The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has extended invitations to 842 new members of the film industry to join them. The invitees include familiar names and also recognize the Academy’s push for better inclusion. Half of the invited members for 2019 are women and 29% of them are people of color.
Recent Oscar winner Lady Gaga, who was invited to be a part of both the acting and music branches, and actress Marina de Tavira, who received a supporting actress nomination this year for “Roma” were invited. “Spider-Man” Tom Holland, “Us” actor Winston Duke, and “This Is Us” star Sterling K. Brown are among some of the other actors invited to join. Directors such as “Crazy Rich Asian’s” Jonathan M. Chu and “Late Night’s” Nisha Ganatra were also invited.
The Academy has been fighting a stigma that its membership is disproportionately male and white. This year’s Oscars ceremony was triumphed for its inclusiveness in recognizing the film “Black Panther” with technical awards and honoring actor Rami Malek, who is of Egyptian descent, with the best actor statue for “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
Editorial credit: DFree / Shutterstock.com