asking if British actor of African descent Idris Elba was nominated.

When asked to address the controversy during an interview, the 82-year-old “Youth Star” said, “There’s loads of black actors”.

Diversity campaigners called her comments ill-thought-out and “silly”.It follows a week of global debate about this year’s Oscars.