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Here’s why nominating more actors wouldn’t fix Oscar diversity

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An Oscars statue on the red carpet. (Associated Press)

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced new membership rules today to increase diversity a second year of nominating only white actors.

There had been speculation that the organization would expand the number of nominees for some categories. But would such a change in rules help the Academy's diversity problem?

Of the 25 nominees in acting and directing categories this year, director Alejandro G. Iñárritu is the only non-white person. By examining the actors and directors that Times critics identified as having received Oscars buzz during the awards season without being nominated, we found the racial diversity of nominees increased only from 4% to 8%.

Non-white

Director

Alejandro Iñárritu

Tom McCarthy

"The Revenant"

"Spotlight"

Lenny Abrahamson

George Miller

"Mad Max: Fury Road"

"Room"

Adam McKay

"The Big Short"

Not nominated but

had Oscars buzz

Todd Haynes

Danny Boyle

"Carol"

"Steve Jobs"

Quentin Tarantino

Ridley Scott

"The Hateful Eight"

"The Martian"

Steven Spielberg

Tom Hooper

"Bridge of Spies"

"The Danish Girl"

Actor

Bryan Cranston

Matt Damon

"Trumbo"

"The Martian"

Leonardo DiCaprio

Michael Fassbender

"The Revenant"

"Steve Jobs"

Eddie Redmayne

"The Danish Girl"

Not nominated but

had Oscars buzz

Johnny Depp

Michael Caine

"Black Mass"

"Youth"

Will Smith

Steve Carell

Concussion

"The Big Short"

Actress

Cate Blanchett

Brie Larson

"Carol"

"Room"

Jennifer Lawrence

Charlotte Rampling

"Joy"

"45 Years"

Saoirse Ronan

"Brooklyn"

Not nominated but

had Oscars buzz

Charlize Theron

Lily Tomlin

"Mad Max: Fury Road"

"Grandma"

Supporting actor

Christian Bale

Tom Hardy

"The Big Short"

"The Revenant"

Mark Rylance

Mark Ruffalo

"Spotlight"

"Bridge of Spies"

Sylvester Stallone

"Creed"

Not nominated but

had Oscars buzz

Idris Elba

Jason Tremblay

"Beasts of No Nation"

"Room"

Joel Edgerton

Seth Rogen

"Black Mass"

"Steve Jobs"

Michael Keaton

Paul Dano

"Spotlight"

"Steve Jobs"

Michael Shannon

"99 Homes"

Supporting actress

Jennifer Jason Leigh

Rooney Mara

"The Hateful Eight"

"Carol"

Alicia Vikander

Rachel McAdams

"Spotlight"

"The Danish Girl"

Kate Winslet

"Steve Jobs"

Not nominated but

had Oscars buzz

Helen Mirren

Jane Fonda

"Trumbo"

"Youth"

Joan Allen

"Room"

Non-white

Director

Alejandro Iñárritu

Tom McCarthy

"The Revenant"

"Spotlight"

George Miller

Lenny Abrahamson

"Mad Max: Fury Road"

"Room"

Adam McKay

"The Big Short"

Not nominated but had Oscars buzz

Todd Haynes

Danny Boyle

"Carol"

"Steve Jobs"

Quentin Tarantino

Ridley Scott

"The Hateful Eight"

"The Martian"

Steven Spielberg

Tom Hooper

"Bridge of Spies"

"The Danish Girl"

Actor

Bryan Cranston

Matt Damon

"Trumbo"

"The Martian"

Leonardo DiCaprio

Michael Fassbender

"The Revenant"

"Steve Jobs"

Eddie Redmayne

"The Danish Girl"

Not nominated but had Oscars buzz

Johnny Depp

Michael Caine

"Black Mass"

"Youth"

Steve Carell

Will Smith

"The Big Short"

Concussion

Actress

Cate Blanchett

Brie Larson

"Carol"

"Room"

Jennifer Lawrence

Charlotte Rampling

"Joy"

"45 Years"

Saoirse Ronan

"Brooklyn"

Not nominated but had Oscars buzz

Charlize Theron

Lily Tomlin

"Mad Max: Fury Road"

"Grandma"

Supporting actor

Christian Bale

Tom Hardy

"The Big Short"

"The Revenant"

Mark Rylance

Mark Ruffalo

"Spotlight"

"Bridge of Spies"

Sylvester Stallone

"Creed"

Not nominated but had Oscars buzz

Idris Elba

Jason Tremblay

"Beasts of No Nation"

"Room"

Joel Edgerton

Seth Rogen

"Black Mass"

"Steve Jobs"

Michael Keaton

Paul Dano

"Spotlight"

"Steve Jobs"

Michael Shannon

"99 Homes"

Supporting actress

Jennifer Jason Leigh

Rooney Mara

"The Hateful Eight"

"Carol"

Rachel McAdams

Alicia Vikander

"Spotlight"

"The Danish Girl"

Kate Winslet

"Steve Jobs"

Not nominated but had Oscars buzz

Helen Mirren

Jane Fonda

"Trumbo"

"Youth"

Joan Allen

"Room"

Non-white

Not nominated but had Oscars buzz

Director

Alejandro Iñárritu

Tom McCarthy

George Miller

"The Revenant"

"Spotlight"

"Mad Max: Fury Road"

Lenny Abrahamson

Adam McKay

"Room"

"The Big Short"

Todd Haynes

Danny Boyle

Quentin Tarantino

"Carol"

"Steve Jobs"

"The Hateful Eight"

Steven Spielberg

Tom Hooper

Ridley Scott

"Bridge of Spies"

"The Danish Girl"

"The Martian"

Actor

Bryan Cranston

Matt Damon

Leonardo DiCaprio

"Trumbo"

"The Martian"

"The Revenant"

Michael Fassbender

Eddie Redmayne

"Steve Jobs"

"The Danish Girl"

Steve Carell

Johnny Depp

Michael Caine

"The Big Short"

"Black Mass"

"Youth"

Will Smith

Concussion

Actress

Cate Blanchett

Brie Larson

Jennifer Lawrence

"Carol"

"Room"

"Joy"

Charlotte Rampling

Saoirse Ronan

"45 Years"

"Brooklyn"

Charlize Theron

Lily Tomlin

"Mad Max: Fury Road"

"Grandma"

Supporting actor

Christian Bale

Tom Hardy

Mark Ruffalo

"The Big Short"

"The Revenant"

"Spotlight"

Mark Rylance

Sylvester Stallone

"Bridge of Spies"

"Creed"

Idris Elba

Jason Tremblay

Joel Edgerton

"Beasts of No Nation"

"Room"

"Black Mass"

Seth Rogen

Michael Keaton

Paul Dano

"Steve Jobs"

"Spotlight"

"Steve Jobs"

Michael Shannon

"99 Homes"

Supporting actress

Jennifer Jason Leigh

Rooney Mara

Rachel McAdams

"The Hateful Eight"

"Carol"

"Spotlight"

Alicia Vikander

Kate Winslet

"The Danish Girl"

"Steve Jobs"

Helen Mirren

Jane Fonda

Joan Allen

"Room"

"Trumbo"

"Youth"

Non-white

Not nominated but had Oscars buzz

Director

Alejandro Iñárritu

Tom McCarthy

George Miller

Lenny Abrahamson

Adam McKay

"The Revenant"

"Spotlight"

"Mad Max: Fury Road"

"Room"

"The Big Short"

Ridley Scott

Todd Haynes

Danny Boyle

Quentin Tarantino

Steven Spielberg

"Carol"

"Steve Jobs"

"The Hateful Eight"

"Bridge of Spies"

"The Martian"

Tom Hooper

"The Danish Girl"

Actor

Bryan Cranston

Matt Damon

Leonardo DiCaprio

Michael Fassbender

Eddie Redmayne

"Trumbo"

"The Martian"

"The Revenant"

"Steve Jobs"

"The Danish Girl"

Johnny Depp

Michael Caine

Steve Carell

Will Smith

"Black Mass"

"Youth"

"The Big Short"

Concussion

Actress

Cate Blanchett

Brie Larson

Jennifer Lawrence

Charlotte Rampling

Saoirse Ronan

"Carol"

"Room"

"Joy"

"45 Years"

"Brooklyn"

Charlize Theron

Lily Tomlin

"Mad Max: Fury Road"

"Grandma"

Supporting actor

Christian Bale

Tom Hardy

Mark Ruffalo

Mark Rylance

Sylvester Stallone

"The Big Short"

"The Revenant"

"Spotlight"

"Bridge of Spies"

"Creed"

Idris Elba

Jason Tremblay

Joel Edgerton

Michael Keaton

Paul Dano

"Beasts of No Nation"

"Room"

"Black Mass"

"Spotlight"

"Steve Jobs"

Seth Rogen

Michael Shannon

"Steve Jobs"

"99 Homes"

Supporting actress

Jennifer Jason Leigh

Rooney Mara

Rachel McAdams

Alicia Vikander

Kate Winslet

"The Hateful Eight"

"Carol"

"Spotlight"

"The Danish Girl"

"Steve Jobs"

Helen Mirren

Jane Fonda

Joan Allen

"Trumbo"

"Youth"

"Room"

Non-white

Not nominated but had Oscars buzz

Director

Alejandro Iñárritu

Tom McCarthy

George Miller

Lenny Abrahamson

Adam McKay

"The Revenant"

"Spotlight"

"Mad Max: Fury Road"

"Room"

"The Big Short"

Ridley Scott

Todd Haynes

Danny Boyle

Quentin Tarantino

Steven Spielberg

"The Martian"

"Carol"

"Steve Jobs"

"The Hateful Eight"

"Bridge of Spies"

Tom Hooper

"The Danish Girl"

Actor

Bryan Cranston

Matt Damon

Leonardo DiCaprio

Michael Fassbender

Eddie Redmayne

"Trumbo"

"The Martian"

"The Revenant"

"Steve Jobs"

"The Danish Girl"

Steve Carell

Johnny Depp

Michael Caine

Will Smith

"The Big Short"

"Black Mass"

"Youth"

Concussion

Actress

Cate Blanchett

Brie Larson

Jennifer Lawrence

Charlotte Rampling

Saoirse Ronan

"Carol"

"Room"

"Joy"

"45 Years"

"Brooklyn"

Charlize Theron

Lily Tomlin

"Mad Max: Fury Road"

"Grandma"

Supporting actor

Christian Bale

Tom Hardy

Mark Ruffalo

Mark Rylance

Sylvester Stallone

"The Big Short"

"The Revenant"

"Spotlight"

"Bridge of Spies"

"Creed"

Idris Elba

Jason Tremblay

Joel Edgerton

Michael Keaton

Paul Dano

"Beasts of No Nation"

"Room"

"Black Mass"

"Spotlight"

"Steve Jobs"

Seth Rogen

Michael Shannon

"Steve Jobs"

"99 Homes"

Supporting actress

Jennifer Jason Leigh

Rooney Mara

Rachel McAdams

Alicia Vikander

Kate Winslet

"The Hateful Eight"

"Carol"

"Spotlight"

"The Danish Girl"

"Steve Jobs"

Helen Mirren

Jane Fonda

Joan Allen

"Trumbo"

"Youth"

"Room"

Source: Times reporting

Kyle Kim @kyleykim


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