Oscar nominee The female king Director Gina Prince-Bythewood was the subject of an EW story revealing the candid opinions of four unidentified Oscar voters, which sparked a lot of outrage.
The article quotes an unnamed experienced actor talking about The female kingwith Viola Davis.
“When they get in trouble for not giving Viola Davis an award, it’s like, no, honey, you didn’t deserve it. We voted, and we voted for the five we thought were the best,” he said in the article.
“It’s not fair that you suddenly start beating a frying pan and say [they’re] ignoring black people. It’s really not the case, they are trying. Maybe 10 years ago they were, but they have, among all the high-profile things, been at the forefront of wanting to be inclusive. Viola Davis and the director need to sit down, shut up and relax. You didn’t get a nomination – a lot of movies don’t get nominations. Viola, you have an Oscar or two, you’re doing well.
Responding to the article, Gina wrote on Twitter, “I will now respond to ‘this director’ and ‘this director’ only.”
The female kingdirected by Prince-Bythewood and starring Viola Davis, is based on real events that took place in the 18th and 19th centuries in the African kingdom of Dahomey.