Spotlight Star Mark Ruffalo Won’t Skip the Oscars
Mark Ruffalo Photo by Olga Khvan
Mark Ruffalo caused a bit of a stir on Thursday morning when he told BBC that he was thinking about skipping this year’s Academy Awards.
Ruffalo, who earned a best supporting actor nomination for his role in Spotlight, said he agreed with critics who were calling for a boycott of the Oscars over the lack of diversity with the 2016 acting nominees. Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith, and others have already stated that they will not be attending the ceremony, and Ruffalo considered joining his fellow actors in protest.
“I’m weighing it, yes, that’s where I am right now,” Ruffalo said. “I woke up in the morning thinking what is the right way to do this because, if you look at Martin Luther King’s legacy, what he was saying was the people, the good people who don’t act are much worse than the wrongdoers who are purposefully not acting and don’t know the right way.”
He also stated that it’s not just the Oscars that has a problem with racism in this country.
“The entire American system is rife with a kind of white privilege racism that goes into our justice system,” Ruffalo said.
While it seemed like the Hulk star was going to pass on going to next month’s event, the actor revealed on Twitter that he will, in fact, be attending the show. However, he still supports the position of critics who are calling for more diversity in the Oscar nominations.
To clear up any confusion. I will be going to the Oscars in support of the victims of clergy Sexual Abuse and good journalism. #Spotlight
— Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) January 21, 2016
I do support the Oscar Ban movement's position that the nominations do not reflect the diversity of our community.
— Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) January 21, 2016
The Oscar Ban movement reflects a larger discussion about racism in the criminal justice system.
— Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) January 21, 2016
I hope the OscarBan people are also willing to step up and support the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Where black bodies are in jeopardy daily.
— Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) January 21, 2016
Other stars who have recently criticized the Academy Award’s lack of diversity include George Clooney, Lupita Nyong’o, and Michael Moore.
