Sylvester Stallone Says He Considered Boycotting the Oscars
Why the nominee decided to go.
— -- The topic of diversity in Hollywood and within the Academy was addressed by several stars Monday at the Oscar nominees luncheon in Beverly Hills.
Sylvester Stallone, a best supporting actor contender for "Creed," made headlines by saying he was open to the idea of boycotting the upcoming Oscars ceremony, due to the all-white field of acting nominees. He said he left it up to "Creed" director Ryan Coogler to make the call.
“I said, ‘If you want me to go, I’ll go, if you don’t, I won’t,'" Stallone recalled. "[Coogler said] ‘No, I want you to go.’ That’s the kind of guy he is. 'I want you to go and respect us and stand up for the film.'”
George Miller, a best director nominee for "Mad Max: Fury Road," was asked whether the ongoing diversity conversation will affect the way he makes movies in the future. He replied, "To be honest, I hadn't thought about it in terms of the next movies I hope to make."
He added, "I think casting is story-driven, but I think what's really good about what's happened, if there's a positive to come out of it, it's alerted everybody to the problem."
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recently voted unanimously to make the voting members "significantly" more diverse, with the goal to double the number of women and diverse members by 2020.
The vote came after stars like Will Smith, his wife Jada Pinkett Smith, and Spike Lee said they will not attend the upcoming Oscars ceremony later this month.