Hollywood powerhouse Tom Cruise has reportedly returned his three Golden Globes as a mark of protest following the diversity row that has engulfed the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA).
According to Deadline, the trophies Cruise sent to HFPA headquarters included the Best Actor award he won for ‘Jerry Maguire’, along with a second Best Actor trophy for ‘Born on the Fourth of July’, along with a Best Supporting Actor gong for ‘Magnolia’.
Cruise’s move may be a first yet in this current row, but his displeasure with the HFPA joins a growing chorus of stars that includes Scarlett Johansson and Mark Ruffalo, along with Netflix and Amazon Studios that have all called out the organization to undergo an immediate reform.
In February, a Los Angeles Times investigative report indicated that the 87-member HFPA didn’t have a single Black person, while corrupt practices were hinted at to favour certain movies over another.
NBC has also announced that it will not broadcast next year’s awards in a mark of protest unless drastic changes are made.
Earlier, Johansson urged Hollywood to step back from the organisation until a change happens. In a statement to Variety, Johansson revealed one of the reasons she had distanced herself from HFPA press events was due to the sexist questions and remarks that came her way.
“As an actor promoting a film, one is expected to participate in awards season by attending press conferences as well as awards shows. In the past, this has often meant facing sexist questions and remarks by certain HFPA members that bordered on sexual harassment,” Johansson said in the statement.
“It is the exact reason why I, for many years, refused to participate in their conferences. The HFPA is an organisation that was legitimised by the likes of Harvey Weinstein to amass momentum for Academy recognition and the industry followed suit. Unless there is necessary fundamental reform within the organisation, I believe it is time that we take a step back from the HFPA and focus on the importance and strength of unity within our unions and the industry as a whole.”
Ruffalo also posted a statement on Twitter, using the hashtag #ChangeisGolden is a reference to the Golden Gobe Awards that comes under the HFPA umbrella.
“It’s discouraging to see the HFPA, which has gained prominence and profited handsomely from their involvement with filmmakers and actors, resist the change that is being asked of them from many of the groups that have been most disenfranchised by their culture of secrecy and exclusion,” Ruffalo said. “Now is the time to step up and right the wrongs of the past. Honestly, as a recent winner of a Golden Globe, I cannot feel proud or happy about being a recipient of this award.”
