Three-time Oscar winner Steven Spielberg is a "huge supporter of the Academy awards ," but can't stand behind the Academy's response to its #OscarsSoWhite controversy. During an episode of The Hollywood Reporter's Awards Chatter podcast , Spielberg explained.

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The director—who is nominated this year for Bridge of Spies—was surprised that Straight Outta Compton wasn't nominated for best picture, and that Beasts of No Nation's Idris Elba was snubbed for best supporting actor."I've seen Straight Outta Compton—my wife and I saw it when it first opened, the first weekend, and it just rocked our world. It was incredible. I was very surprised to see that omission," Spielberg added.However, he doesn't believe these films were omitted because of "inherent or dormant racism because of the amount of white Academy members." For proof, Spielberg suggested critics "look back a couple of years" to when Lupita Nyong'o was lauded for 12 Years a Slave, and when the film won best picture."I do think that what the Academy is doing, in a proactive way, to open up the membership to diversity, I think that's very, very important," Spielberg said. "But it's not just the Academy, and I think we have to stop pointing fingers and blaming the Academy." Spielberg suggested its larger than just the awards show—"it's the people that hire, it's the people at the main gate of studios." The director was adamant that diversity "starts on the page," and that the industry in general should be "more proactive in getting out there and just seeking talent." Fixing this problem by stripping Academy members of their votes , he said, is something he's "not 100 percent behind."

Nicole is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter