Women, minorities make gains in Hollywood acting, fall short in other areas

LOS ANGELES: Women and minorities have significantly made major gains in acting roles, but  directing remain shockingly low for diversity.

The 2020 Hollywood Diversity Report shows progress in the broader movie industry as women had 44.1 percent of lead acting roles in blockbusters last year.

But statistics on the dearth of diversity in directing, editing and executive jobs show “a very different story,” suggesting Hollywood´s progress is limited to on-camera roles.

The annual report was released ahead  Oscars, which have been slammed for overlooking minorities — Cynthia Erivo is the sole non-white acting nominee.

The report hints at one potential explanation for the growth in acting roles for minorities which may appeal to Hollywood executives

According to the report, 93 percent of all senior executive positions were held by white people, and 80 percent by men.

While both the Oscars and Golden Globes were hit with fierce criticism for failing to nominate a single female director this year, the report also shows wider problems across the industry.

Just 15.1 percent of directors were women — though even that was an improvement on 7.1 percent a year earlier.

In 2019, the films that performed best at the box office featured casts composed of between 41 percent and 50 percent minority actors.