Academy Invites Three Irish Actors To Join 2017 Class

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has invited three Irish actors to join its membership class of 2017. Domhnall Gleeson (Goodbye Christopher Robin, Brooklyn), Ciarán Hinds (Silence), and Oscar nominee Ruth Negga (Loving) will now be able to cast a vote in the Oscars each year, joining several other Irish talent, including Saoirse Ronan, Bono, Cillian Murphy, Michael Fassbender, Room author Emma Donoghue, and directors Lenny Abrahamson (Room) and John Crowley (Brooklyn).
The Academy has invited a record 744 to its 2017 class this year in an attempt to diversify its membership. 39% of the class are women, and 30% are people of color, including Moonlight director Barry Jenkins, Get Out director Jordan Peele, and actress and activist Janelle Monáe (Hidden Figures, Moonlight).
The 2015 Oscars sparked controversy when all 20 nominated actors were white. The Academy was bombarded with criticism for its lack of diversity, with the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite trending on Twitter.
Just last year, the Academy was 92% white and 75% male. After the 2015 backlash, it promised to include more women and people of color.
“We’re proud to invite our newest class to the Academy. The entire motion picture community is what we make of it. It’s up to all of us to ensure that new faces and voices are seen and heard, and to take a shot on the next generation the way someone took a shot on each of us," said Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs during the Wednesday unveiling.
Other new members include Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot, Chris Pratt, Donald Glover, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Dwayne Johnson, Elle Fanning, and Bette White.
Click here for the full 2017 class list.