Richard Dreyfuss Speaks Out About The Academy’s New Inclusivity Rules: ‘No One Should Tell Me What To Do As An Artist’ | Oscars, Richard Dreyfuss : Just Jared

Richard Dreyfuss is not a fan of The Academy‘s newly implemented inclusivity rules.

The 75-year-old actor, who is best known for his roles in Mr. Holland’s Opus, Jaws and What About Bob?, is blasting The Academy over the rules, which go into effect next year.

The 2024 Academy Awards will feature four new diversity and inclusion standards, which were announced in 2020. To be eligible for the best picture category, at least two of these standards must be satisfied.

The four standards have a common goal of promoting diversity in on-screen representation, themes, and narratives, promoting diversity among leadership and department heads, providing opportunities to underrepresented groups, and expanding representation in audience development.

Keep reading to find out more of why Richard Dreyfuss doesn’t like them…

Richard, however, is speaking out against the rules, in a new interview with PBS’s Firing Line With Margaret Hoover, via Variety.

“It’s an art. No one should be telling me as an artist that I have to give in to the latest, most current idea of what morality is,” he said on the program. “What are we risking? Are we really risking hurting people’s feelings? You can’t legislate that.”

He went on, “You have to let life be life. I’m sorry, I don’t think there is a minority or majority in the country that has to be catered to like that.”

While speaking on the rules, Richard also seemingly spoke out in support of blackface, specifically about Laurence Olivier‘s performance in 1965′s Othello.

Laurence wore blackface in the movie.

“He played a Black man brilliantly. Am I being told that I will never have a chance to play a Black man? Is someone else being told that if they’re not Jewish, they shouldn’t play [in] The Merchant of Venice? Are we crazy?” Richard reacted. “This is so patronizing. It’s so thoughtless and treating people like children.”

Speaking of the Oscars, there are a handful of films already being marked as standouts for the upcoming 2024 ceremony.