The Academy Awards are once again under fire for their lack of diversity. For the second straight year, not a single non-white has been nominated in any of the four major categories. This has led to some black actors declaring their intention to boycott the 88th Academy Awards, and, now some white actors are considering joining them.
Mark Ruffalo, nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his work in "Spotlight," connected the Academy's problems with diversity to a larger-scale issue with American culture. He admitted to the BBC that he was debating whether or not he should skip the Oscars all together.
"I'm weighing it, that's where I'm at right now," he said. "I woke up in the morning thinking, 'What is the right way to do this?' Because if you look at Martin Luther King's legacy, what he was saying was that the good people who don't act are much worse than the wrongdoers who are purposefully not acting and don't know the right way."
Stars such as Jada Pinkett Smith and director Spike Lee have made strong public comments against the Academy for their lack of color. Will Smith, who some believe was snubbed for his role in "Concussion," has announced his intention of staying at home when the Oscars roll around next month.
Ruffalo clearly feels very strongly about this issue. He's also a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences and a three-time nominee. It would certainly make a statement if he were to skip the Academy Awards all together.
