Cynthia Erivo may be nominated for an Oscar for her performance as Harriet Tubman in biopic Harriet, but one snub has nevertheless affected her. Cynthia, who is British, is not one of the five nominees in the Best Actress category at this year's BAFTAs. So she's making a stand, and says that she will not perform at the ceremony.
Stand Up, which Cynthia performs for the film's soundtrack, is nominated for Best Song. This would usually call for Cynthia to sing at the ceremony, but she has declined after the voters acknowledged only white actors in all acting categories. Remarkably, this included two nominations for Margot Robbie, and two for Scarlett Johansson. No room for Cynthia, though.
'I felt like [the invitation] didn’t represent people of colour in the right light' Cynthia told Extra this week. 'It felt like it was calling on me as an entertainer as opposed to a person who was a part of the world of film, and I think that it’s important to make it known that it’s not something you throw in as a party trick, you know? I work hard and every single person of colour who is working in these films this year has worked really hard, and there are many of them who deserve to be celebrated… and no women directors, I was just like…"C’mon."'
BAFTA organisers will surely understand Cynthia declining their invitation. Following the announcement of the shortlist Bafta's chief executive Amanda Berry confessed that she was 'disappointed' at the news. Steve McQueen, who directed Cynthia in Widows, telling The Guardian that 'Baftas are not supporting British talent, if you’re not supporting the people who are making headway in the industry, then I don’t understand what you are there for.'
Luckily, we'll still get a chance to see her perform at The Oscars. Phew.