Marlon Wayans: ‘Chris Rock should not step down as Oscars host’

Funnyman Marlon Wayans has joined the celebrities backing Chris Rock’s decision to go on with the show at the Oscars, despite the race relations row over this year’s nominations.
Jada Pinkett Smith is boycotting Hollywood’s big night because no African-American stars picked up acting nods for the second year in a row, while Spike Lee isn’t attending and Quincy Jones has demanded time to talk about the diversity issue onstage at the ceremony.
Meanwhile, George Clooney has attacked voters for not picking out a single performance by a black star or director for consideration inclusion, and stars like Tyrese Gibson and 50 Cent have urged Rock to step down as the host.
Comedian Steve Harvey and actress Jane Lynch insist the comic should not quit, and now Marlon Wayans has weighed in on the growing controversy, insisting that while he understands the outrage, he does not think Rock should quit the job.
“Chris has a job to do,” he told People.com. “When you’re contracted and obligated to do something, you have a job to do. I don’t put that stress on that man. Rock’s going to go out and he’s going to address this. We’re all giving him fuel and stuff to talk about.”
“There’s no greater person to talk about this than Chris Rock,” he added.
Wayans reveals he has spoken with Furious 7 star Tyrese about the Oscars ‘white-out’, but he doesn’t agree with his friend that the Oscars should be attacked.
“I can’t blame the Academy so much as I can blame… it’s the gatekeepers in Hollywood,” he explains. “We (African-American stars) don’t get the budgets. We don’t get the opportunities to film those big luxurious films that you get 120 days to shoot. We don’t have those types of budgets, so some of it is Hollywood.
“We all (have to) step up and start making more movies of that cloth and then the audience, you guys come out, and you support these movies. This way we have a shot at doing it.”