Stallone Offered To Boycott Oscars Over Creed

Sylvester Stallone has revealed he asked the black director of his new film Creed whether he should boycott the Oscars after being nominated.

The 69-year-old is the only person from the film to be nominated for an award, with some thinking actor Michael B Jordan and writer-director Ryan Coogler should have got the nod too.

After Will Smith and director Spike Lee said they would not attend the ceremony in protest at the scarcity of black nominees, Stallone said he asked Coogler what he should do.

"(Coogler) said, 'Just go there and try to represent the film ... We feel you deserve it, but eventually things will change'.

"I said, 'If you want me to go I'll go. If you don't, I won't. And he said, 'No, I want you to go.' That's the kind of guy he is."

The Academy has since announced plans to double the numbers of women and people of colour in its ranks by 2020.

Stallone was speaking at the annual luncheon to celebrate all of the Oscar nominees before the awards on 28 February.

"I never thought I'd cross this threshold again," Stallone told reporters.

"I couldn't be more thrilled, and my daughters actually look at me now as an actor and not as a bad golfer," he joked.

He is considered a front runner for the supporting actor Oscar for reprising his role as Rocky Balboa, now a boxing trainer and mentor, in "Creed."

A class photo was taken of all of the nominees and where, once again the lack of black names in the line-up was highlighted.

British actor Eddie Redmayne, who is nominated for a second year in a row, also addressed the controversy and was asked if it was something the chosen actors had discussed.

He said: "We haven't all met together until this occasion but it's on everyone minds and the way it has been handled seems to be a positive step."

Other nominees attending the lunch included Charlotte Rampling, Jennifer Lawrence, Mark Ruffalo and Leonardo DiCaprio.