Oscar-winning actor Cuba Gooding Jr has said his performances will only be seen by awards voters when they are in high-profile movies by star directors.

Cuba won a best supporting actor Academy Award for his role in Jerry Maguire in 1997 and said change needed to come at the casting stage of movies likely to compete for trophies.

Asked about the anger surrounding the list of all-white acting nominees at this year’s Oscars, which are primarily voted for by older white men, Cuba said: “It’s going to be an interesting journey; I’ve always said the process has to start from casting.”

Cuba Gooding Jr., reacts while accepting the award for Best Supporting Actor for Cuba Gooding Jr celebrates his win at the 1997 Oscars (Susan Sterner/AP)

 

“When I hear that a project has been green lit – a Chris Nolan movie or a Spielberg movie – I hope there are characters of colour in it because I know that is the only way my performance will be seen on that scale.

“But at the same time let us not forget these 70-year-old white men we are talking about were rebels in their time so have more progressive thinking than we do, but as a collective you can only choose from the pool from which you can draw from for your nominations so I’m not here to make any excuse for any ills in the academy voting process.”

The nominations for the 2016 Academy Awards sparked an online campaign with the hashtag OscarSoWhite, as well as a debate about race and the film industry.

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

Others including actors George Clooney, Mark Ruffalo, Lupita Nyong’o, David Oyelowo, Viola Davis and British director Steve McQueen have spoken of their disappointment with the lack of diversity among the nominees.

Read: Cuba Gooding Jr talks about playing OJ Simpson and its similarity to his Jerry Maguire role