Oscars: Academy Mistook One 'Selma' Actress for Another

This snafu has come to light not long after the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite began trending.

This certainly isn't going to quiet critics who already believe the Academy has diversity issues.

The motion picture academy's official Instagram page posted a still from Selma on Thursday to congratulate the film on its Oscar nomination for best picture. Unfortunately, the gesture wasn't effectively carried out.

The photo's caption identifies the actress in the still as Carmen Ejogo, who played Coretta Scott King. But the actress actually pictured is Tessa Thompson, who played Diane Nash.

The pic was deleted but made the rounds on Twitter.

Selma was nominated for best picture and best song but snubbed in several categories in which it was seen as a contender. Many Oscar pundits were surprised that star David Oyelowo (Martin Luther King, Jr.) and director Ava DuVernay did not earn nominations.

All of the Oscar-nominated actors this year are white, and so the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite has been trending as a result. Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs addressed the criticism Friday, saying that the group is "committed to seeking out diversity of voice and opinion."

A tweet of the Academy's Instagram pic can be seen below.

To make matters worse, the Academy just instagrammed a pic of Tessa Thompson in SELMA yet tagged it Carmen Ejogo pic.twitter.com/0rMOvyfAG1 — Marie Bardi (@mariebardi) January 15, 2015

Email: Ryan.Gajewski@pgmedia.org

Twitter: @_RyanGajewski