Charlotte Rampling: Oscars row is 'racist to white people'

Following calls for more diversity in the Academy Awards, the Oscar-nominated actress suggested black actors did not 'deserve to make the list' this year

The 69-year-old, who has been nominated in the Best Actress category for her performance in 45 Years, said the move by some of Hollywood's elite to boycott the awards "is racist to whites".

She told French radio network Europe 1 on Friday morning, "Perhaps the black actors didn't merit being on the finishing line".

"One can never really know, but perhaps the black actors did not deserve to make the final list,” added Rampling.

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When asked if the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which has a predominantly white, male and sexagenarian membership, should improve its diversity with quotas, Rampling said: "Why classify people? These days everyone is more or less accepted... People will always say: ‘Him, he’s less handsome’; ‘Him, he’s too black’; ‘He is too white’ ... someone will always be saying ‘You are too’ [this or that] ... But do we have to take from this that there should be lots of minorities everywhere?”