Hugh Jackman on lack of diversity in Oscars: 'Any kind of discrimination happening needs to be exposed'

VIDEO - Hugh Jackman talks about his new film 'Chappie' and opens up about the lack of diversity among this year's Oscar nominees...

Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.

Hugh Jackman is taking a break from being the superhero Wolverine to star in the upcoming sci-fi film Chappie.

The film, written and directed by Neill Blomkamp, starrring Sigourney Weaver, Tev Patel, and Jackman, is set in the near future where crime is patrolled by an oppressive mechanized police force.

One police droid, Chappie, is stolen and given new programming, enabling him to become the first robot with the ability to think and feel for himself.

In an interview with theGrio, Jackman talked about his role in Chappie but also opened up about the lack of diversity among this year’s Academy Award nominees.

Jackman who hosted the Academy Awards in 2009, said he feels like “some type of diplomat for the Oscars” and opened up about his personal experience being embraced as a foreigner in Hollywood.

“It’s really interesting because I’m Australian … a white Australian coming into a very generous business that allows people from all around the world to work. So my perspective, my experience of Hollywood, is from a very generous place that allows people not even born in the country to play Americans,” he said.

 

“I can’t say with hand on heart, that Americans, English, Irish, Lithuanian or Nigerian actors or wherever you come from would get the same treatment in my country. I can’t say hand on heart that people would say, ‘great, come and play an Aussie … we’d love that.'”

The Oscar-nominated actor says that he’s glad there is a discussion happening right now with regards to diversity in Hollywood.

“I’m really glad these discussions are being had, because if there is any kind of a latent discrimination happening, it needs to be exposed it needs to be talked about. It’s obviously not something that I feel, and there’s no one I know that votes who feels like that. But if it’s a kind of thing that’s actually existing without people understanding it…. Let’s talk about it. Same goes for women; same goes for so many areas of life.”

Chappie hits theaters nationwide March 6.

Follow theGrio.com’s Entertainment Editor Chris Witherspoon on Twitter @WitherspoonC.

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