Nollywood actress Genevieve Nnaji, Nigerian-British actress
Cynthia Erivo and Nigerian filmmaker Akin Omotosho were among those invited to
join Hollywood’s Academy on Tuesday, as the Oscars-awarding club opened its
prestigious doors to a diverse crop of new members.
The majority of actors invited to join this year were women,
and more than half were from “underrepresented ethnic/racial communities,” said
an Academy statement.
Cynthia Erivo, the sole non-white acting nominee at
February’s Oscars, for “Harriet” was on Tuesday’s list of invitees, along with
Eva Longoria, “Joker” star Zazie Beetz and upcoming Bond girl Ana de Armas.
“We have always embraced extraordinary talent that reflects
the rich variety of our global film community, and never more so than now,”
said Academy President David Rubin.
Comedian and rapper Awkwafina has become one of Hollywood’s
most sought-after actresses, winning a Golden Globe for Chinese-American family
drama “The Farewell” but snubbed at the Oscars. She was invited to join Tuesday
along with former Disney child star Zendaya (“Spider-Man: Far from Home”) and
Constance Wu, who earned praise for her performances in “Hustlers” and “Crazy
Rich Asians.”
Seen as the apex body of the Hollywood film industry, the
Academy issues a single round of invitations annually. The organization has
grown vastly more international in recent years, tripling its non-US membership
since 2015.
Only Academy members can vote for Oscar winners, so this trend
was seen as a factor in “Parasite” becoming the first-ever non-English language
best picture winner this year. A dozen cast and crew members from the South
Korean black comedy were also invited to join Tuesday. Its director Bong
Joon-ho was already an Academy member.
The board of governors vowed four years ago to double the
number of women and non-white members by 2020, following calls to boycott the
glitzy Oscars and an angry social media backlash under the hashtag
#OscarsSoWhite.
The move toward racial equality in Hollywood has come under
further scrutiny in the wake of the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis last
month, which spurred massive nationwide protests under the banner of “Black
Lives Matter.”
Film studios and stars have flocked to express their support
for the movement, from public statements and inclusion initiatives to the
removal of TV episodes featuring “blackface” and warnings over outdated titles
such as “Gone with the Wind.”
The Academy has now surpassed its membership goals, with 45
per cent of this year’s intake women, and 36 per cent minorities.
Achieving those targets has drastically boosted the overall
size of the Academy membership, which was traditionally capped at around 6,000
members.
Tuesday’s intake of 819 sees the body approaching 10,000
members, though the number of invitees is slightly down from the past two
years’ record numbers.
Earlier this month, the Academy said it will introduce new
eligibility rules to boost diversity among Oscars nominees. It did not give any
details about the new rules but said the changes are intended to “encourage
equitable hiring practices and representation on and off screen.”
GuardianLife
No comments:
Post a Comment