The Golden Globes are upon us, but sadly not many people of color or women. filmmakers are nominees. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association failed to nominate a single female filmmaker and only nominated three actors of color for television awards, including Billy Porter for Pose.

Since Porter’s newest role in the film Like A Boss is coming to theaters around the same time as the airing of the Golden Globes, Shadow And Act’s deputy editor, Trey Mangum, asked him, as well as the rest of the Like A Boss cast, how marginalized creatives should be supported without setting awards validation as a goal.

Porter said that marginalized actors and filmmakers should put the work first before awards ceremonies.

“Validation from the outside is unnecessary. Focus on the work. Keep doing the work. Make sure that you reach the people that you’re trying to reach. That’s the point,” he said. “Pose is on the air–Pose wasn’t ever supposed to be on the air…so let’s focus on that, that it’s there, that it’s on television.”

Though Porter said that everything will happen “in time,” his co-star Jennifer Coolidge added, “Sometimes I do feel like it should be accelerated…It is ridiculous.”

Salma Hayek also echoed Coolidge’s sentiments. “I want to get to the place where it’s just normality and it’s more fluid and it doesn’t feel so awkward where they’re [award committees] trying to, like, “do the right thing” instead of just, like, naturally [doing it].”

“To me, personally, I don’t feel like it’s about the trophies. I feel like it’s about the people,” said Tiffany Haddish. “And when the people come out to support something and the come to see it–it’s like, [people say] ‘why didn’t none of these female directors got nominated or whatever,’ but how many fans, how many people, came out to watch that female director’s movie? People need to get off their a***s, get up and go to the theater and support. If you want to see more of…people winning, then you need to get up and support the win.”

Like A Boss hits theaters on January 10.

READ MORE:

‘When They See Us’ Completely Shut Out Of Golden Globes In A Year Of Almost All-White Nominees

‘Queen & Slim’ Director Melina Matsoukas Says Golden Globes Voters Refused To See Film

Photo: Getty Images

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