Oscar Nominations Not Influenced By Diversity Row Feels Octavia Spencer

Celebrated Hollywood star and Hidden Figures actress Octavia Spencer states that she does not think the last year's #OscarsSoWhite controversy was the reason for having more diversity in this year's Oscar nominations.

The Oscar-winning actress Octavia Spencer has also been nominated for this year's Academy Award for the NASA movie titled Hidden Figures.

"When you know how movies are made, the explosion of films with people of colour is not a reaction to #OscarsSoWhite." Said Spenser in a statement.

"The tide has changed, but we still have ways to go, because they still aren't inclined to greenlight a movie that's starring a person of colour, without a long list of white box-office people," Spencer added further.

The actress also mentioned that the term 'diversity in Hollywood' must not be used only to denote African-Americans in the industry.

Rather it is a term that should be used to represent people from "all shapes and sizes, varying ages, varying backgrounds and socio-economic levels, varying degrees of education, impoverished and elite" Said the actress.

"Moonlight is one of the few stories that cover what it's like for the black, gay experience. Lion, that's diverse, that's out there now. There's so many different perspectives and interesting stories out there." Explained Spencer.

"There are many, many meanings of diversity to me. I want to see more Latin stories told. More Asian stories." Spencer stated further.