‘The film industry is abhorrently unequal’: Andrea Riseborough addresses Oscars controversy for first time

‘To Leslie’ star’s Best Actress nomination led to a heated debate about race and privilege

Andrea Riseborough has said that the controversy surrounding her recent Oscar nomination has “deeply impacted” her.

In January, the 41-year-old British actor was a surprising addition to the 2023 Oscar nominees, bagging a nod in the Best Actress category for her leading role in the indie drama To Leslie.

Her nomination followed a run of late-in-the-day endorsements from numerous A-list stars, including Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet, Charlize Theron, Amy Adams, Jennifer Aniston and Jane Fonda.

It wasn’t long after Riseborough’s triumphant breakthrough that heated debates began around race and privilege in the industry.

Many critics felt that Riseborough’s recognition came at the expense of The Woman King’s Viola Davis and Till’s Danielle Deadwyler, both Black actors who were left out of the Best Actress category.

Others argued that being backed by Hollywood’s elite showed egregious signs of white privilege and cronyism.

Days after the nominations were announced, the Academy said it would be “conducting a review of the campaign procedures around this year’s nominees”.

Andrea Riseborough in ‘To Leslie’ (Momentum Pictures)

They later shared that they “determined that the activity in question does not rise to the level that the film’s nomination should be rescinded”.

In her first major interview since the debacle, Riseborough has addressed the backlash, telling The Hollywood Reporter that “it’s been confusing”.

“And it’s wonderful the film’s getting seen,” she said. “I suppose it’s a really bright ray of light. When any of us engage in anything, we want for that piece of work to be absorbed in some way. You can’t control how people absorb it.”

Of what the nod means to her, Riseborough said she’s still “coming to terms with what the nomination means, for me and for others”.

As for the discourse her nomination has stirred up, the actor said: “It not only makes sense that this conversation would be sparked, but it is necessary.

“The film industry is abhorrently unequal in terms of opportunity. I’m mindful not to speak for the experience of other people because they are better placed to speak, and I want to listen.”

She added: “I am grateful for the conversation because it must be had. It has deeply impacted me.”

Her To Leslie co-star Marc Maron previously condemned the Academy for its investigation into Riseborough’s campaign.

Now, speaking to THR, he placed the blame on the film’s distributor, Momentum Pictures, saying that they “botched the submission process”.

“None of us were submitted for SAG Awards or Golden Globes, or Oscars,” Maron explained. “It’s upsetting in retrospect that this experience has to be so loaded and toxic and challenged.

“Andrea, she’s in it for the work, dude. I mean, if that’s not clear from this woman’s career – that she’s the real deal and she does it for the work — then you’re not looking at her correctly.”

To Leslie follows the story of a single mother (Riseborough), who, after winning the lottery, squanders away the money and leaves behind “a world of heartbreak”. In her attempt to right her wrongs, she comes across a compassionate motel owner (Maron) who helps her to see her potential.