Sylvester Stallone earned two Academy Award nominations in 1977 for his work on the original Rocky. All these years later, he has been nominated again for his work on the modern follow-up, Creed. But there was a moment when he considered boycotting the awards ceremony on account of the ongoing controversy surrounding the lack of racial diversity among nominees. From Variety:
Sylvester Stallone said he asked “Creed” director Ryan Coogler if he should boycott the Oscars, emphasizing that Coogler is the reason he received a nomination. “I said, ‘If you want me to go I’ll go, if you don’t, I won’t.’ And he goes, ‘No we want you to go.’ That’s the kind of guy he is,” Stallone said.
“I do believe that things will change — it’s just a matter of time,” Stallone said. “Eventually all talent will rise to the top. It’s just a matter of getting, I guess, a new paradigm, a new way of thinking.”
Coogler is black. Stallone’s offer was intended as an expression of solidarity.
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