Oscar voters vowed not to support Selma because of cast's 'I can't breathe' shirts, David Oyelowo and Ava DuVernay say


Oscar voters surprisingly didn't show much love for Selma in 2015, and Ava DuVernay and David Oyelowo have an idea of what might have held it back.
Oyelowo, who starred as Martin Luther King Jr. in DuVernay's critically-acclaimed film, in an interview this week described how after DuVernay and the Selma cast wore "I can't breathe" shirts in support of Eric Garner at the movie's premiere, the studio received complaints from Academy voters who pledged they wouldn't support it at the awards.
"I remember at the premiere of Selma us wearing 'I Can't Breathe' T-shirts in protest," Oyelowo told Screen International. "Members of the Academy called in to the studio and our producers saying, 'How dare they do that? Why are they stirring sh-t'? and 'We are not going to vote for that film because we do not think it is their place to be doing that.'"
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Oyelowo added that the protest is "part of why that film didn't get everything that people think it should've got and it birthed #OscarsSoWhite." DuVernay backed up Oyelowo's account on Twitter, writing, "True story."
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences responded to the story by tweeting, "Ava & David, we hear you. Unacceptable. We're committed to progress."
Though Selma was nominated for Best Picture in 2015, its only other nomination was Best Original Song, an award it went on to win. Oyelowo unexpectedly didn't get a Best Actor nod, nor did DuVernay get nominated for Best Director. The Academy has long faced criticism over the lack of diversity of its nominees, especially the year Oyelowo was snubbed, when no actors of color were nominated at all.
"The Academy has a problem," Oyelowo said in 2015. "It's a problem that needs to be solved."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
August 31 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday’s political cartoons include FEMA's new scheme, Gavin Newsom's antics, and a clue in the Epstein files
-
Disarming Hezbollah: Lebanon's risky mission
Talking Point Iran-backed militia has brought 'nothing but war, division and misery', but rooting them out for good is a daunting and dangerous task
-
Woof! Britain's love affair with dogs
The Explainer The UK's canine population is booming. What does that mean for man's best friend?
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclub
Speed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's ills
Speed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, Stallone
Speed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's view
Speed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talk
Speed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'
Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposes
speed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wife
speed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play