Los Angeles, Jan 30 (IANS) Actor Will Smith insists the Academy Awards’ lack of diversity is a reflection on a bigger “social regression” issue in the US.
The “Concussion” actor has decided to follow in his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s footsteps by boycotting this year’s ceremony, and he insists there is a social decay in the country which has seeped through to the Academy Awards, reports femalefirst.co.uk.
“We have to understand the spirit of what’s happening. This is not about us and them, it’s about we. I’m a member of the Academy, so this is a problem that we all have to solve collectively,” Will said on “Good Morning Britain” show.
“The only reason it’s an issue this year is because it feels like a regression. So to me, Hollywood is experiencing a regression that is reflective of a social regression America is experiencing,” he added.
Smith asserted that “there’s something happening” in US which is “being reflected in Hollywood, that’s being reflected in the Academy”.
“I, for one, want to be a part of making adjustment. I want to be a part of the solution.”
Following the star’s decision to boycott the ceremony, some claimed it was because he hadn’t been nominated for an award, but he insists that he is definitely not the case.
“It has nothing to do with me being nominated or not, or wanting to win awards or not. That is so frivolous. I’ve been nominated for Academy Awards and I’ve never lost to a white person. I lost to Denzel (Washington) and then I lost to Forest Whitaker,” he added.
Jada had previously announced she was boycotting this year’s Oscar ceremony after the nominations were announced and didn’t include any black actors.
Several other stars, such as Spike Lee, have vowed to follow in her footsteps.