If she can do it, I can freaking well do it as well.' That is the most important thing. The Malaysian-born actress told Deadline following the Oscar nomination news: 'I think what it means to me is all those Asians out there go, 'You see, it's possible. The icnonic Michelle Yeoh, 60, earned her first Oscar nod and the special distinction of being the first actress to identify as Asian to get a Best Actress nomination. Michelle Yeoh winning her Golden Globe ealier this month UPI In response, the Academy doubled its female, Black and ethnic minority members. The lack of nominations for Black or minority actors in 2016 led to backlash, boycott and the #OscarsSoWhite movement. The Oscars have been criticised for their lack of diversity in the past.

Unfortunately, my film, Till, was not nominated, but we do want to congratulate all the nominees, because many of them have been here and it’s wonderful to say congrats, so that’s what we’ll do.” A historic lack of diversity / a historic year for Asian nominees “Before we start off, we just want to celebrate the talented artists and filmmakers who were nominated for Oscars this morning. Whoopi Goldberg, who stars and serves as one of the producers of the film, shared her thoughts on US talk show The View: And when Emmett Till’s mother made the decision to have an open casket funeral, so that the world could see her son, it was a pivotal moment that galvanized the American civil rights movement.” And so for those who are hesitant to see it, I understand in some cases why, but it’s very important to understand that if we forget our past, history will repeat itself. “We were very careful in crafting the story to make sure that this story is told with dignity and respect.

The dark angel oscar nominee