Sylvester Stallone Reveals He Offered to Boycott Oscars Over Lack of Diversity
Sylvester Stallone is nominated for Best Supporting Role for Creed, but the famed actor revealed at the Oscar nominees luncheon that he was ready to boycott the awards amid the #OscarsSoWhite controversy. While his decision would have made him the only nominee to publicly boycott this year's awards, Stallone said that director Ryan Coogler, who is African American, talked him out of going through with his plans.
"I said, 'Ryan, how do you want to handle this? Because I really believe that you are responsible for me being here. Michael Jordan, every time I look in his eyes as an actor, he's making me better. I think he should've been given a lot more respect, a lot more attention.'" Coogler responded to the actor by telling him, 'Sly, just go there. Try to represent the film. ... We feel you deserve it.'"
Stallone continued, "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. 'We want you to go and respect us and stand up for the film.'"
Source: Entertainment Weekly