His comments on blackface have not gone down well
In recent years, the Oscars introduced new rules for films to be eligible for nomination, in a bid to make the process more diverse and inclusive for all - which will come into force for the 2025 ceremony.
More specifically, films will need to have at least one lead character be from an “an underrepresented racial or ethnic group”, and at least 30% of the general ensemble cast must be from at least two underrepresented groups, in order to be considered for an Oscar nomination.
However, one actor who is not enamoured with the Academy's diversity rules is Richard Dreyfuss.
Dreyfuss's comments regarding the new standards have made headlines, thanks to the actor's opinion that they make him "vomit".
The 'Jaws' star made the comments in an interview with PBS, when the host asked him: "Starting in 2024, films will be required to meet new inclusion standards to be eligible for the Academy Awards for best picture. They’ll have to have a certain percentage of actors or crew from underrepresented racial or ethnic groups. What do you think of these new inclusion standards for films?"
He replied: "They make me vomit", before adding "No one should be telling me as an artist that I have to give in to the latest, most current idea of what morality is. What are we risking? Are we really risking hurting people’s feelings? You can’t legislate that.
"You have to let life be life and I’m sorry, I don’t think there is a minority or majority in the country that has to be catered to like that."
Dreyfuss went on to cite legendary actor Laurence Olivier's role as Othello in the 1965 film adaptation of Shakespeare's play. "Laurence Olivier was the last white actor to play Othello, and he did it in 1965," Dreyfuss said. "And he did it in blackface. And he played a black man brilliantly.
"Am I being told that I will never have a chance to play a black man? Is someone else being told that if they’re not Jewish, they shouldn’t play the Merchant of Venice? Are we crazy? Do we not know that art is art? This is so patronising. It’s so thoughtless and treating people like children."
Dreyfuss's comments on blackface have gone down particularly badly on social media, with one user commenting: "EVEN IF blackface was allowed, another point he still fails to see is why hire a white person to do a black role when we have excellent black actors to do it the right way. This old man just wants "art" to be nothing but white actors."