Cumberbatch Controversy Is Ridiculous, Says Selma Star David Oyelowo

David Oyelowo has defended fellow British actor and friend, Benedict Cumberbatch, for using the term "coloured" during an interview.

Cumberbatch talked about Chiwetel Ejiofor and David Oyelowo during his appearance on the talk show

Cumberbatch has apologised and said he was "devastated to have caused offence" after using the word on a US TV show to describe black actors.

"I think it's ridiculous," Selma star Oyelowo told Newsbeat.

"When you look at what he was actually saying it's clear that he's a huge supporter of black performers."

Cumberbatch

David Oyelowo was speaking at the UK premiere of Selma, in which he stars as 1960s civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr.

Cumberbatch mentioned David Oyelowo and Chiwetel Ejiofor as part of a wider discussion with US talk show host Tavis Smiley about diversity in the film industry.

"To attack him for a term, as opposed to what he was actually saying, I think is very disingenuous and is indicative of the age we live in where people are looking for sound bites as opposed to substance."

The actor also said he had spoken to Cumberbatch about the controversy that flared up online over the past few days.

"I reached out to him in support and said I think it's ridiculous," he said.

When asked if he felt Hollywood and the film industry had an issue with diversity, Oyelowo replied with a resounding "absolutely".

"You can see that in the fact every time a film of this size and stature comes up.

"We're talking about diversity again and that's because there isn't enough of it."

He cited his recent role in Interstellar as one that wasn't specified as a black character and noted "to get to the point whereby myself and Ryan Gosling are going up for the same role is going to be great".

"That's not to say that that doesn't happen, it just doesn't happen often."

Oyelowo suggested there needed to be more diversity among people with the power to finance and get films made.

"Excellence is the best weapon against prejudice. I intend to be part of the solution and not the problem.

"You've just got to keep on banging out good performances."

Benedict Cumberbatch has been nominated for the best actor Oscar for his role in The Imitation Game, and while David Oyelowo missed out on an acting nomination for Selma, the film is in the running for best picture at next month's ceremony.

So does David think the negative publicity Benedict has been getting will harm Cumberbatch's career?

"Absolutely not," said Oyelowo.

"I think it's just part of the silly news cycle that we all feed off and it will go away like chip paper as it does.

"He's a brilliant actor, he gives a brilliant performance in Imitation Game and, like I say, it's just a diversion from what we should be talking about, which is that astounding performance."

WHY THE WORD 'COLORED' IS OFFENSIVE

In the UK the term is, at best, seen as old fashioned and "something your gran might say".

But it's also regarded as a highly offensive racial slur which recalls a time when casual racism was a part of everyday life.

In the US, because of the country's recent era of racial segregation, it is among the most offensive words for describing a black person.

"[It] was used to describe anybody who was not white, which may imply that to be white is 'normal' or default," says the charity Show Racism the Red Card.

"If we consider it, every human has a skin colour, so technically we are all coloured."

Historically, the word is associated with segregation, especially in the US, where black people where kept separate from white people - on public transport, or at drinking fountains which were described as "coloured-only" for example.

These rules - known as "Jim Crow laws" - happened mainly in the states in the south of the US, from the 1870s until the 1960s.

The phrase Jim Crow originated from a song-and-dance character of the 1800s. In the stage show a white actor "blacked up" to play the role of an African slave. No-one is quite sure how this name became associated with the racial hierarchy the US adopted.

In part because of this association, using the phrase is seen as contributing racist behaviour, according to Show Racism the Red Card.

It was also seen as an acceptable word to use in much of the UK until the 1960s and 1970s.

There are places in the world where "coloured" is used without offence - for example in South Africa, where it refers to people who have multiple heritages.

Founded in 1909, the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People) is a huge organisation in the US; it seeks to end discrimination on the basis of race.

It is "much better" to use the word black, says Show Racism the Red Card.

"There are lots of rumours that cause people to feel uncomfortable about saying black, but as a descriptive term it is absolutely fine, and is a term that has been chosen by and is used by black people."

According to the British Sociological Association, there are other words and phrases used to describe race, skin colour and heritage which could be found offensive however.

"Halfe-caste" is a "dated, racist term which should be avoided", they explain.

"Mixed race is a misleading term since it implies that a 'pure race' exists."

They advise alternatives including "mixed parentage" and "dual heritage".culled

Mixed parentage sounds better.I dont see anything wrong with using the word colored.we are all colored,some black and some white....abi another color dey?lol