Oscar Nominee Charlotte Rampling #OscarsSoWhite Backlash ‘Racist to Whites’

“Maybe this time, no black actor or actress deserved to make it to the final selection”, she said during an interview on French radio station Europe 1.

Oscar nominee Charlotte Rampling is adding her views to the growing controversy about the Oscar nominations, claiming that the campaign to boycott the February 28 ceremony is, in fact, racist to white people. “There are always questions about whether such and such a person is less handsome, such is and such is too black, such and such is too blond”.

She asked if the goal was to classify everybody and have “thousands of little minorities everywhere”.

The British star was nominated for the Best Actress Oscar for her performance in 45 Years when the shortlist was announced on January 14, but the nods hit headlines for all the wrong reasons after it emerged no black stars had been recognized in the main acting categories.

The “45 Years” star later issued a statement in which she said she regretted that her comments had been misinterpreted and that diversity is an “important issue that needs to be addressed”.

Since making the statement, Rampling has found herself in the social media crossfire. I thought somebody is going to ask me to dance always.

Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs also said it would immediately diversify its leadership by adding three new seats to its board of governors.

Ironically, Rampling has been known for shunning Hollywood most of her career, living in France and often waiting for roles to come to her rather than the other way around, according to her interview with CBS Sunday Morning airing this weekend. “It is racist to whites”, she said.

The organisers of the Oscars have responded to the outcry over the lack of diversity in this year’s nominations by promising to double the number of “diverse members by 2020”, re-frame voting rights, and restructure committees.

“Be patient”, was Caine’s message to non-white actors, “Of course it will come”.

Caine, speaking to BBC Radio 4, also weighed in on the Oscar selections made by members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, who vote for the nominees.

This year’s diversity controversy is likely to only help the ratings, as viewers are certainly anticipating how Chris Rock and his acid wit approaches his hosting duties, especially as fellow African Americans showbiz luminaries such as Spike Lee, Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith plan to boycott the ceremony.