Oscar Nominations 2016: Will Smith Joins Jada Pinkett Smith In Oscar Boycott [Details]
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Following his wife's decision to boycott the Oscar, Will Smith joins Jada Pinkett Smith and Spike Lee in boycotting the Academy Awards. The actor cites lack of diversity in the acting categories as his reason why he will not go to the Awards night on Feb. 28, 2016, according to a report gathered by NBC News.
"We're part of this community but at this current time, we're uncomfortable to stand there and say that this is OK," Smith said during an interview with Good Morning America.
The "Do The Right Thing" director, Lee, along with Pinkett Smith were the first people to criticize the Oscar after no black actors were nominated for two consecutive years. Smith was clearly disappointed with the people behind the award giving body.
"There is a position that we hold in this community, and if we're not part of the solution, we're part of the problem," Smith explained. "It was her call to action, for herself, and for me and for our family to be a part of the solution."
The actor also mentioned that it would be awkward to be at the event with Charlize Theron and not his wife.
Smith was nominated in the best actor category at the Golden Globe Award for his role as Dr. Bennet Omalu in the movie "Concussion". Although he did not get the award, he appreciates the nod given by them.
Back in 2002, Smith received an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of the iconic Muhammad Ali but he lost to Denzel Washington. In 2007, his role in the drama "The Pursuit of Happyness" earned him another Oscar nod but, again, lost to another black actor, Forest Whitaker.
Despite his call for a boycott, Smith said that the actors who got nominated this year are all deserving but he feels that the Oscar is heading into a different direction.
"It reflects a series of challenges we're having in our country at the moment. There's a regressive slide toward separatism," he said.
The nominees for this year's Oscar Awards Best Actor are Leonardo DiCaprio from "The Revenant," Bryan Cranston, Matt Damon, Michael Fassbender and Eddie Redmayne.
Rolling Stone shared that this won't be the first time Smith have boycotted an event that celebrates artistic prowess. In 1989, along with LL Cool J, Salt-N-Pepa and DJ Jazzy Jeff, Smith did not attend the Grammy Awards following the announcement from the award giving body that the Best Rap Performance award would not make it to the TV.