Lupita Nyong’o has added her voice to the diversity debate currently surrounding the Academy Awards.
Controversy arose earlier this month when, for the second time in a row, all 20 of this year’s Oscar-nominated actors were white, prompting several actors to speak out in support of boycotting the awards show.
Now Lupita, who won the Best Supporting Actress gong in 2014 for her role in ‘12 Years A Slave’, has had her say, lending her support to those voicing their anger.
Lupita Nyong'o
Writing on her Instagram page, Lupita revealed she was “disappointed” by what she described as a “lack of inclusion” in the list of nominations.
She added: “I stand with my peers who are calling for change in expanding the stories that are told and recognition of the people who tell them.”
‘12 Years A Slave’ director Steve McQueen has also spoken out amid the backlash, admitting he thinks the exclusion of non-white actors is rooted in racism.
"It can't be about box office, because I think black actors and stories along those lines have been doing very, very well, obviously. So it's about executives in cinema and film studios, television, cable networks, giving those storylines and those actors a fair bite.”
Academy chief Cheryl Boone Isaacs has previously spoken of her “heartbreak” and “disappointment” brought about by the all-white nominees list, insisting she intends to take steps to make the ceremony more diverse in the future.
