The Oscars 2016: Reese Witherspoon brands diversity crisis 'disappointing'

The Academy Award-winning actress is the latest talent to add her own weight to calls for an increased diversity within the industry.

Reese Witherspoon has added her voice to the conversation surrounding the desperate lack of diversity within the Academy; with the 2016 nominations prompting the resurgence of the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag on social media.

"I really appreciated this article in TIME on the lack of racial and gender diversity in this year's Oscar nominations." she posted on her own Facebook page, accompanying a link to the article in question. "So disappointed that some of 2015's best films, filmmakers and performances were not recognized... "

"Nothing can diminish the quality of their work, but these filmmakers deserve recognition. As an Academy member, I would love to see a more diverse voting membership."

I really appreciated this article in TIME on the lack of racial and gender diversity in this year's Oscar...

Posted by Reese Witherspoon on Thursday, January 21, 2016

The 88th Academy Awards nominations do not feature a single acting nomination for any non-white talent, for a second year in a row. Not a single non-white face is featured in the categories for Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress. Furthermore, Ryan Coogler's Creed and F. Gary Gray's Straight Outta Compton received only a single nomination each, though both critically acclaimed films had been strong candidates for nomination in the run-up to the awards.

The actress joins an entire movement of voices which saw the likes of Jada Pinkett-Smith, Will Smith, Spike Lee, and Mark Ruffalo all speak out about the need for better diversity within awards season and the industry at large. Both Jada Pinkett-Smith and Will Smith have since decided not to attend the ceremony in protest.

Witherspoon herself won an Academy Award for Best Actress in 2006 for Walk the Line. To date, only one black woman has ever won the same award, when Halle Berry was awarded in 2002 for Monster's Ball.

Her post also referenced the lack of gender diversity within the nominations; a reflection of the beliefs fuelling her recently established company Pacific Standard, which works to amplify female voices. Hopefully, in the future, Witherspoon will be able to supply an even greater contribution to the diversification of cinema.

The 88th Academy Awards take place 28 February.