Add British actor David Oyelowo to the list of entertainers slamming this year's whitewashed Oscar nominations.
Oyelowo, who was notably snubbed in 2015 for his leading turn in Selma, told The Hollywood Reporter that he had talked to Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs privately about his omission.
He spoke out again in 2016, this time publicly, at a Monday night gala honoring Boone Isaacs herself, in light of people of color missing out on acting nods for the second straight year. He called the decision "unforgivable," but added that for all the ceremony's issues, he can't turn his back on the Oscars because of what they represent for his industry:
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The reason why the Oscars are so important is because it is the zenith, it is the epitome, it is the height of celebration of artistic endeavor within the filmmaking community. We grow up aspiring, dreaming, longing to be accepted into that august establishment because it is the height of excellence. I would like to walk away and say it doesn't matter, but it does, because that acknowledgement changes the trajectory of your life, your career, and the culture of the world we live in. [The Hollywood Reporter]
Overall, Oyelowo made clear that the Academy "doesn't reflect me, and it doesn't reflect this nation."
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