“No openly gay man has ever won the Oscar," actor on lack of diversity

chibumga izuzu

January 26, 2016 10:15 AM

Recently, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the and for the second year in a row, no actor of color was nominated.

___4606846___https:______static.pulse.com.gh___webservice___escenic___binary___4606846___2016___1___26___10___Ian+McKellen-Mr+Holmes

The absence of a black nominee led to various filmmakers speaking out in protest, with few announcing that they won't be attending the event.

On Friday, the Academy announced undefined

ALSO READ: undefined

The latest actor to speak on the controversial #OscarsSoWhite is veteran and multiple award winnerIan Murray McKellen.

According to him, the absence of diversityin Hollywood isn’t limited to race.

“As a representative of the industry they’re in, it’s receiving complaints which I fully sympathize with,” McKellen said to Sky News.

“It’s not only black people who’ve been disregarded by the film industry. It used to be women; it’s certainly gay people to this day. And these are all legitimate complaints, and the Oscar is the focus of those complaints of course.”

ALSO READ: undefined

Speaking to Guardian, the "Lord of the Rings" actor said;

“If you are trying to have a career, as a black or Hispanic actor in a state — California — where white people are now the minority, and you are being judged by an Academy where the vast majority are white, male, middle-aged and old … well, perhaps that is the wrong yardstick."

McKellen, who is openly gay also said “No openly gay man has ever won the Oscar; I wonder if that is prejudice or chance.”

On Tom Hanks and Sean Penn winning an Academy award for playing gay men, McKellen who has been nominated twice said “How clever, how clever. What about giving me one for playing a straight man?

Watch Ian McKellen as Mr Holmes below;

chibumga izuzu