Whatever your opinion on the #OscarsSoWhite controversy, one thing is certain - people are sitting up and listening.
Already, Spike Lee and Jada Pinkett-Smith have called for a boycott of the ceremony and are calling for fellow actors and directors to do likewise. Now, there's another heavyweight joining the call - Will Smith. In a recent interview, Smith - who was tipped to be nominated for his sports drama Concussion - has stated he's not attending this year's ceremony.
"At this current time we're uncomfortable to stand there and say this is OK" Smith explained on Good Morning America. "There's a position we hold in this community and if we're not part of the solution, we're part of the problem."
As well as this, Smith responded to claims that he's boycotting the ceremony because his film was largely ignored by the Academy, despite a strong campaign for its nomination. "This is so deeply not about me...there's going to be children who are gonna sit down and watch this show and they're not gonna be represented."
Meanwhile, various Academy voters have spoken out against the boycott and the charge that the voting system is inherently racist. Penelope Ann Miller, who starred in The Artist and Carlito's Way, spoke to THR and said that "to imply that this is because all of us are racists is extremely offensive."
"I don't want to be lumped into a category of being a racist because I'm certainly not and because I support and benefit from the talent of black people in this business. It was just an incredibly competitive year."
