Oscar Awards nominee Charlotte Rampling calls awards boycott racist toward whites

Hours after actress Charlotte Rampling told an interviewer that the blowback against this year's all-white acting nominees was itself "racist", she is walking back her comments.

Stars including Jada and her husband Will Smith, Mark Ruffalo and Brie Larson have all spoken publicly about their disappointment that no black actors or actresses featured in the nominations for the 2016 awards.

Rampling, 69, who is nominated in the best actress category, had said that the uproar over there being no black actors on the Oscars shortlist is unfair to the white actors who were nominated. She said she wished every performance were given equal opportunity for consideration.

"Diversity in our industry is an important issue that needs to be addressed".

Actors Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith will boycott the ceremony alongside director Spike Lee.

"I regret that my comments could have been misinterpreted this week in my interview with Europe 1 Radio. There will always be someone who's too attractive, too black or not white enough", she said, when asked if Hollywood should enforce quotas for minorities.

She went on to say: "These days everyone is more or less accepted".

The simmering controversy over this year's all-white list of Oscar nominees has created a wedge in Hollywood that's casting some actors and producers as defenders of the Motion Picture Academy's choices against those calling for a boycott.

Caine, speaking to BBC Radio 4, also weighed in on the Oscar selections made by members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, who vote for the nominees.

Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs also said it would immediately diversify its leadership by adding three new seats to its board of governors. "Problems will always be sought [people say] "him, he's less attractive", "him, he is too black", "him, he is too white"... there will always be someone who comes out saying 'you are too something'". "But do we have to take from this that there should be lots of minorities everywhere?" meant. "It took me years to get an Oscar".

Charlotte Rampling accepts the silver bear for best actress for "45 Years" on stage during the Closing Ceremony of the 65th Berlinale International Film Festival at Berlinale Palace on February 14, 2015 in Berlin, Germany.

Veteran British actor Michael Caine, meanwhile, urged black actors to "be patient" and said recognition would come.