Hispanics Seek Their Hollywood Moment
LOS ANGELES — After black actors and films that focused on black characters were overlooked for Oscar nominations in 2015 and 2016, the #OscarsSoWhite outcry forced Hollywood to listen. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences began a diversification effort, and last year there were six black acting nominees, a record.
But the minority group that Hollywood excludes the most — Latinos — is trying to create its own moment. “We are expecting that we are going to have to go to the Academy Awards this year and demonstrate,” said Alex Nogales, president of the National Hispanic Media Coalition, a watchdog organization. “We’ve tried to push in less hostile ways. But these studios don’t seem to understand anything else.”
Latinos make up 18 percent of the population in the United States and 23 percent of its frequent moviegoers — those who go to the movies at least once a month. But only about 3 percent of speaking characters in films during the last decade were Latino, according to a study released in July by Stacy L. Smith of the University of Southern California.
The last Hispanic actor to win an Oscar was Penélope Cruz, from Spain, who was honored nine years ago for her supporting role in “Vicky Cristina Barcelona.” The last time the Academy Awards had a Hispanic acting nominee was 2012, when Demián Bichir was recognized for his portrayal of an undocumented Los Angeles gardener in “A Better Life” and the Argentina-born French actress Bérénice Bejo was nominated for playing a dancer in “The Artist.” Only one Hispanic man has ever won the best actor Oscar — José Ferrer, for “Cyrano de Bergerac” in 1951 — and no Hispanic woman has ever been named best actress.
None of that will change this year. When nominations for the 90th Academy Awards were announced, there were no Hispanic acting nominees. “We’re stuck,” Mr. Nogales said. “When will our exclusion matter?”
Thomas E. Rothman, chairman of the Sony Pictures Film Group, said in an email: “Clearly the United States Hispanic moviegoing audience, which is quite strong, is underserved in terms of stories and characters they can relate to.” Sony is remaking the 2011 Mexican thriller “Miss Bala” with Gina Rodriguez and Ismael Cruz Córdova as the leads.
Hollywood’s other major studios declined to comment, though several studio executives privately expressed frustration with the number of inclusion issues they are being asked to immediately address. At the moment, they said, the #MeToo fight against sexual harassment and gender equality has become all- consuming. They are also under pressure from activists for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people and for people with disabilities.
The Academy referred to comments that John Bailey, its president, made in August. Mr. Bailey said then: “The academy is not the industry. We can jump in to work to solve this issue — and we are. But we can’t bear sole responsibility. The jobs have to be there.”
There are signs of progress. In November, Disney released “Coco,” centered on the Mexican holiday honoring the dead and voiced by an all-Latino cast, which was nominated for best animated film. The Guatemalan-born actor Oscar Isaac plays a primary character in the latest “Star Wars.” A remake of the Goldie Hawn comedy “Overboard” by Metro- Goldwyn-Mayer and Pantelion Films stars the Mexican actor Eugenio Derbez.
And Latinos have been honored for their work behind the camera in recent years at the Oscars. The 2014 directing prize went to Alfonso Cuarón for “Gravity.” Alejandro G. Iñárritu collected back-to-back directing Oscars in 2015 and 2016 for “Birdman” and “The Revenant.” This year, Guillermo del Toro is a directing nominee for “The Shape of Water.”
But the underrepresentation of Latinos has never truly entered the public conversation. One possible reason is the diversity of Hispanics themselves, with their distinct cultures and races from different regions and countries. It can be difficult, activists say, to orchestrate a cohesive repudiation of Hollywood practices.
Christy Haubegger, founder of Latina magazine, has been trying to push for change from within the system. In 2005, she joined Creative Artists Agency, which now represents more than 100 Hispanic clients.
“To create sustainable, long-term change in the entertainment industry, we have to start at the bottom and touch every rung of the ladder on up,” Ms. Haubegger said. “It’s really hard, and it takes patience. We’re still in early days, which I know sounds crazy.”