Helen Mirren defends Oscar nominations: 'It’s unfair to attack the Academy'

Dame Helen Mirren has defended the Academy Awards, saying the problem lies with the types of films being produced.

Mirren, 70, praised Idris Elba’s role in Beasts of No Nation but said he failed to receive an Oscar nomination because the film was about child soldiers.

Speaking about the lack of diversity among this year’s nominees she told Channel 4 News: “I think it’s unfair to attack the Academy.

"It just so happened this year, it went that way. Idris Elba absolutely would have been nominated for an Oscar.

“He wasn’t because not enough people saw, or wanted to see a film about child soldiers.”

The annual awards ceremony faced a backlash after 20 nominees in the acting categories were white for a second consecutive year.

Spike Lee, Will Smith and his wife Jada Pinkett-Smith all announced they would be boycotting the bash

George Clooney criticised the awards for going in the "wrong direction" and Halle Berry described the lack of diversity as “heart breaking” while Dustin Hoffman blamed it on the “subliminal racism” in America.

Mirren - who received an Academy Award for her role in The Queen - said that the fault lies with the types of films being produced.

“I’m saying that the issue we need to be looking at is what happens before the film gets to the Oscars, what kinds of films are made and the way in which they’re cast, and the scripts,” she said.

“It’s those things that are much more influential, ultimately, than who stands there with an Oscar.”

Mirren was promoting Trumbo in which she plays the staunchly anti-Soviet gossip columnist Hedda Hopper.

Her co-star Bryan Cranston has been nominated for a Best Actor Oscar for his performance.

The 88th Academy Awards will take place at the Dolby Theatre on February 28.