What Is an Inclusion Rider? Frances McDormand’s Oscars Speech, Decoded
Toward the end of her Best Actress award acceptance speech at the 2018 Oscars, Frances McDormand called for an "inclusion rider" — something those outside the business might not be overly familiar with. "Two words: Inclusion. Rider," she said.
But what, pray tell, is the Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri star talking about?
According to a tweet from Dr. Phillip Goff, President of The Center for Policing Equity, an inclusion rider is “a clause in an actor’s contract that requires the cast and crew be diverse in order to retain the actor." So essentially, a legal requirement to ensure there's not just straight white men on set.
It's a sentiment that makes sense, given McDormand's speech. After asking every female nominee in the audience to stand, the actress made an impassioned plea to tell more female stories. “We all have stories to tell," she said. "Invite us into your offices and we’ll tell you all about them.”
Her comments come on the heels of a year centered around gender parity in Hollywood. Sexual misconduct allegations brought down many a powerful man in the industry, while movements like Time's Up are pushing for better pay and broader platforms. Earlier in the night, Ashley Judd, Annabella Sciorra, and Salma Hayek — three of Harvey Weinstein's accusers — introduced a video highlighting the need for diversity within the entertainment business.
"Some of my favorite movies are by straight white dudes, about straight white dudes," The Big Sick star and co-writer Kumail Nanjiani, a Pakistani-American, said in the clip. "Now you can watch my movies and relate to me. It's not that hard. I've been doing it my whole life."
Watch video from McDormand's speech above.
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