President Barack Obama weighed in on the Oscar nominations controversy for the first time in an exclusive one-on-one interview with ABC7’s David Ono. The President invited Ono to meet in the Diplomatic Reception Room at the White House on Wednesday. The conversation turned to diversity in the film industry after the second straight year of all-white acting nominations for the Oscars by the Academy.
Obama has often spoken about pushing the country towards a better understanding of its differences with a theme of tolerance and inclusion. It’s the same theme Hollywood is grappling with in regards to the Oscars.
“I think that California is an example of the incredible diversity of this country. That’s a strength,” Obama said. “I think that when everybody’s story is told, then that makes for better art, it makes for better entertainment, it makes everybody feel part of one American family.”