A new report calls Hollywood the "epicenter of cultural inequality," where minority, women, and LGBT actors are underutilized and don't get proper recognition for their work.
The report by the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism found that women made up a "mere 31.4 percent of the 4,370 speaking or named characters in the top 100 grossing films last year despite making up more than half of the population."
The report also shows that 49 of those 100 films didn’t have an Asian or Asian-American character with a speaking or named role, 17 of the films had no black actors in them, 45 of the films had no representation from people with disabilities, and a staggering 82 films lacked any representation from lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender characters.
“While the voices calling for change have escalated in number and volume, there is little evidence that this has transformed the movies that we see and the people hired to create them. Our reports demonstrate that the problems are pervasive and systematic,” Dr. Stacy L. Smith, one of the study’s authors, said in a statement.
Earlier this year, Hollywood and the public alike rallied around the hashtag "OscarsSoWhite" after certain films, such as the highly regarded biopic "Straight Outta Compton," and actors of color were overlooked for nominations and awards.
In 2015, inequality in Hollywood became a discussion piece after director Ava DuVernay missed an opportunity to become the first black woman to be nominated for Best Director at the Oscars. That missed opportunity came after DuVernay directed “Selma,” an invigorating civil rights drama that was discussed as a strong contender for Best Picture.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.