Will Smith feels too 'uncomfortable' to attend the Oscars 2016

The actor said he will join his wife Jada Pinkett Smith in not attending the annual ceremony
Boycotting: Will Smith
Emma Powell21 January 2016
The Weekender

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US actor Will Smith has revealed he will join his wife Jada Pinkett Smith in not attending the Oscars, saying it would make him feel “uncomfortable”.

Smith, 47, made the announcement during a discussion about the lack of diversity among the nominations for this year’s Academy Awards.

Speaking on Good Morning America, Smith – who was expected to receive a nomination for his role as Dr. Bennet Omalu in Concussion – said he would feel “uncomfortable” if he attended the ceremony.

“My wife’s not going,” he said. “It would be awkward to show up with Charlize [Theron]. 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."

Smith, a two-time Oscar nominee, also reinforced George Clooney’s belief that the awards are going in the “wrong direction”.

“For me, when I see this list of nominations and, everybody is fantastic - that’s the complexity of this issue everyone is beautiful and deserving - but it feels like it’s going the wrong direction,” he said.

"When I look at it the nominations reflect the Academy. The Academy reflects the industry, reflects Hollywood, and then the industry reflects America.

Oscar nominations 2016

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"It reflects a series of challenges that we are having in our country at the moment, there’s a regressive slide towards separatism towards racial and religious disharmony and that’s not the Hollywood that I wanna leave behind. That’s not the industry, that’s not the America I wanna leave behind."

Smith’s comments come days after his wife recorded a video calling for change, and explained that she would be boycotting this year’s event.

Speaking about his reaction to Pinkett Smith’s video, the Men in Black star said: “I was out of the country at the time and I came home and went ‘what happened?’.

"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.

"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,” he added. “It was her call to action, for herself, and for me and for our family to be a part of the solution."

Spike Lee has also confirmed that he will boycott the ceremony while stars including Lupita Nyong’o, Whoopi Goldberg and David Oyelowo have all spoken out against alleged bias.

The 88th Academy Awards will take place at the Dolby Theatre on February 28.

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