Charlotte Rampling says her Oscars 'racist to whites' comments were 'misinterpreted'

Getty

Late last week, Charlotte Rampling, a best actress nominee at this year's Oscars, made headlines for calling the #OscarsSoWhite controversy "racist to whites."

In a statement to CBS News' "Sunday Morning," Rampling said her comments "could have been misinterpreted."  

"I simply meant to say that in an ideal world every performance will be given equal opportunities for consideration," she said. "I am very honored to be included in this year's wonderful group of nominated actors and actresses."

The "45 Years" actress made the original comments to France's Radio 1, which were then translated by the Guardian.

She also added that "diversity in our industry is an important issue that needs to be  addressed and she is "highly encouraged by the changes announced today by the Academy to diversify its membership."

After receiving criticism following a second consecutive year in which no minorities received acting nominations, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released a new plan to double the amount of female and minority members in its organization by 2020. 

NOW WATCH: David Bowie’s last music video is a poignant meditation on mortality