Will Smith has joined his wife Jada Pinkett Smith in deciding to boycott this year’s Academy Awards due to the lack of diversity in major categories.
In an interview with Robin Roberts, aired this morning on GMA, the 47-year-old Concussion star said:
We’ve discussed it. We’re part of this community but at this current time, we’re uncomfortable to stand there and say that this is OK. 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. It was her call to action, for herself, and for me and for our family to be a part of the solution.
Jada Pinkett Smith made headlines with her impassioned video explaining her reasons for not attending. This resulted in a highly critical response from actress Janet Hubert, who played Aunt Viv in Will Smith’s hit TV show The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.
Of Jada, Will said “She’s deeply passionate and when she is moved she has to go. I heard her words and I was knocked over. I was happy to be married to that woman.”
When Roberts asked Will if Jada’s motivations were mainly about him being snubbed for a nomination for his work in Concussion, he explained:
There’s probably a part of that in there but, for Jada, had I been nominated and no other people of color were, she would have made the video anyway. We’d still be here having this conversation. This is so deeply not about me. This is about children that are gonna sit down and they’re gonna watch this show and they’re not going to see themselves represented.
Will pointed out that the Academy is 94% Caucasian and 77% male. He went on to say that part of America’s greatness is its ability to disagree. He believes that the best ideas usually win out: “I say, let’s keep debating. Let’s do our best to keep it in love and keep it in light.”
