Dustin Hoffman says the Oscars organisers' vow to improve diversity among its voters is coming "a little late" to be effective.
Spike Lee and Jada Pinkett-Smith are planning to boycott the Oscars as a response to the Academy failing to nominate anyone of colour in the major acting categories this year.
Speaking to Digital Spy and other press at the National Television Awards on Wednesday (January 20), Hoffman balked at Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs's promise to make "big changes" in balancing voter diversity.
"They're a little late - in respect, it was when sound came in," he complained.
The two-time Oscar winner also joked: "It's the first time I'm glad I've not been nominated."
Hoffman more seriously criticised the Academy for not doing enough to encourage a diverse voice within the film community.
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"I read in the paper this morning and I didn't realise that there are 6,000 members and I think that 95% of them were white so that kind of answers a lot of the questions," he said.
Hoffman was attending the NTAs this year to give a lifetime achievement award to his old friend Billy Connolly.
Naomi Gordon is news writer mainly covering entertainment news with a focus on celebrity interviews and television.
Justin is a freelance entertainment journalist and writer. He first joined Digital Spy as a freelance entertainment reporter in 2010 and also worked as a sub-editor for the brand, serving as Night News Editor from 2016 to 2024. Over more than a decade, Justin has covered numerous major entertainment events from the US and has interviewed a wide-ranging group of public figures, from comedian Steve Coogan to icons from the Star Trek universe, cast members from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reality stars from numerous Real Housewives cities and the Below Deck franchise. Justin has also been on the ground to cover major pop culture events like the Star Wars Celebration and the D23 Expo. He's written for titles across the Hearst network, plus the likes of CBR and Us Weekly.
