It’s one thing for black people to decry the dearth of nominations and opportunities within the often toxic Hollywood culture.
But it’s quite another when the crème de la crème of actors, white Hollywood heartthrob George Clooney, surprisingly steps up and concurs with angry blacks over flagrant snubs of quality actors and movies. Suddenly the issue, which was already thick with legitimacy and controversy, takes on another tone and depth.
In an interview with Variety, Clooney is clueless as to why it seems the industry is regressing rapidly when it seemed it was making viable progress:
“If you think back 10 years ago, the Academy was doing a better job. Think about how many more African Americans were nominated. 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. 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.”
Take a look at what else Clooney had to say about black directors:
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