‘Luther’s' Idris Elba Says Actors Face Discrimination in UK Like Hollywood After Oscar Snub

British actor Idris Elba has quickly turned into one of the most sought-after stars, with projects including a Marvel character, a role in Star Trek: Beyond and the recent critical smash Beasts of No Nation. Still, the Luther actor recently told the UK Parliament his experience with discrimination in his native country, saying it's not just a Hollywood problem.

According to the BBC, the 43-year-old Golden Globe winner took a stand on greater diversity in the media (on and off camera) last Monday, speaking about how minorities are portrayed in the media in the U.K. In his speech, Elba explained his reasons for working in the U.S., saying there are better roles for non-white actors across the pond, even despite recent controversy regarding minority actors being left out of the Oscars for the second year in a row.

"When you don't reflect the real world, too much talent is actually trashed. Talent is everywhere, opportunity isn't. And talent can't reach opportunity unaided," Elba told the Parliament of his country, via ABC. "Change is coming, but it's going to take its sweet time."

NPR reports that he's not the only actor who has joined the fight for diversity in media in the past week. David Oyelowo, who was last year denied of an Oscar nomination for his performance as Dr. Martin Luther King in the 2014 biopic Selma, said it was "unforgivable" that the Academy had failed to nominate black actors for two years in a row.

Ever since Oscar nominations were announced last week, a wave of criticism has hit the Academy. Actress Jada Pinkett Smith and director Spike Lee are currently leading a boycott, asking the black community to skip the awards show altogether over its lack of diversity. It's still unclear if Chris Rock, who was announced as host last year, will be stepping down from the show over the controversy.