Oscars: Academy President Addresses Controversy Over All-White Acting Nominees

Cheryl Boone Isaacs says outreach to women and artists of color has been a focus for the past two years.

January 16, 2015 7:14pm

Oscars: Academy President Addresses Controversy Over — Cheryl Boone Isaacs Executive Suite - H 2014
Aaron Fallon

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Motion picture academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs says that while she’s proud of this year’s nominees, the all-white acting slate inspires her to push for more diversity within the academy’s ranks.

The first black president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences spoke out Friday night in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press about Thursday’s Oscar nominations and the firestorm of criticism that followed. All 20 of this year’s acting contenders are white and there are no women in the directing or writing categories. The hashtag #OscarsSoWhite was trending on Twitter.

Boone Isaacs said the academy is “committed to seeking out diversity of voice and opinion” and that outreach to women and artists of color has been a focus for the past two years.