Charlotte Rampling Says Oscar Boycott Is “Racist To White People”

Oscar nominee Charlotte Rampling thinks the current campaign to boycott the 2016 Academy Awards due to the lack of any black acting nominees is “racist to white people.”

The actress is nominated Best Actress for her role in 45 Years. When asked her opinion on the current drama over the all-white lists of nominees on French Radio network Europe 1 Friday morning, Rampling did not mince her words. “It is racist to whites,” she said.

“One can never really know, but perhaps the black actors did not deserve to make the final list,” added Rampling. When asked if the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences should introduce quotas, she responded: “Why classify people? These days everyone is more or less accepted … People will always say: ‘Him, he’s less handsome’; ‘Him, he’s too black’; ‘He is too white’ … someone will always be saying ‘You are too’ [this or that] … But do we have to take from this that there should be lots of minorities everywhere?”

When the interviewer explained that black members of the film industry feel like a minority, Rampling replied: “No comment.”

Since making the statement, Rampling has found herself in the social media crossfire. In a statement to CBS News, Rampling said: “I regret that my comments could have been misinterpreted. I simply meant to say that in an ideal world every performance will be given equal opportunities for consideration. Diversity in our industry is an important issue that needs to be addressed. I am highly encouraged by the changes announced today by the academy to diversify its membership.”

On Friday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences promised to double their minority and female membership by the year 2020.