Ryan Coogler told The New York Times that his decision to reject an invitation to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences nearly 10 years ago had nothing to do with bitterness against Oscar voters.

“It’s not out of animosity,” Coogler said, adding that his commitments to directorial projects, unions and his film school stretches him thin. “And I’m not good at judging things, bro. The act of ‘Hey, pick the best thing’ is very stressful for me, even when there’s no stakes involved.”

Coogler said that while he enjoys awards season because he gets to hang out with his collaborators and industry friends, he’s not interested in the glam of the Oscar race. He summed it up by saying: “People see the tuxedo, they see the red carpet, but it’s real blue-collar folks making these mov

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