Charlotte Rampling: Oscars row is 'racist to white people'

Following calls for more diversity in the Academy Awards, the Oscar-nominated actress suggested black actors did not 'deserve to make the list' this year

The 69-year-old, who has been nominated in the Best Actress category for her performance in 45 Years, said the move by some of Hollywood's elite to boycott the awards "is racist to whites".

She told French radio network Europe 1 on Friday morning, "Perhaps the black actors didn't merit being on the finishing line".

"One can never really know, but perhaps the black actors did not deserve to make the final list,” added Rampling.

Will Smith confirms boycott, plus everything else Hollywood has said about #OscarsSoWhite

When asked if the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which has a predominantly white, male and sexagenarian membership, should improve its diversity with quotas, Rampling said: "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?”

Oscars : Charlotte Rampling et le "racisme anti... by Europe1fr

She refused to comment when the interviewer said that non-white members of the film industry felt excluded. 

Charlotte Rampling has increased her chances of winning an Oscar by 326%.

— Stats Britain (@StatsBritain) January 22, 2016

On social media, commenters have been shocked by Rampling's opinions on the matter, suggesting that it will impact on her chances of winning her first ever Oscar.

Rampling's comments follow a similarly controversial statement from Michael Caine, who advised actors of colour to "be patient".

Speaking on the Today Show on Radio 4, Caine said on Friday: "There's loads of black actors. In the end you can't vote for an actor because he's black. You can't say 'I'm going to vote for him, he's not very good, but he's black, I'll vote for him'."

He continued: "You have to give a good performance and I'm sure people have. I saw Idris Elba (in Beasts Of No Nation)... I thought he was wonderful."

The two-time Academy Award-winner offered the advice to black actors to "be patient".

"Of course it will come. It took me years to get an Oscar, years," he added.