British actress Andrea Riseborough could still win Oscar for her role in low-budget film To Leslie

British actress Andrea Riseborough could still win an Oscar for her role in the low-budget film To Leslie as backlash grows against woke claims her ‘shock’ nomination represents white privilege.

Riseborough, 41, found herself in the middle of one of the biggest scandals in Hollywood in years when she earned the surprise Oscar nomination for To Leslie. 

She portrays an alcoholic who won the lottery and runs out of money in the low-budget film.

The film, which has taken just £22,000 at the box office, was promoted by stars like Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet, Mia Farrow, Jennifer Aniston, Charlize Theron, Susan Sarandon and Edward Norton.

Riseborough faced being stripped of her nomination as many believed the campaigning for her film by her famous friends violated the strict rules for the Oscars races, as contacting Academy members to promote a film or push for an award is forbidden.

She was accused of ‘costing’ black actresses like Viola Davis (The Woman King) and Danielle Deadwyler (Till) a nomination.

Nominated with Riseborough for Best Actress are Cate Blanchett (Tar), Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once), Ana de Armas (Blonde) and Michelle Williams (The Fabelmans).

News network CNN raised ‘how much of an advantage it is to have famous White friends’.

Her famous colleagues have supported her in various ways, through screenings or moderated discussions like Q&As.

Many of them also posted their support on Twitter, using almost identical statements in support of To Leslie, calling it a ‘small film with a giant heart’.    

But an emergency board meeting of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences this week ruled Riseborough’s nomination should be allowed to stand.

A statement read: ‘The Academy has determined the activity in question does not rise to the level that the film’s nomination should be rescinded.

‘However, we did discover social media and outreach campaigning tactics that caused concern,’ the statement added. ‘These tactics are being addressed with the responsible parties directly.’

Now, support for the actress is rising: Screenwriter Paul Schrader, who is know for films like Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, announced he would cast his Oscar ballot for Riseborough.

‘She’s got my vote,’ he wrote on Facebook. ‘Go ahead, investigate me.’

Actress Christina Ricci said the Academy’s investigation was an ‘elitist’ inquisition: ‘Seems hilarious that the “surprise nomination” (meaning tons of money wasn’t spent to position this actress) of a legitimately brilliant performance is being met with an investigation’.

This week, two voting members of the Academy told the Mail on Sunday they would be casting their vote for Riseborough.

One woman, an Oscar-nominated make-up artist, said: ‘Frankly this whole debacle has made me more determined to vote for her.

‘It’s a brilliant performance and it sickens me that a grass-roots campaign to support an actress who gave the performance of a lifetime has been turned into something political.

‘Enough is enough. You can call it a backlash, a woke-lash, a whatever-you-like lash but Andrea has my vote and there are a lot of people who feel like I do.’

‘Isn’t that what this is supposed to be about? Shouldn’t we be voting for the best performance, regardless of colour, creed or religion?’

Chinonye Chukwu, director of Till – a film about a black teenager who was lynched in the racist Deep South featuring Danielle Deadwyler, who was considered one of the likely nominees for the Best Actress award – failed to earn a single Oscar nod.

She posted on Instagram writing: ‘We live in a world that is committed to upholding whiteness’.

However, one biracial Academy member who will vote on who will receive the Best Actress Oscar said: ‘Andrea Riseborough gave a performance for the ages. People saw it, started talking about it and started telling their friends about it.

‘This isn’t about race. This is about an actress who deserves this nomination for an outstanding performance.

‘I’m sorry, I’ve seen all of these movies. Till and The Woman King were good. But those performances by the lead actresses didn’t come anywhere close to Andrea’s.

‘She deserves this award and I will be voting for her. I hope she wins.’

The Newcastle-native Riseborough called her Oscar nomination ‘surreal’ told a friend: ‘At least people know who I am now’.

She has been praised by critics for years for her performances in films like W.E, Amsterdam and Made in Dagenham and many consider To Leslie her best acting performance yet.